Octomore 10.1/107 Scottish Barley

If you detest peat, keep your distance from a sealed bottle of this. However, if you enjoy peat, prepare yourself for an intense education, Islay style. This is among the most intensely flavored spirits I have ever tasted. It's excellent, truly excellent, but overwhelmingly potent! There are select, exquisite spirits I could drink daily. This is not one of them. This is an experience to be endured, like grappling with the very essence of peat, a fiery, 900-pound grizzly bear... The aroma consists of smoky peat, sea salt, and cured meat. The palate offers a sharp, briny, and peppery sensation. The peat assaults you directly, yet simultaneously flows in gently, like mist over the ocean. It's undeniably heavily peated, but surprisingly more nuanced and intricate than anticipated. As I drink this, smoke permeates my entire mouth and seems to spread throughout my body. A pleasant citrus note, akin to lemon zest, emerges amidst the persistent smoke, and the malt flavors are clearly discernible, tasting fresh and pleasing. The characteristic Bruichladdich essence, the standard Laddie, is present, but heavily cloaked in peat. Despite the intense peat, the Laddie maintains its identity. The smoky conclusion stretches on endlessly, yet it possesses remarkable complexity. This is a true smoke-filled journey. It's remarkably palatable considering its heavy peat content, near 60% ABV, and only five years of aging. I adore Laphroaig, but I fear it will now taste like water in comparison.

The aroma is an intense, overwhelming smoke. I detect strong vanilla alongside a trace of burnt rubber. There's also a hint of vegetal notes, akin to radishes or turnips, and the scent of wet stones and damp earth. Sharp, sweet smoke that quickly becomes dry. It suggests the presence of a sweet sherry like PX. There's a slight turnip/radish bite. Flavors of smoked salmon or trout are present, along with yeasty, bready notes. A peppery/mustard/horseradish burn is noticeable, as well as raisiny notes. It finishes with bread pudding and abundant cinnamon. The only other spirits I've encountered with this level of flavor and complexity were from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. It's potent, even overwhelming, but in the most positive way. It creates the sensation of being in a stone shelter during a massive storm, warmed by a roaring peat fire. I thoroughly enjoy this, though a single serving provides an experience that lasts the entire evening. It's not something I could consume frequently, which is actually a positive point. Drinking this makes me feel exhilarated, almost intoxicated by the sensory and peat intensity.

This is the Octomore we require at this moment: not the typical forceful impact, but something slightly more subtle, alluring, and refined for our current times. If you can pull your gaze away from the almost indecent way the liquid adheres to the side of your glass, you'll discover herbal lozenges and butterscotch combined on the nose. That alluring texture persists in the mouth as you savor the sweet, silky flavors: soursop and lychee came to mind for me, indicating an exotic fruit cocktail beneath the rich layers of peat. That peat is prominent on the zesty, peppery finish, but overall it's much less pronounced in this Octomore than usual. And that's a positive, because this is a very well-balanced whisky that drinks equally well neat or diluted to 50%. Octomore is always enjoyable to sample, but I've never felt the urge to purchase a bottle. This one I would happily pour often.

I've revised this four times. Each sip I revisit reveals more flavors and new tastes. Initial aroma: only campfire smoke, but after 5 minutes in the glass, it yielded to apple peels, saltwater taffy, ocean air, peat, plastic bags, and light sweet marzipan. Taste: wow, it hits hard right away with campfire smoke, a prickly tongue sensation, pepper, tires, moss, oak, fruity tropical notes, and some char. It's so sweet with bursts of flavor. Inhaling while it's in your mouth spikes you with bold flavors and scents, yet it's still easy to drink. After about 15 minutes, I'm amazed by its sweetness. Vanilla is also present. Apricot. Finish: slightly drying, dried smoked fruits, peat, salty air, and seaweed. Leather and fruit leather together. Some dark bittersweet chocolate in the background. Almost a burnt sugar sweetness.

Sampled at the Drammers Club. Very good, it amazes me how Octomore offers more than just smoke despite its high phenol content, whereas all I get is smoke from Laphroaig 10. Nose: Vanilla, Peat, Smoke, Iodine, Caramel, Chocolate, Cherry, Flowers, Peach Taffy, Apricots, Citrus, Salmon, Mackerels, Salt, Bubblegum Palate: Caramel, Peach, Cherry, Apricot, Cherry, Chocolate, Salt, Tar, Iodine, Dried Fruit Finish: Vanilla, Chocolate Fudge, Peach, Salt, Flowers, Lemon Peels, Caramel, Toffee

Part of a fancy whiskey flight at our anniversary dinner. Nose - ashy smoke and iodine up front but not overpowering, oiled leather, fresh baked bread, sea air, a touch of caramel sweetness Palate - so oily and rich, strong smoke in front, a damp ashy fire, some sharp metallic iodine, dried fruit and grainy bread, some light sugar sweetness in the background Finish - the smoke lingers for awhile then fades into the sweeter bread notes, pretty significant burn