Compass Box "Art & Decadence" Blended Scotch Whisky 700ml

Oscar Wilde once wrote that "we live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities," and Compass Box built this entire whisky as a genuine homage to that sensibility. The late 19th century's Aesthetic Movement gave rise to the Decadent Movement — an era where ornamentation and superfluous flourish were prized, where "more was always more," and Art & Decadence is Compass Box's own liquid tribute to that philosophy. As Blender James Saxon put it: "this is a rich and potent whisky, designed for dessert and decadent behavior, with wine cask influence that stops just short of being over-the-top. We have taken glossily sweet grain whiskies and combined them with unpeated malt whiskies matured in American oak barrels, custom French oak casks, and not one but three different types of dessert wine cask. Like we said, more is more."

The foundation is malt whisky from Balmenach Distillery, finished separately for nearly a full year in three distinct ex-wine casks — Madeira, Sauternes, and Marsala — each one genuinely at home alongside dessert, bringing succulent, preserved fruit character and honeyed depth to Balmenach's naturally meaty sweetness. Layered on top: malt whisky from Linkwood, aged in Palo Cortado sherry-seasoned butts, and malt whisky from Glen Moray, finished in Oloroso sherry-seasoned butts. Grain whisky from the now-closed Port Dundas Distillery rounds out the blend, adding silk and gloss. This is a genuine limited edition, capped at 9,496 bottles, released November 2023, presented in packaging designed to match the whisky's own opulence — "beauty, excess and ornamentation" were the stated design brief, evoking the era of Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley.

The official tasting notes describe a whisky "rich and aromatic on the nose with red apples, waxed wood and wine notes," "creamy, with a liquorice aroma," and "banana, toffee and custard blended with Sauternes." On the palate: "notes of dried fruit — golden raisin, apricot, apple and plenty of vanilla," finishing with "lingering flavours of dark chocolate and fragrant oak." Compass Box's own serving guidance nails exactly when to pour this: "dinner's final course — when the puddings, cakes, tarts, jellies, chocolates and cheeses emerge — is typically the moment for true decadence." This is genuinely opulent, wine-cask-forward Scotch, built by one of the industry's most consistently inventive blenders specifically for that final, indulgent moment at the end of a meal.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Compass Box Art & Decadence is a limited-edition blended Scotch whisky created by Compass Box, the independent whisky house founded in 2000 by John Glaser, known for combining aged single malt and single grain whiskies from Compass Box's own cask stocks to create distinctive blends impossible to achieve from any single distillery alone.

The whisky is built on malt whisky from Balmenach Distillery, finished separately for almost a year in three distinct ex-wine casks — Madeira, Sauternes, and Marsala — then layered with malt whisky from Linkwood Distillery, aged in Palo Cortado sherry-seasoned butts, and malt whisky from Glen Moray Distillery, finished in Oloroso sherry-seasoned butts. Grain whisky from the now-closed Port Dundas Distillery completes the blend. Bottled non-chill filtered, in natural colour, at 49% ABV. Limited to 9,496 bottles, released November 2023.

Critics Reviews

No formal numerical critic score is confirmed for this product at this time.

James Saxon, Blender, Compass Box:
"This is a rich and potent whisky, designed for dessert and decadent behavior, with wine cask influence that stops just short of being over-the-top. We have taken glossily sweet grain whiskies and combined them with unpeated malt whiskies matured in American oak barrels, custom French oak casks, and not one but three different types of dessert wine cask. Like we said, more is more."

Compass Box (official tasting notes):
"Rich and aromatic on the nose with red apples, waxed wood and wine notes. Creamy, with a liquorice aroma. Banana, toffee and custard blended with Sauternes. On the palate, notes of dried fruit — golden raisin, apricot, apple and plenty of vanilla. Lingering flavours of dark chocolate and fragrant oak."

The Liquor Bros (extended tasting note):
"Distillery notes reveal a creamy aroma with hints of licorice, banana, toffee, and custard perfectly blended with Sauternes. On the palate, expect a delightful combination of dried fruits such as golden raisins and apricots, along with crisp apple and rich vanilla. The finish is a decadent mix of dark chocolate shavings and fragrant oak."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Rich and aromatic, with red apples, waxed wood, and wine notes leading, joined by liquorice, banana, toffee, and custard blended with Sauternes-driven sweetness.

Palate
Dried fruit — golden raisin and apricot — meets crisp apple and plenty of vanilla, with layers of cinnamon and clove adding complexity, all carried on a creamy, glossy texture from the grain whisky component.

Finish
Long and lingering, closing with dark chocolate shavings and fragrant oak, balanced by a touch of lasting sweetness and subtle warmth.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Puddings, tarts, and jellies
• Chocolate desserts
• Aged, creamy cheeses
• Dried fruit and nut boards

Serving Note

Best enjoyed with dinner's final course — puddings, cakes, tarts, jellies, chocolates, and cheeses — exactly the moment Compass Box designed this whisky for.