‘A Feast for the Eyes’: Compass Box Releases Coveted ‘Hedonism’ Expression in Celebration of Whisky, Art and Female Empowerment

Compass Box is making some changes to Hedonism and hired the Scottish artist, Stephanie Rew to design its latest label. (Photos: Compass Box)

On Thursday, Compass Box announced the return of one of the whiskies that started it all for the brand: Hedonism. The blended scotch whisky with a suggested retail price of $150 is the first in its category to feature a female form on its label. Though Hedonism will no longer be a part of the brand’s core portfolio and become a limited release, Compass Box decided to shake things up and start an annual collaboration with a different female artist so no two vintages are the same.

To mark the first expression since the change, the whisky maker tapped the Scottish artist, Stephanie Rew, for this year’s design. Rew is one of the few artists who implements an age-old water gilding technique, rendering her work reminiscent of Renaissance paintings. The brand chose to release the whisky in conjunction with a documentary titled “Hedonism: From Grain to Gold,” which offers viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the whisky-making process and Rew’s artistic techniques.

“‘From Grain to Gold’ charts the history of Compass Box, who were innovative from the very start, launching their first blended grain whisky to the market back in 2000,” Compass Box Marketing Director Racheal Vaughan Jones said in a news release. “From Leith in Edinburgh to Soho and Richmond in London, we document the groundbreaking collaboration with Stephanie, who might be the only artist today still using ancient water gilding techniques. The film is a feast for the eyes and signals a new era for the iconic Hedonism.”

The film will be released for audiences via QR code on the Compass Box website on Feb. 22.

The whisky is composed of old whiskies mostly matured in first-fill Bourbon barrels, but the blend also features some of its last grain whiskies from the 1990s. The brand claims the reasoning behind the decision to phase Hedonism out of its core program is that the old and rare grain whiskies are getting harder and harder to find.

A bottle of Compass Box Hedonism with its limited-release label design.

Compass Box describes Hedonism as hosting a “complex palate on the nose and in the mouth of salted caramel, spiced honey, mascarpone, and rich vanilla, culminating in a subtle citrus finish.”

Rew shared her inspiration behind this year’s Hedonism label:

“My work has always been about female empowerment and so being able to reimagine the Hedonism woman in my own way was a project I could not turn down. I’ve always loved the drama in art, and the strong, powerful stare of my piece on the bottle delivers this. I like to think women will see themselves in that. The fact that this is the first in a series of female artists being invited to bring their own unique take on Hedonism each year makes it even better.”

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