Country: Scotland
Distillery:
Port Dundas, North British, Strathclyde
Type: Blended Grain
Age: NAS
Cask: American Oak & Bourbon & Sherry Butt
ABV: 53%
Proof: 106
Price: $170
Nose: So vibrant! Coconut, buttery caramel, vanilla, cardamom, fresh green plums and touch of orange zest.
Palate: Patisserie cream, tropical fruits, oak spices, honey, baked apples.
Finish: Lingering and warm finish with coconuts, apple pie, subtle white pepper.
It has been 20 years since Compass Box joined our lives and introduced a new vibe into the whisky industry. They celebrated their 20th anniversary with two new whiskies in 2020. Firstly they introduced Rogues' Banquet and this week they introduced Compass Box Hedonism Felicitas.
When Compass Box first started 20 years ago, the first whisky they offered was Hedonism. In 20 years, Hedonism has taken many forms including Hedonism The Muse, Hedonism Quindecimus.
In Compass Box's words:
Hedonism Felicitas pays tribute to the whisky that launched our business 20 years ago. ‘Felicitas’, meaning a particularly productive or happy state, seemed apt when reflecting on such a milestone.
In Latin, the word 'felicitas' means the good luck and fortune. In Roman mythology, the goddess Felicitas was the personification of good luck. Having a goddess on the bottle of Hedonism (which is the first bottle to have a human figure on it) is something we would all expect from Compass Box.
Compass Box Hedonism Felicitas is a blend of three different grain whiskies distilled in different decades. Whiskies from Port Dundas, Strathclyde and North British are blended in the following percentage below.
The Port Dundas Distillery- Single Grain - Refill Sherry Butt
The North British Distillery - Single Grain- Recharred American Oak Barrel
The North British Distillery - Single Grain- Recharred American Oak Barrel
The trathclyde Distillery- Single Grain - First Fill Bourbon Barrel
During nosing, the first thing I said about the whisky was simply 'vibrant'. I was expecting something darker, more buttery. Nose has the elegant creamy flavors you would expect and balanced oak spice with caramel, green plums and cardamom which improves the vibrant character.
I loved the palate. 53% abv is well structured with tropical fruits, patisserie cream, honey and a touch of baked apples. Added water makes it a little bit easy to drink but also extracts bitter spices.
Finish is very warm, almost like a winter whisky, toasted coconuts. A tasty apple pie with buttery crust with some white pepper sprinkled on it.
Compass Box advises to drink it in a wide-bowled wine glass with a single ice cube, which I gave a shot and I was honestly happy with!
Compass Box Hedonism Felicitas in a Zalto Wine Glass
With only 2200 bottles produced, Compass Box Hedonism Felicitas is looking like to be sold out soon! Kudos to James Saxon as he is the Lead Whiskymaker in this project. The Hedonism Felicitas is another great face that Hedonism took in its history. Vibrant character and juicy, delicious palate is how I can sum up my review for this whisky!
Felicitas is the right word as we are lucky and fortunate to taste different whiskies from Compass Box and they are lucky and fortunate to have us, fans with diverse palates from different corners of the world!
Comments
Great review. You put Rogue’s Banquet higher on the scores but your description of Felicitas makes me want to buy that bottle. I just purchased a bottle of Rogue’s Banquet and I am not expecting to be able to afford Felicitas (if I value my marriage….). In terms of richness and depth would you still put Rogue’s Banquet higher than Felicitas?
Thank you for the kind words. It is apples compared to pears:) They are totally different in profile but both are great whiskies. However, with Rogues’ Banquet being lower priced, that might be a good option for you!