GlenDronach Octarine 8 Year

Finding this 8-year-old "Octarine," a discontinued bottling from a top-tier distillery, is quite challenging these days. This nearly rare expression was exclusively for the French supermarket chain "Carrefour." It initially cost $50-60 but now fetches around $180 USD. Bottled at 46% ABV, it has a tawny color. The aroma initially has a touch of alcohol but also a very appealing fruitcake note, like a plum soaked in wine. It offers abundant plum liqueur notes, peach halves, dehydrated fruits, raisins, and cake – truly like a Christmas cake or Panettone. After a few minutes, it revealed the most incredible grated coconut aroma I've ever encountered. The palate is very enjoyable for an 8-year-old, though a bit straightforward on the first taste. It has peaches, hints of sawdust, and hay. The second sip was much more oak-forward with less distinct flavor and a bit more roughness, but not in an unpleasant way. The finish is slightly dry and woody, with a subtle saltiness, a long duration, sawdust, and new polished wood. This is definitely the least appealing aspect of this nice single malt, featuring oak spice. The third sip brought back some of the fruitiness that was missing in the first two. Overall, at its original price and availability, this was an incredible bargain and a great offering. Today, it feels more like a collector's item and not the best value at its current cost. I believe the aroma is by far the best part, genuinely enjoyable. The palate and finish could be better, but again, it's an 8-year-old, perhaps too young to fully extract all the flavors and aromas from the cask. I rate this nice whisky 85 out of 100.

Intense and potent