Neat. Sample. First Compass Box experience! This nose is very rich and surprising. Significant oak presence. Hint of chocolate and nougat. Blue berries. Salted caramel cover pretzel. Popcorn kernels. Apples too. There is a fantastic depth to this. I like the nose quite a bit. Mouthfeel is delightfully viscous and really coats. It’s very light and bright up front. Cinnamon and apple with a hint of salt. Really escalates into a flavor bomb mid palate. The brightness shoots up like a rocket and brings this delicious salted caramel in its wake. Pretzel comes through as the blue berry as well. The finish is very bourbon-like. Caramel, oak, vanilla, apple. There is a wine of the finish too and it brings a drying sensation (but not a turn off). Okay that is delicious. This is a bourbon lovers scotch right here. The proof, the flavors, the finish. If you told me this was a finished bourbon I may believe you. The finish is still going strong as I type this conclusion. I am simply impressed by this sample. I will buy a bottle if I see it.
About this bottle
Compass Box Hedonism Felicitas is a limited edition blended grain whisky released in celebration of the 20th anniversary for Compass Box in 2020. Three different single grain distilleries makeup the blend, each having been distilled in a different decade. Two single grain whiskies distilled in the 1990s at The North British Distillery aged in recharred American oak make up 7.8% and 15% of the blend. Single grain from the 1980s distilled at the Strathclyde Distillery aged in first-fill bourbon makes up 33.1% of the blend. And single grain distilled in 2001 at Port Dundas matured in refill sherry make up 44.1% of the blend. Bottled without added color or chill-filtration at 53% ABV.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 7 parsed reviews.
So been working on this for a bit, I'll do my best. nose - Traditional grain notes with a lot of vanilla, grain, grape, and a hint of dark fruit. Some richer creams and alcohol. Taste - Again grain, classic grain scotch. There's a lot of creamy buttery vanilla desserts. Pastry crust for sure. Then we have some metallic notes on the finish. Gosh the up front is so soft and sweet. The finish brings in some chocolates and chewy nugget notes. Clean and light white chocolate here. So yeah this is reasonable old for scotch but for grain blends it's ok. A huge step up from the standard but I'm still just at a 2.0. I won't consider buying again. I like it enough, but it's pretty average overall and the price sucks. I can see why some are bigger fans and if you like grain go for it. I like "The Muse" WAY WAY more, it's far richer and better made. I scored that a 3.0 which might be low but this isn't close.
Another brilliant amalgamation of whiskies by Scotch whiskymaker, Compass Box. A blended grain, it features components distilled in 3 different decades and hailing from the Strathclyde, North British, and Port Dundas distilleries. Bourbon and sherry barrel aging equate into a delicious and complex offering that is non-chill filtered and bottled at a lofty 106 proof. A varnish-like and floral nose is followed by a palate rich in creamy vanilla, toffee, orchard fruits, and spices. Compass Box continues to reengineer the perception of the world’s great whiskies.
Not sure how Distillers gave this dram a low score. This drink is an example of what many consider as a refined beverage. Take Hedonism then polish its edges with a more flavorful kick. Get one while you can.
Nose: lots of heat, cinnamon, red hots Palate: very delicate floral notes, yet pronounced at same time. Maybe some pecan taste Finish: long finish, easy and sweet, green tea
Malted chocolate milk. Similar to regular hedonism with its flavors turned up to 11
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Tastes like this
Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.
