Karen Gillan Becomes the Face of Compass Box Hedonism 2026 as Highland Muse Meets Limited Edition Scotch

Published February 24, 2026 by John Fegan

Karen Gillan has travelled a very long way from Inverness, generally regarded as the gateway to the Highlands and, by those who have been there in February, the last outpost of optimism before the weather takes a personal interest in you, to Hollywood. There she has fought aliens, saved galaxies, and survived films where urban infrastructure doesn’t make it past elevenses. And now she has achieved the sort of immortality normally reserved for poets, minor saints, and people who invent useful kitchen implements: she is on a whisky bottle.

Not just any whisky bottle, mind you.

For Compass Box’s Hedonism 2026, the Scottish actor and filmmaker assumes the ceremonial mantle of The Muse, becoming the focal point of a new artwork by renowned artist Emma Hack. The collaboration blends Scottish heritage, contemporary female creativity, and the sort of aesthetic ambition usually associated with cathedral ceilings and scarves that require their own insurance policies.

Gillan has been unveiled as The Muse for Scotch whiskymaker Compass Box’s limited edition Hedonism. She poses for internationally celebrated artist Emma Hack, best known for her work on Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know, one of the most viewed music videos of all time, and compelling evidence that remaining motionless while painted to resemble interior décor can lead to worldwide recognition,

Hedonism itself has form. When it first launched in 2000, it made history as the first Scotch whisky to place a woman at the centre of its label, a bold creative decision in an industry long fuelled by beards, tweed, and debates about barley that outlast most uk governments. In 2023, the idea evolved further: Hedonism became a Limited Annual Release, with Compass Box inviting a different female artist each year to reinterpret the original Hedonism woman. The tradition continues now with Gillan at its heart.

Born in Inverness, Gillan has become one of Scotland’s most successful Hollywood exports while continuing to champion independent film and female-led storytelling, suggesting that one can conquer blockbuster cinema and still keep one foot firmly planted on Highland soil, preferably in waterproof boots.

Gillan says,
“To be considered a muse for this whisky and to be a part of its story is deeply personal to me. Sharing whisky and stories are some of the best times of my life. There’s no wilder sensation than seeing yourself on a whisky bottle.”

Emma Hack, acclaimed for her fusion of body art, collage, and photography, reimagines the original Hedonism woman through a layered contemporary lens. With Gillan at the centre, the artwork celebrates grace, strength, and individuality, and the useful ability to remain perfectly composed while being turned into art.

Hack explains:
“Hedonism means to me the power, the beauty, the goddess, the strength within, and that’s what I really wanted to capture.”

What to Expect From Hedonism Whisky

First released in 2000, Hedonism was a revolutionary moment in drinks: the world’s first blended grain Scotch whisky. Known for its silky texture, layered sweetness, and remarkable complexity, it did for grain whisky what the printing press did for pamphlets, it caused people to pause, reconsider, and in several cases sit down.

As Hedonism rose to global prominence, the rare and mature grain whiskies that defined its style became increasingly scarce, largely because humanity has shown a consistent willingness to drink anything excellent before anyone can sensibly save it. In 2023, Compass Box reinvented Hedonism as a Limited Annual Release, using each edition to push the conversation around grain whisky forward, presumably to somewhere comfortable with good lighting.

For the 2026 edition, Compass Box’s Creative Director of Whiskymaking, Angela D’Orazio, included some of the oldest components ever used in Hedonism. These include a 30-year-old grain whisky from Strathclyde Distillery, alongside whiskies aged 20 to 24 years from Port Dundas and Cameronbridge, plus historic blended grain parcels. A new sherry component contributes notes of cherry and raisins.

The nose is warm, rich, and inviting, with clove-spiced fruitcake, dates, and toffee. The palate is complex, evoking coffee and cocoa-infused cream. The finish melts softly and lingers, like the final line of an excellent story, or a cat concluding that your lap now constitutes a long-term agreement.

How to Purchase Karen Gillan x Compass Box Hedonism Whisky

Compass Box’s Hedonism 2026 will be available for pre-order at Master of Malt from 24 February, with general release from 1 March 2026.

RRP: £90
ABV: 46%
Bottle Size: 70cl
Availability: 13,126 bottles worldwide

Which is to say: limited, desirable, and almost certainly destined to be discussed in hushed tones by people who know the difference between “notes of dried fruit” and “someone left cake in the cupboard.”

And somewhere in the Highlands, the wind will continue to blow, the stories will continue to be told, and now, fittingly, one of them will come with a label.