Compass Box Hedonism Felicitas Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
This was my original review of Compass Box Hedonism Felicitas Blended Grain Scotch Whisky from about two years ago:
As long as I’ve been drinking whisky, I’ve been fascinated bordering on obsessed with blending. The idea of someone taking 2, 10, or even 40 whiskies and blending them into harmony is incredible. Whether it’s from various distilleries across Scotland, from a single distillery making multiple whisky types in a single plant, or somewhere in-between, it takes incredible skill. For me, the showstopper blends are the Hibiki Harmony and Hibiki 17 from Suntory, The Centenary Blend from Johnnie Walker, and Compass Box Hedonism.
I tried Compass Box Hedonism before I really understood what I was drinking. I could evaluate basic flavors and I knew what I was trying was great. Only on subsequent tastings did I recognize how balanced and different this blend is. Hedonism is Compass Box’s first child, and though it is batched (with slight variation), it is still the standard against which I measure all their other blends.
Compass Box is one of those companies that fly under the radar, puts out amazing whisky, but is a must-have for those in the know. John Glaser - an American - founded Compass Box in 2000 to be different than the single malts and blenders in Scotland. He is the first “whiskymaker” at Compass Box, defining it as “someone who feels a need and an obligation to make things better - to ask questions, to challenge, to experiment. A Whiskymaker is different from a distiller, more than a blender.”
On another post, I’ll talk more about the Compass Box ethos and Hedonism specifically. This one, though, is all about Hedonism Felicitas - the newest evolution in the Hedonism line. Led by whiskymaker James Saxon, Hedonism Felicitas blends three decades of grain whiskies into a beautifully floral, full-bodied, creamy whisky that is both refreshing and satisfying. The largest of the three parts is from Port Dundas Distillery, distilled in 2001 (~19 years old). The oldest portion is from Strathclyde Distillery, distilled in the 1980s, and the final third is distillate from the North British Distillery in the 1990s.
Compass Box could easily produce these blends one after another, keeping their name based on quality across the board with subtle variations in expressions. Their whiskies are good enough to do that and never lose a customer. But they go a step further: each product has a recipe and fact sheet that outlines clearly and simply what is in that bottle. Here’s the one for Hedonism Felicitas. You see exactly what percentages went into the blend, how old each component is, and the expected flavor profiles from each. Transparency is one of the last frontiers in whisky, especially around blending. I love Johnnie Walker, but I want to know what’s in each bottle. It doesn’t lessen or improve the product to tell the story, nor does it affect the price: if I know the bottle of Johnnie Walker Black contains up to 40 different whiskies I’m going to treat that $40 bottle a little more appreciatively knowing the blender behind it took over three dozen ingredients and made a harmonious final product.
I can’t wait to talk to John Glaser and/or his team members to hear their experience and how they go about their business. Their website is transparent and provides excellent information - but as the whiskymakers themselves are proving with each release, there’s always more to learn.
As I write this, an episode of The Whiskey Ring Podcast with John will be going live tomorrow morning at 6am. It’s a dream come true.
It’s also worth revisiting the pour after having that conversation. I talked in my review of Compass Box Hedonism about the concept of hedonism and why it’s important. Now let’s approach “felicitas,” which can mean everything from productive to lucky to favored, blessed, or happy. This was a celebration of Compass Box’s 20-year anniversary, and it didn’t disappoint.
There weren’t too many bottles available (just around 2,300), but boy were those bottles beautifully. Designed by long-time collaborators Stranger & Stranger (guest on the Podcast episode 74), the original Hedonism’s elegant lady is now a head-focused bust with ideas in the form of flowers literally pouring or exploding out of her head. It’s another celebration, one showing that after the hundreds of blends and releases Compass Box has created in the past two decades, there are still so many ideas to explore and manifest.
Like its namesake, it’s entirely grain whisky, with all bottles pulled from Compass Box favorites Port Dundas, North British, and Strathclyde Distilleries. The result is an exceptional whisky, one of the highest reviews I gave that year (and would give again). Redolent with custard, brioche soaking for French toast, sultanas, orange zest, and a light cinnamon kick that cuts through the sweetness, this is flat out delicious.
For Compass Box, it’s also a new goalpost for themselves: it is both a measure of where they’ve come from over twenty years and a showing of what they can still do with often the simplest ingredients that others would overlook.
Compass Box Hedonism Felicitas Blended Grain Scotch Whisky: Specs
Classification: Blended Scotch Grain Whisky
Origin: Port Dundas Distillery, North British Distillery, and Strathclyde Distillery
Mashbill: 100% Grain Whisky
Proof: 106 (53% ABV)
Age: NAS
Location: Scotland
Compass Box Hedonism Felicitas: Price: $200
Compass Box Hedonism Felicitas Blended Grain Scotch Whisky: Tasting Notes
Eye: Straw honey, very thin rims, and droplets in the glass.
Nose: Sweet malt (even though it’s all grain) mixed into a caramelized brioche crust. Sweet notes of crystallized fruit keep developing. Yeasty, fruity esters pop, like a not-too-bitter IPA.
Palate: Beautiful grain sweetness. Eggy bread with raisins, sultanas, and orange zest. Hints of wheated bourbon. Creamy baking spices roll through the mouth. Pineapple upside-down cake develops. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, coating, and creamy.
Finish: Sweet bread pudding with a vanilla Creme Anglaise, French butter and fruit cake.
Overall: This is delicious - sweet, yes, but not overpoweringly so. Creamy with clove and cinnamon cutting through the rice pudding that just keeps going. Not overly complex, to be sure, but an excellent example of grain blending - would expect nothing less from Compass Box.
Final Rating: 7.8
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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