Friendships and Impulse Purchases (part 2)

Hedonism (43% abv)

Ok, this was not an impulse purchase. Just something DW got from the Airport DFS. Based on my recommendation, I think? In any case, this blended grain from Compass Box has been something I've been wanting to try. I've not had a good impression of grain whisky, but it seems like grain whisky is getting more attention recently, and is more complex than many people (myself included) have given them credit for. Perhaps it's my bias against bourbon spilling over.

That makes Hedonism a good place to start fighting back against baseless bias: I don't trust grain whisky (yet), but I trust Compass Box. So, we're starting on fairly neutral ground here.


Colour - Gold, but this is achieved without artificial colouring or chill filtering. Just the grain and the barrel. Grain and barrel. That's a good name for a whisk(e)y review website!

Nose - Sweet butterscotch mother of toffee! Lots of vanilla and honey. Rich, velvety butterscotch. Some toffee. A touch of oaky goodness. Spicy even on the nose. After a while, the nosing develops to become rounder, and less sweet; that's good because it was approaching dangerously close to "cloying" territory initially. This smells like kueh lapis. For those who're not from Malaysia/Singapore/Indonesia, this is kueh lapis:

Layer upon layer of buttery, oily, cakey goodness. The really good ones, you can peel off layer by layer. Or, take a bite across the layers and feel them separate into thin strips in your mouth, before disintegrating into a buttery, gooey mash. Brilliant. And high in calories. But yes, Hedonism smells like that. Preferably with black tea.

Palate - Smooth. Vanilla, a touch of coconut, honey, butter, toffee. Maybe a few drops of maple syrup. No, I don't mean the one they give at Macdonald's when you order pancakes. Actual maple syrup. And honey. Thankfully, that'll be spiced honey - cinnamon, nutmeg, and something a little more prickly. A basket of fruits too - ripe apples, maybe a banana and pink guava. There's also a good oak structure to the whisky - wood in the background helps to hold the strong flavours of this whisky together, and gives it a slight tannic feel too. It's a little drying due to the tannic feel, and that helps to prevent this blended grain from become overpoweringly sweet.

Finish - Medium length. Coconut and oak are a little more prominent here, and a slight bitterness, like tea. So that makes this dram kueh lapis and tea in the same sip? That's a perfect tea-time snack!

Overall - Good stuff! If grain whisky was this good, I'll have no problems with trying more. Hedonism manages to achieve great balance and depth, at an affordable price point. Go Compass Box! 

I know that in Part 1, I said that the tasting notes will be brief, but I took many mental notes of this - I had really wanted to try it.

So, this is part 2. Part 3 will cover the Braeval and Kilchoman! These will be brief. Promise.