With a central focus on single malt aged in special American white oak barrels, the Brûlée Royale recipe combines casks that have been toasted and charred to provide sweetness. Clynelish and Benrinnes single malts play starring roles, while Speyburn and Ardbeg single malts are also featured in the 98 proof blend.

Chef Massialot created the iconic dessert that inspired this whisky more than 300 years ago in Versailles, France.

“Versailles was the epicenter of innovation in art, science and gastronomy in the 17th century, making it the ideal source of inspiration,” says Samuel Travers, the lead Compass Box whiskymaker in Brûlée Royale’s creation. “Through the lens of Chef Massialot’s intoxicating creation, we highlight a very special parcel of whisky from the Clynelish Distillery, which has been matured in second-fill custom American oak barrels that offer extravagant sweetness while their precise toasting and charring coax just a hint of scorched sugar.”

In classic Compass Box style, the Brûlée Royale packaging features unique artwork–this time focusing on rhe Versailles Palace kitchens where crème brûlée was created.

In a further nod to Chef Massialot, Compass Box collaborated with his renowned pastry chef Dominique Ansel to create the Brûlée Royale Fondue. Chef Ansel recreated the whisky in dessert form by topping off vanilla bean fondue with a splash of flambéed Brûlée Royale and serving it with bite-size sweet treats. Chef Ansel’s recipe will be available exclusively via the Compass Box website beginning October 8.

The limited edition Compass Box Brûlée Royale Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (8,556 bottles worldwide) will arrive nationwide beginning next Wednesday (October 8) for $159.99.

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Crafted from specially selected peated whiskies and those matured in custom French oak barrels, this new edition pushes boundaries while paying tribute to the Flaming Heart legacy. Debuting in 2006, the expression is a fusion of rich peat smoke and new French oak influence in complex layers. To mark its quarter-century milestone, Compass Box seeks to make the loudest flavor statement by using the fewest components, intensifying the whisky’s smoky heart while enriching its character through custom cask maturation.

Whereas previous editions have featured a proportion of unpeated whiskies aged in bourbon or sherry casks, this eighth rendition, at 97.8 proof, relies on an ensemble of peated whiskies and those extra-matured in custom French oak barrels, namely malt whisky from the Benrinnes Distillery malt whisky from the Talisker Distillery, malt whisky from the Laphroaig Distillery Single Malt and “Williamson” Islay Malt.

“This release isn’t just a nod to where we’ve been; it’s a declaration of where we’re headed,” says James Saxon, Whiskymaking Director at Compass Box. “The bold character of Flaming Heart: 25th Anniversary Edition reflects everything Compass Box stands for: daring innovation, craftsmanship, and our constant pursuit of unforgettable flavor.”

Music has been a constant theme behind the Flaming Heart releases, which take their name from M. Ward’s 2001 folk and blues classic. For Compass Box’s eighth Flaming Heart release, the label design focuses on flames and a protective chamber of oak. The two cherubs surrounding a burning heart that have traditionally appeared on the woodcut effect design since the 2010 edition, they now appear as coopers, inspecting an oaken structure inside which is the heart on fire – thus symbolizing Compass Box’s 25 years of whisky making passion.

Compass Box’s Flaming Heart: 25th Anniversary Edition is available now for $165.

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The whisky was also the first ever to feature a female form on the label and so to celebrate this history, each year sees the brand collaborates with a different female artist to reimagine the original Hedonism woman in her own eyes. This year, Hedonism 2025 Limited Annual Release Blended Grain Whisky presents the artistry of Argentinian artist Sofia Bonati.

Featuring single grain from the Cameronbridge distillery, which was further matured for two years in a first-fill Marsala barrique, the new Hedonism Limited Annual Release Blended Grain Scotch Whisky is 92 proof. In addition to Cameronbridge single grains, the recipe features single grain from Girvan Distillery and from past vatted iterations of Hedonism (16 year old and 19 year old).

“One of the exciting things about Hedonism becoming a Limited Annual Release is that we not only get to collaborate with a different artist each year to put a new stamp on the label, but it also gives us the opportunity to explore a twist on the whisky itself,” says Compass Box Whiskymaking Director, James Saxon. “The 2025 release is unmistakably Hedonism in style and texture, but with the addition of one ex-Marsala barrique and some casks of previous batches, we push the flavors into new territories.”

For the 2025 edition, Bonati, who was born in Argentina, drew inspiration from the magnetic fields that are integral to the workings of a compass and married it with her specialty of creating captivating female portraits. Inspired by nature’s vivid colors, intricate patterns, and rich details, Bonati uses intriguing combinations of materials, layering pencils, watercolor, and acrylic gouache to craft her captivating, dreamlike portraits. Reflecting the grace and power of the original Hedonism woman, Bonati’s figures feel serene and effortlessly in control, each with a strong gaze and radiating a sense of empowerment.

“The way that Sofia has captured the essence of the original Hedonism woman in her own style is incredible,” says Compass Box Assistant Whiskymaker, Michael Stephenson. “She represented the unique elements of this edition’s recipe and taste profile through color that really draws the eye. I can’t wait to see this out in the world and for people to taste it.”

In addition to enlisting Bonati for the 2025 edition, Compass Box enlisted photographer Helen Murray to capture this year’s Hedonism. The London-based photographer’s work has been published in such notable publications as The New York Times, VOGUE, Vanity Fair, The Sunday Times and The Guardian.

9,912 bottles of the Compass Box Hedonism 2025 Limited Annual Release will be available worldwide for $150 beginning March 1.

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Inspired by French patisseries, Nectarosity Blended Scotch Whisky takes Compass Box’s reverence for American oak casks further than ever before. Custom-toasted and charred virgin oak from Missouri are sourced and then used twice – first to house grain new make spirit for a year, then malt new make spirit for 6-8 years. With a blend of first-fill bourbon, custom American oak and Palo-Cortado sherry-seasoned casks, the driving force of its character is two parcels of whisky–the first from the Girvan Distillery and the second from the Clynelish Distillery.

Crimson Casks showcases the power of Oloroso sherry casks. Working closely with sherry cask supplier Jose y Miguel Martín in Jerez, Spain, Compass Box takes inspiration from the Forest King and can be seen donning the crown of oak. The crown symbolizing the transformative influence that wood has over flavor.

The new expressions, which are both 92 proof, will arrive on shelves nationwide this month, joining Compass Box’s most well-known whiskies, Orchard House and The Peat Monster to complete the range.

“With this new Core Collection, we bring together the world of whisky at its most compelling,” says James Saxon, Compass Box’s Director of Whiskymaking. “Nectarosity offers a riot of tasting notes, evoking the deliciousness and audacity of high-end patisseries, while Crimson Casks leads with its sherry-influenced richness and an enticing, spicy finish. Combined with the fragrant, crisp flavors of Orchard House and the sweet smoke of the aromatic and complex Peat Monster, the range satisfies on every level.”

Compass Box’s Nectarosity Blended Scotch Whisky retails for $64.99, while Compass Box’s Crimson Casks Blended Scotch Whisky retails for $74.99.

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The new expression offers all the richness and drama of a night at the circus. Bottle-hunting travelers can discover the spectacle by visiting The Travelling Circus displays at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) until the end of August.

Inspired by The Circus, a Compass Box Limited Edition blend originally released in 2016, The Travelling Circus offers an enhanced peat presence courtesy of malt whisky from the Talisker Distillery and a parcel of peated blended Scotch whisky. The label design nods to the original The Circus, refreshing it through the filter of Futurism, which valorised movement and machines.

To create The Travelling Circus, Compass Box Whiskymaking Director James Saxon assembled whiskies bold in flavor and rich in texture. The majority of component whiskies have been aged in sherry casks. Smokiness from malt whiskies from the Talisker and Caol Ila distilleries are layered with Speyside sherry character, finished with grain whisky from the now-closed Port Dundas Distillery, resulting in a 98 proof expression.

“We are incredibly pleased with the arrival of The Travelling Circus,” says Compass Box Whiskymaking Director James Saxon. “The balance of sherry cask maturation and complex smokiness is something of a hallmark for Compass Box, and those who are fans of our whiskies will enjoy dissecting this latest composition. For those new to Compass Box, this is a globe-trotting introduction to the sorts of places we can explore when creatively combining high-quality Scotch whiskies.”

Compass Box’s The Travelling Circus Blended Scotch Whisky is available for $188 exclusively at duty-free shops.

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Inspired by a whisky from the mid-20th century, Celestial is the peatiest of the Extinct Blends Quartet.

Collectors can occasionally find the highly coveted bottlings of the extinct blend that inspired Celestial, produced from the 1950s and 1960s; founded by one of the original “Whisky Barons,” the expression had strong historical connections to a distillery on Islay and one in Speyside. When the Compass Box opened a 1960s bottle that was originally destined for the U.S., they discovered a deeply complex and ghostly peat note, abundant cask sweetness verging on gingerbread and stem ginger in syrup, and a floral fruitiness.

For Celestial, the whiskymakers drew on malt whiskies from the Ardbeg and Caol Ila distilleries – two parcels that were first brought together six years ago for Compass Box’s original No Name expression.

“Celestial’s flavor profile elicits heavyweight peat smoke. Behind that is a gingery richness, notes of vanilla and grilled apples. The palate is dry and oak-forward, with meaty smokiness flowing onto cooked tropical fruits,” says James Saxon, Compass Box’s Whiskymaking Director.

For the final expression in the Extinct Blends Quartet, the whiskymakers wanted to capture an epic flight through the night sky, the home of the celestial body of Pegasus. They took that inspiration to the label design, which depicts a dramatic sky with billowing clouds and the glittering Pegasus constellation. The billowing clouds symbolize the complex columns of peatiness captured within the whisky while the cloudscapes and the night sky are a metaphor for the ever-changing world of blended Scotch whisky itself.

Only 5,532 bottles will be released worldwide, Compass Box’s Extinct Blends Quartet – Celestial is 100 proof and retails for $375.  .

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The new Hedonism Limited Annual Release Blended Grain Scotch Whisky is 86 proof and is composed of old and rare whiskies primarily matured in first-fill bourbon barrels, it includes some of the last grain whiskies from the 1990s. From February, Hedonism will no longer be part of the brand’s core range and will instead be released as a limited bottling once each year. This is due to the old and rare grain whiskies that go into Hedonism becoming harder to find.

To mark the occasion, Compass Box also releases a short documentary, Hedonism: From Grain to Gold, taking viewers behind the scenes to discover the art of the whiskey making and the artistry of the label created by acclaimed Scottish artist Stephanie Rew. She is renowned for her use of traditional Early Renaissance gilding techniques combined with a contemporary painting style, which is explored in Compass Box’s documentary charting the creation of the 2024 Hedonism label and the parallels between art and whiskey making.

In addition to reviving the blended Scotch category when Hedonism first launched, the expression was the first-ever whisky to feature a female form on the label. With the 2024 release, the annual limited release will continue this legacy by collaborating with a different female artist each year to reimagine the grace and strength of the woman who appeared on the original Hedonism label. For the first Hedonism Limited Edition, Rew subverts the artist-muse relationship and conjures a unique synthesis of visual art and whiskey making.

“From Grain to Gold charts the history of Compass Box, who were innovative from the very start, launching the first blended grain whisky to the market back in 2000,” said Compass Box Scotch Whisky Marketing Director Racheal Vaughan Jones. “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.”

“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,”added Artist Stephanie Rew. “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.”

Only 8,000 bottles of Compass Box’s 2024 Limited Edition Annual Release Hedonism are available worldwide for $150.

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Blended scotch has long historical ties to metropolitan centers, with blending vats in Glasgow and bottling in Edinburgh making the spirit. With Metropolis, Compass Box pays homage to the energy of cities by creating a blend of malt whiskies from the Ablerlour, Bowmore and Miltonduff distilleries, combined with a parcel of blended scotch that is further matured in sherry butts. The blend yielded 5,190 bottles of this 98 proof whisky.

“With Metropolis, we continue to revive, recreate, and reimagine legendary whisky blends of the past,” says James Saxon, Compass Box lead whiskymaker. “The Extinct Blends Quartet celebrates discontinued characters and flavors, reappraising four very different expressions of blended Scotch. These exclusive blends pay homage to specific moments in time, where relationships, ideas and people created delicious whiskies.”

As with all Compass Box expressions, the producer expresses its vision through a captivating label from the design team at Stranger & Stranger. For Metropolis, step into the throng of a striving city where industriousness jostles up against elaborate architecture; people and provisions from diverse places mingle, and commerce meets culture.

Compass Box’s Metropolis is available now for $325.

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Retired in 2018, Asyla was the cornerstone of the core range until its retirement in 2018. Delos focuses on capturing the previous expression’s uniqueness, turning to older stocks to achieve this.

Named after a Greek island said to be the birthplace of the god Apollo, Delos signifies Asyla’s beauty and serenity as a whisky. Delos balances some of Compass Box’s rarest stocks of whiskey. Malt whiskies from Glen Elgin, Imperial and Miltonduff distilleries were all aged in American oak barrels.

“While inspired by the style and recipe structure of Asyla, Delos has richer and rounder flavors from using older stocks of whiskies which amplify the character, bringing more grandeur to it and making it more resonant,” said Compass Box Lead Whiskymaker James Saxon. “The delicate mouthfeel and transportive aromas within Delos are nevertheless familiarly delicious. For me, sipping Delos feels like a holiday.”

The label art features a female lute player from the original Asyla label, reimagined in mosaic form. However, she now plays a lyre, the instrument classically associated with Apollo, with the outline of the tiles broken away to reflect the coastlines of Delos and Greece.

Delos is the second release from the Compass Box’s Extinct Blends Quartet series, which celebrates discontinued characters and flavors, reappraising four very different expressions of blended Scotch. The remaining two from the series will be introduced in later this year and early 2024.

Only 5,520 bottles of Compass Box Delos were released worldwide  for $325.

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This whisky sets itself apart from the rest of the core range: not only does it use malt spirit sourced by Compass Box nearly a decade ago, but the lighter oak influence allows the fruit-forward style of these spirits to express themselves. This makes it a standout all-rounder in the brand’s line up of blended malt Scotch whiskies. 

Orchard House is designed to excite whisky-lovers and newcomers alike. “Orchard House is our first core range whisky produced almost entirely from whiskies we have aged since the day they were distilled. In a sense, it’s more ‘our whisky’ than anything we’ve made before,” says Compass Box Founder and Whiskymaker John Glaser. “We are so proud of this. Something new, something different for us. Something joyful. And delicious.”

The majority of the recipe is made from stocks of spirit purchased from distilleries renowned for their fruit-forward flavor. These spirits are then aged in a variety of casks, with the resulting blended malt Scotch whisky creatively aligned with the artistry and innovation which Compass Box is known for.

Compass Box’s Orchard House will be available on October 1 for $50.

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