Compass Box Hedonism

Classification: Blended Grain Scotch
Distillery: Cameronbridge and Port Dundas
Mashbill: 100% Grain
Age: NAS
Proof: 86

The nose smacks you with sweet vanilla custard, a cheeky lick of oak, and a squeeze of preserved lemon — sharp enough to wake you up, but not enough to make you pucker like your da when the bill comes. There’s a richness from the bourbon casks and a whisper of orchard fruit sweetness, the kind that makes you think, “Aye… I could drink this all afternoon.”

On the palate, it starts soft, like it’s pretending to be well-behaved, then sneaks in crème brûlée, crème anglaise, and vanilla like it’s been raiding the dessert trolley. Silky mouthfeel, sure, but a bit on the thin side — like wearing a kilt in a January gale — still, it’s got a peppery wee jab on the tongue that lets you know it’s not just here to hold your hand.

The finish? Short-ish, but it leaves you with buttery puff pastry and baked goods, like the best bits from your granny’s kitchen before she caught you nicking them.

Overall: It’s not shouting over the jukebox, but it’s got charm, sweetness, and just enough backbone to make you pour another. The kind of dram you’d trust to watch your pint while you nip to the loo — it’ll still be there, still smiling, when you get back.