Octomore Masterclass 08.2/167

Nose: Resembles the syrupy residue at the bottom of a fruitcake pan, followed by a leathery, deep, smoky resin aroma. A touch of sharpness appears at the end, like a minty, burnt scent. Abundant toffee and dark caramel, with a buttery smoke. Subtle notes of sweet raisins and figs are present, along with light sultanas. Palate: Initially quite spicy and surprisingly thin. It starts with an intense spice, akin to a very peppery rye. Then, a wide spectrum of smokiness emerges – burnt sugar, bonfire, barbecue, rubber, and almost burnt toast. Definitely buttery toast and smoky malt. Notes of smoked bacon, that sweet, fatty smoke. Finish: Appears dry and fleeting. The smoke arrives in shifting waves, bringing a smoked sweet almond note. A burnt sugar or molasses sweetness lies beneath the smoky buttered toast. After a few sips, the oak asserts itself as a dense, waxy, bitter wood characteristic.

Grape, invigorating berry, high carbonation, smooth complexity, woody notes, vanilla, apple. A decent score. Thick, smooth, invigorating berries, cherries, heavily woody, coffee, dark chocolate. A slightly better score. Woody, chocolate. A lower score. A decent score. Red berries, medium carbonation, cherry, smooth, chocolate, vanilla. A decent score. Intense sweetness, abundant red berries and grapes, smooth, subdued bitter cocoa, a rich chocolate sensation engulfing the mouth, sweetness and cherry. A decent score. Sustained, not overly smoky like some others, a gentler peat is perceived. This expression leans more towards cherry, red fruit, and European oak influence than heavy peat. A decent score.

Very potent, rich, and intricate. Extremely peaty, truly living up to the Masterclass 8 series' reputation. It also has significant smoke, though less than I anticipated – less than a Lagavulin, for example. There's a touch of sweetness within the peat on the nose. On the palate, beneath the peat and smoke, lies some citrus, and you get a bit of milk chocolate at the back of your palate, along with some oiliness. The finish is pleasant; the full flavor remains with you for a while, and you detect a bit more charcoal. I highly recommend acquiring as many of the 8-series as you can find!

Nose: burning campfire, toasted oak, sugary malt, dark fruits (plum, overripe grapes) dusted with sugar, green olives, vegetal peat, cinnamon, sandalwood, latakia pipe tobacco Palate: potent, sweet, full and slick. It's an expert, swirling vortex of tastes. Smokehouse, bbq meats, spicy bbq sauce, umami, earthy red wine, dark chocolate, cinnamon and incense, shiitake mushrooms, barrel char, vanilla, a slowly building pepper spice. Finish: cured tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, leather, oyster sauce, smoked meats, spicy peat, smooth vanilla.

Peat! Peat! Peat! When they label this a ‘Super Heavily Peated Whisky’ they are not exaggerating! This is a wonderfully full-bodied whisky. Yes, it's heavy on the peat, but it's a warm and rounded dram. There are dark fruits, cinnamon and cloves, tobacco, and a peculiar bitter sweetness that lingers indefinitely. This is exactly to my taste and very close to a perfect dram for me. I need to make my bottle last - I could finish this in one sitting and worry about tomorrow later!

I sampled this at a friend's place tonight. It's great, and not as smoky as I anticipated. Nose: Vanilla, Caramel, Flowers, Chocolate, Cherry, Apricot, Raisins, Sultanas, Pears, Peat, Citrus, Honey, Strawberry, Raspberry Palate: Caramel, Chocolate, Sultanas, Cherries, Flowers, Pears, Honey, Mango Finish: Smoke, Pepper, Tar, Chocolate, Vanilla, pineapple, mango, raspberry