Compass Box Unveils 2026 Hedonism with Karen Gillan as Living Muse

With today’s arrival of the third edition of the Hedonism Limited Annual Release (46% ABV; 700ml; $164.99 SRP; 13,218 bottles worldwide), award-winning whiskymaker, Compass Box Scotch Whisky, unveils a striking new expression shaped as much by art as by whisky. Honoring the tradition of the Hedonism muse – the female figure at the heart of the whisky since its creation in 2000 - Compass Box commissioned celebrated Australian artist Emma Hack to create the 2026 label.

Celebrated for her arresting body art, photography, and immersive fine art installations, Hack brings her distinctive ability to merge the human form with pattern, texture and storytelling through gilding, paint and photography. Her canvas: A-List Scottish actor and director, Karen Gillan, best known for her roles in Guardians of the Galaxy, The Life of Chuck and the Jumanji movie franchise, who appears as The Muse for the 2026 Hedonism label – transformed into a living artwork.

When the whiskymakers at Compass Box released their first whisky, Hedonism, in 2000, they changed the course of modern whisky – not only the world’s first blended grain Scotch whisky, but as one of the first whisky bottles to place a woman at the center of its visual identity. As Hedonism achieved global success over the next two decades, the old and rare grain whiskies that made it so beloved became harder to source, and in 2023, Compass Box decided to transform Hedonism into a Limited Annual Release. With each annual edition, Compass Box continues its pursuit of celebrating the rich possibilities of grain whisky, as well as engaging a different female artist to reimagine the original Hedonism Muse in her own eyes. Each one becomes both a whisky release and a creative collaboration: a dialogue between whiskymaking and art. In 2024, for the inaugural Limited Annual Release, Scottish artist Stephanie Rew used shimmering gold leaf to create a Renaissance-inspired “goddess with a gaze”; in 2025, Compass Box worked with Bristol-based Argentinian artist Sofia Bonati, who integrated vibrant color and intricate details to reflect the elevated tasting notes in her creation.

For the 2026 release, Hack, who is best known for her iconic work on musician Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” music video, which won international acclaim, transformed Gillan into canvas, using gilding, paint and photography to create a layered, immersive portrait that fuses body, pattern and mythology into a singular visual language.

In her role as Muse, actor, director, and proud Scot, Karen Gillan embodies the grace, strength and independence that define the original Hedonism woman. A lifelong whisky lover with roots in the Highlands of Scotland and a bold presence on the world stage, Gillan’s career – from Doctor Who to Guardians of the Galaxy and Jumanji – has spanned fierce roles and a strong affinity for creative, character-driven collaborations.

For the 2026 edition of Hedonism, Compass Box’s Creative Director of Whiskymaking, Angela D’Orazio, included some of the oldest components ever used in Hedonism to date, including a 30-year-old from Strathclyde Distillery; the recipe also includes whiskies ranging from 20 to 24 years old from Port Dundas and Cameronbridge Distillery, alongside some historic Blended Grain Parcels. In addition, a new sherry component contributes notes of cherry, cumin and raisins.

NOSE: Warm, rich and inviting, with clove-accented fruitcake, dates and toffee; poised between softly sweet and fragrant dryness 

PALATE: Classic Hedonism texture: soft, melting and thick – however, here the flavors are darker than prior iterations: coffee, toffee and a long, evolving journey through dry sherry flavors like roast almond and tart raisins; the final impression is of cocoa-infused cream

To document the creation of the 2026 release, Compass Box has created a cinematic short film, “Hedonism: Brought to Life,” taking viewers behind the scenes of the collaboration between D’Orazio, Hack and Gillan, and exploring how art, whisky and identity intersect in the modern Hedonism story. The film also features perspectives from whisky experts Billy Abbot, author of The Philosophy of Whisky, and U.K. bartender and TV personality Jack Sotti, reflecting on Compass Box’s role in reshaping the modern blended whisky narrative.

Curious whisky lovers can find out more about the Hedonism Limited Annual Release and other Compass Box whiskies at compassboxwhisky.com or follow @compassboxwhiskyco on Instagram.