In 2000, John Glaser founded Compass Box Whisky Company with a single audacious conviction: that blended Scotch whisky, assembled with the same creative ambition applied to fine wine or music, could produce something genuinely transcendent. The first whisky he made was Hedonism — a blended grain Scotch at a time when grain whisky was almost universally dismissed as filler, invisible behind the malt whiskies it supported in standard blends. Twenty-five years later, Hedonism is not simply a great whisky. It is the bottle that changed the category.

The 2025 Hedonism is the 25th anniversary release — a milestone that Compass Box marks not with nostalgia but with genuine creative ambition. The core composition draws from Cameronbridge (61.1%) and Girvan (10.1%) grain distilleries — two of Scotland's most respected grain whisky sources — aged 15 to 25 years, supplemented by 28.8% of older Hedonism stocks from the 2022 and 2023 batches. The distinguishing production decision for 2025 is the partial Marsala barrique finishing of a portion of the Cameronbridge component — two years in first-fill Marsala wine casks, introducing a layer of additional sweetness, stone fruit complexity, and a gentle red fruit dimension that pushes this annual release into genuinely new aromatic territory. The label was created in collaboration with Argentinian artist Sofia Bonati, whose dream-like female portraiture interprets the iconic Hedonism figure in a way that is entirely her own.

Non-chill filtered. No added colour. 9,912 bottles produced worldwide. The 25th anniversary release of the whisky that proved grain was worthy of its own spotlight — and that Compass Box was worthy of creating it.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Compass Box was established in 2000 by American-born John Glaser — a former Global Marketing Director at Johnnie Walker who left the corporate spirits world to pursue a vision of Scotch whisky as a creative medium rather than a commercial category. Operating from Chiswick, London as an independent blender and whisky maker, Compass Box has since built one of the most respected and intellectually rigorous portfolios in the Scotch whisky world — defined at every stage by absolute transparency in production, artistic ambition in design, and a commitment to quality that has earned it recognition from critics and collectors across every major market.

Hedonism was the first whisky Glaser created — conceived as a direct challenge to the prevailing assumption that grain whisky was inherently inferior to malt. His argument was simple and entirely correct: aged well, in quality American oak casks, grain whisky can be among the most delicious spirits produced anywhere in the world. The rich, creamy, vanilla-driven character that first-fill bourbon casks impart to well-aged grain distillate produces a profile of silky generosity and dessert-like pleasure that is not only distinctive but genuinely beloved by a wide range of drinkers — including those who find heavily peated or aggressively oaked malts challenging. Hedonism became a gateway whisky for thousands of drinkers who discovered blended grain through its approachability and converted into serious Scotch enthusiasts through its genuine complexity.

The 2025 release is built from six parcels of grain whisky spanning 15 to 25 years of age. The majority — 61.1% — is sourced from Cameronbridge Distillery in Fife, Diageo's flagship grain distillery and one of the oldest continuously operating grain whisky facilities in Scotland. A further 10.1% comes from Girvan Distillery in Ayrshire — William Grant & Sons' own grain facility, producing a complementary grain character. The remaining 28.8% consists of older Hedonism editions from the 2022 and 2023 annual releases — a blending decision that adds complexity, depth, and continuity across the annual release program. The defining new element for 2025 is the partial Marsala barrique finish applied to a portion of the Cameronbridge component — two years in first-fill Marsala wine casks from Sicily, whose naturally high sugar content and dried fruit character introduce additional sweetness, peach compote, and gentle red fruit notes that move the 2025 release beyond the purely vanilla-and-coconut profile of earlier expressions and into new aromatic territory. Current Whiskymaking Director James Saxon described the 2025 as "unmistakably a Hedonism in style and texture, but with the addition of an ex-Marsala cask and some casks from previous batches, we were pushing the flavours into new areas." The finished whisky is bottled at 46% ABV — above the minimum required to preserve grain character — without chill filtration and without added colour.

Critics Reviews

There are no widely published numeric scores from Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, Whisky Advocate, or Decanter available for the 2025 release at this time. The Hedonism series has earned consistent recognition across its history including multiple awards at the International Wine & Spirit Competition and widespread critical praise as the defining expression of the blended grain Scotch category. The Whiskey Wash reviewed the 2025 as "moreish, sweet, creamy" with "a finish that goes on for quite a while" — calling it "a rather wonderful way to celebrate" the 25th anniversary and "a great artistic bottle filled with rather wonderful tasting whisky."

Tasting Profile

Nose Initial waves of caramel and icing sugar open the nose with characteristic Hedonism sweetness — dessert-like, generous, and immediately inviting. At the heart of the 2025 nose: pure peach purée, the Marsala barrique's most distinctive aromatic contribution, alongside fresh pear and a rich cocoa note that adds depth and a bittersweet dimension. The American oak's contribution is present throughout — vanilla cream, powdered sugar, and fresh yeasty bakery bread providing the classic Hedonism framework — while nutmeg and a whisper of red fruit from the Marsala finishing add aromatic complexity and lift that distinguishes this release from its predecessors. Sweet dairy cream and light tangerine citrus complete the picture.

Palate Silky, creamy, and mouth-filling — the mouthfeel is Hedonism's most immediately distinctive characteristic and the quality that converted an entire generation of whisky drinkers to the grain category. Mousse au chocolat and vanilla pudding lead the palate with dessert-like richness, deepening into nutmeg, cinnamon, and warm baking spice that build steadily through the mid-palate. The Marsala influence adds a layer of stone fruit sweetness — peach compote and a faint dried apricot quality — that lifts the center of the palate and adds a dimension of fruity complexity that purely bourbon-cask aged grain cannot achieve. Whipped cream, toasted coconut, powdered sugar, and soft wood notes weave through the whole — the 46% ABV carrying the flavors with genuine presence and warmth. The 2025 is slightly more fruit-forward and slightly less coconut-dominant than earlier expressions — a consequence of the Marsala finishing and the batch-to-batch evolution of the annual release program.

Finish Fresh, fruity, and silky warm. Fuji apple and bright grapes lead the close — the Marsala's lightest and most refreshing contribution — alongside sweet vanilla, soft oak, and a sustained warmth that lingers well past the swallow. The finish is one of the 2025's most praised characteristics: clean, medium-long, and more fruit-driven than the standard Hedonism profile, with nothing heavy or tannic to interrupt the elegant, dessert-friendly close.

Quick Overview

Category	Details
ABV / Proof	46% ABV / 92 Proof
Style	Blended Grain Scotch Whisky — Limited Annual Release
Producer	Compass Box Whisky Company — James Saxon, Whiskymaking Director
Founder	John Glaser — est. 2000
Blend Composition	Cameronbridge 61.1% · Girvan 10.1% · Hedonism 2022/2023 28.8%
Age Range	15 to 25 years
Primary Cask	First-fill bourbon barrels
Special Finishing	Portion of Cameronbridge — 2 years in first-fill Marsala barrique
Chill Filtration	None
Added Colour	None
Global Edition	9,912 bottles worldwide
Label Artist	Sofia Bonati — Argentinian artist
Anniversary	25th anniversary of Compass Box and Hedonism
Style / Identity	Dessert-forward blended grain — silky, creamy, vanilla-rich, Marsala-fruited
Aromas & Flavors	Caramel, icing sugar, peach purée, cocoa, pear, vanilla cream, mousse au chocolat, nutmeg, cinnamon, toasted coconut, Fuji apple, soft wood
Bottle Size	750ml

Serving & Occasion

Compass Box recommends serving Hedonism neat and slightly chilled, or with an ice cube in a large wine glass — the wide bowl allowing the grain's natural aromatic richness to fully develop. A single large ice cube works beautifully, where the slight dilution and temperature change deepen the peach and vanilla notes over the course of the pour. The brand's own food pairing suggestions capture the 2025 perfectly: silky Parma ham with fresh pear, sweet and salted popcorn, or coffee and walnut cake alongside the slightly chilled pour. Also outstanding as a digestif served after a long dinner where a lighter, fresher alternative to heavily sherried or peated Scotch is called for. The 9,912-bottle global edition makes it a natural collector's purchase for the Compass Box enthusiast and the blended grain devotee alike — and the Sofia Bonati label artwork makes it one of the most visually striking bottles in the annual release series to date.

Cocktail Suggestions

Hedonism's delicate, dessert-forward grain character is primarily designed for neat or slightly chilled enjoyment — the silky mouthfeel and fruit-forward 2025 profile are most apparent without dilution or ice. For those who wish to incorporate it in a cocktail, minimal-intervention formats are most appropriate:

Hedonism Highball (the recommended serve) 2 oz Compass Box Hedonism 2025 · chilled premium sparkling water · expressed lemon peel. Built over ice in a tall glass, stirred gently once. The grain's natural sweetness and the Marsala's peach and fruit notes carry beautifully in carbonation — the lemon peel amplifying the citrus brightness already present in the 2025 profile and creating one of the most refined and gentle highball serves available from any Scotch expression. A natural warm-weather aperitivo format for those who appreciate Japanese highball culture applied to Scottish grain whisky.

Grain Old Fashioned 2 oz Compass Box Hedonism 2025 · 1 tsp Demerara syrup · 1 dash Angostura bitters · expressed orange peel. Stirred over a single large ice rock. The minimal Old Fashioned format is the only cocktail build that fully respects Hedonism's delicacy — the sugar and bitters framing the vanilla and peach notes without introducing competing flavors, and the orange peel tying the Marsala's red fruit dimension into the whole.

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Compass Box Blended Scotch Whisky