COMPASS BOX HEDONISM 2026
SCOTLAND
WHY BUY: If you call your product Hedonism, you'd better bring the goods, and boy oh boy has Compass Box ever delivered. For this, the 2026 edition of their highly-limited crown jewel bottling, they’ve taken whiskies from three different, distinguished distilleries (Port Dundas, Cameronbridge, and Strathclyde), blended them and matured them slowly and gently in antique sherry casks and bourbon casks until the final result is (as is the Compass Box way) big, silky, and smooth sailing all the way. This bottling shows this British-based brand at its absolute, shimmering peak. A massive triumph.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: Forbes declared Compass Box "the trailblazers of luxury blended whisky,” while Esquire named them one of the world's 10 most underrated Scotch producers. In other words, the critics recognize what collectors have known for years: Compass Box isn't playing by anyone else's rules.
OUR TASTING NOTES: The 2026 edition is full of new wrinkles, among them (and most prominently) antique sherry casks, which make their first appearance in Hedonism. What those sherry casks bring, most immediately, is a newfound depth to that trademark smoothness and richness that Compass Box is known for. Pour a glass, and you're immediately hit with layers of caffè latte and butterscotch, followed by a touch of orange cream that seems determined to stay awhile. Give it a moment, and fine wood sugars emerge, then nougat and hazelnut, before the whole thing resolves into a kind of rich, milk chocolatey indulgence. At the same, though, it’s wonderfully poised, and even elegant, the kind of whisky that makes you slow down and contemplate every nuance and coloration. The lead whiskymaker, Angela D’Orazio, has managed to keep Hedonism's signature buttery smoothness while deepening the profile and adding dimensions that weren’t there previously.
THE STORY: The story of Hedonism begins in 2000. That was the year that Compass Box master blender John Glaser created the first-ever blended grain whisky, a signal development for a spirit that, to that point, had seen little innovation in its long history. Hedonism, Glaser and his partner, James Saxon, christened it, and over the next two decades it became a darling of the spirits press and a bottle that collectors pursued with fevered intensity. It’s exactly this sort of boundary-pushing creativity that has marked their portfolio from the beginning. Then as now, every bottling, every promo, was conceived to drove home a single message: that here is a swaggering startup that is determined to upend traditional expectations of what a Scotch was supposed to be.
WHAT TO PAIR IT WITH: Not all whiskies lend themselves so neatly to food, but this one does. It’s a fine partner alongside a plate of silky parma ham and slices of fresh, ripe pear. But it also harmonizes with sweet and salted popcorn (yes, really) or (trust us) a wedge of coffee cake with walnuts.
ABV: 46% (92 proof); non chill-filtered; natural colour.
FUN FACT: Hedonism has always featured the image of a woman on the bottle, and as the label's artistry is reimagined with each release, so too is the juice within. It's Compass Box's way of signaling that while the core philosophy remains constant (making whiskies that aim to delight and surprise, rather than stick to tradition for tradition’s sake) the execution evolves year after year.
OUR GUARANTEE: As always, we only buy and source directly from the producer, so rest assured: your spirit will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance. Secure your order of this limited-edition gem today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Spring 2026. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. The price reflected on your order form is subject to change after the order is placed in the event of a change in tariffs or taxes that are imposed by the U.S. government, or in the case of currency fluctuations of 10% or greater. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NC, NE, NY, TN, VA, & WA. This offer will expire on Monday, January 19th, 2026.