Advent 2022 #14 - Octomore 10.1

Always happy to try an Octomore. I’ve loved a couple but for the most part find I’m happy with a sample rather than a bottle. Let’s see if this is one I’ll have to seek out.

Octomore 10.1, Islay Single Malt, 59.8% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2013 and matured for 5 years in 1st-fill American white oak casks. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Jonquil, ripe corn; 0.4.

Nose: Smoke, ash, a bit medicinal. Tar, tobacco, leather. Bubblegum.

Taste: Smoke, heat/pepper.

Finish: Musty, earthy, pepper. Long.

Guess: Laphroaig 1815

I’m not surprised given the tar and leather that I associate with Octomore which have made me guess Octomores as Laphroaigs a handful of times by now. A very solid dram. The nose is the star, and in comparison the palate is almost not worth a look. It is, but any expression would have a hard time living up to it after the nose. The bubblegum note was a surprise and a delight even though I don’t go for flavors like that anymore. Beyond that, it feels boilerplate Octomore.

Score: 90

Thanks for reading!

Advent 2022 #1 - Elements of Islay Oc6

 

Octomores more than 5 years old are always fun, particularly IBs. So I'm looking forward to getting into this one.

Elements of Islay Oc6, Islay Single Malt, 58.1% ABV

Minutia: Distilled at Bruichladdich (Octomore) in 2011 and matured in ex-bourbon barrels for 8 years and bottled in 2019 yielding 870 bottles. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Yellow gold; 0.5.

Nose: Very smoky, ashy, medicinal. An astringent quality which has some fruity and musty tones. They’re a bit hidden, though.

Taste: Smoke. Peppery heat. Charred meat. Tannic.

Finish: Bitter earthy flavor. Smoke and ash, though less. Long.

Guess: Gotta be a Laphroaig, maybe 1815? If not, it’s definitely an Islay, and there’s a good chance it’s not just bourbon casks.

Interesting. It’s been a while since I’ve had an Octomore, so maybe it would have jumped out at me better if I had, but I’ve mistaken Laphroaigs for Octomores blind before, so… This is a nice dram, is very familiar, and it has strong flavors. I usually like Octomore’s better than this, and I think the combo of that astringent quality in the nose seeming to mask some notes, and that bitter flavor in the finish held it back for me (that bitterness isn’t necessarily negative, but it’s a bit much for me). Overall a nice dram, but maybe 8 years was too much time in the wood?

Score: 82

Octomore 11.2

 

I saw that this was available from the distillery shop, and since they actually ship to the US, I ordered this when it was a website exclusive rather than travel retail due to the pandemic. It was an easy decision knowing how I feel about both peat and wine casks.

Octomore 11.2, Islay Single Malt, 58.6% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in winter 2014 from the 2013 harvest of 100% Scottish grown concerto and propino barley. 25% was matured for 5 years on Islay in ex-red wine casks from the Pauillac region of France. 75% was matured on Islay in ex-American whiskey casks and finished an for 18 months in ex-red wine casks from the St Julien region of France totaling 5 years. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Tawny; 1.4.

Nose: Red fruit, apples, tobacco, leather. Barbecue. All of it: the sauce, the air, the meat, you name it.

Taste: Nice texture. Smoky and spicy barbecue sauce. Not one that’s both, but a spicy sauce and a sweet sauce together. Salty.

Finish: Smoke, red fruit. Woody, dry. Long.

Awesome all around, a classic Octomore.

Score: 93

Musical Evocation: Woods of Ypres – “Wet Leather”

Octomore 7.3

 

After having covid, my whisky consumption – and thus capacity for reviews – declined somewhat (in part due to taste/smell implications) so it’s been a bit since I’ve posted a reivew, but I’ve gotten to this one (expect a few reviews in pretty quick succession prior to starting my Advent calendar in December). I think this was the second Octomore I bought a couple years ago after reading some really great things. Between that time and opening it I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying a handful of them, and thus far the floor for an Octomore has been pretty high, but so has the ceiling. I’m wondering where this falls as I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time.

Octomore 7.3, Islay Single Malt, 63% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2010 from grain harvested from a single field, malted to 169 ppm. Matured on Islay for five years in ex-bourbon casks and Ribera del Duero Spanish wine casks and bottled in late 2015. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Burnished; 1.1.

Nose: Smoke with a nutty, malty sweetness. Homemade popcorn. 

Taste: Sweetness in the tropical area, chili spice. Green wood and smoke.

Finish: Dry, woody smoke. Bitter coffee. Long.

It’s quite good, and I enjoy it, but the palate is a bit too bitter for it to be a homerun for me. The nose is much nicer than the limited specific notes mentioned above would suggest, that would fall in the 90s with the palate elements in the mid to high 80s. On the lower end of Octomores for me, if you can believe it, but I’ve had some that were just tremendous so it’s a tough act to follow (7.2, 9.3, and 10.3 come to mind).

Score: 88

Octomore 10.2

I’ve finally caught up with posting everything I’ve reviewed so I’m taking this as an opportunity to get to a handful of samples which have either been waiting a while and/or I’m eager to try as well as take a bit of a break from peat (he’s says, reviewing an Octomore) as I work my way to review 225 for which I’ve planned an Ardmore sister cask side by side. Ok, you got me, the peat break starts after a couple of peated samples I’ve been itching to get to. Starting with an Octomore from a series I’ve had two of (10.3 and 10.4) and thoroughly enjoyed.

Octomore 10.2, Islay Single Malt, 56.9% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2010 from Scottich grown Opticon and Oxbridge barley peat to 96.9ppm, matured on Islay for four years in 1st fill ex-American whiskey casks then for four years in Sauternes wine casks before bottling in 2019. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Chestnut Oloroso Sherry, 1.2.

Nose: Lawn clippings, apricot, you can tease out some smoke that stays there once you do. There’s thank funk that typically screams Octomore, but here it’s more of a loud whisper.

Taste: Heat, diminishes into smoke, which lets meat creep in.

Finish: Big musty, fruity smoke. Leaves the fruit behind early and a medicinal note kicks in. More the cough syrup kind than iodine/bandages. Longish.

Time in the glass serves this well. This is nice but not did not compel me to acquire a bottle, something the 10.3 and 10.4 both did. 

Score: 86

Top 10 Whiskies of 2020

This post is about the Top 10 Whiskies I tried over the course of 2020. It is all about when I took the notes, not when the whiskies were released, and they are in no particular order.

1. Lagavulin 12
2. Laphroaig 28
3. Talisker 25
4. Talisker 30
5. Ardbeg Alligator
6. Longrow 18
7. Octomore 10.3
8. Octomore 10.4
9. Springbank 15
10. Springbank 24 Single Cask

2020 Advent #11 - Octomore 10.3

I loved the 10.4, my only experience from that series, and I also loved 9.3, thus far my only X.3. Does it hold up to the past?

Octomore 10.3, Islay Single Malt, 61.3% ABV

Minutia: Malted to 114 PPM, distilled in 2013 from the 2012 harvest of concerto barley from Octomore Farm. Matured for 6 years in American oak from Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, and Jack Daniels producing 24,000 bottles.

Color: Amber, 0.7.

Nose: Dirty peat. Filthy. Smoke. Meat. Perfect.

Taste: Dry, smoky, oaky.

Finish: Subtle into big smoke, some brine, hint of green fruit.

Guess: Octomore, maybe some wine involved.

I thought the dry taste may have come from a dry white wine cask, but it’s all Bourbon here. Otherwise nailed it, it was just to obviously Octomore on the nose. Which, by the way, I could smell for days. This is my first perfect score in one of the three categories, and it got that in the nose. Good as the taste is, that’s the part I liked the least, as the finish was just shy of the nose, the taste just behind that. I’m hard pressed to think of how this could have been made more appealing to me. Add this to the list of bottles I’m buying after I finish this calendar.

Score: 95

Musical Evocation: Cellar Darling – “Insomnia”

Here are links to the other posts from this calendar:

Octomore 10.4

I’m glad I found a sample of this, I was interested in trying something so young and that only saw virgin casks, particularly the cask bit. 

Octomore 10.4, Islay Single Malt, 63.5% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2016, matured for 3 years in heavy toast French Linousin virgin oak casks until bottling on July 18, 2019. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Burnt umber, 1.7.

Nose: Funky Octomore peat, intensely meaty/barbecue smoke. Much heavier on meat/barbecue spice than the smoke.

Taste: Woody, smoky, spicy. Reminds a lot of a kangaroo jerky.

Finish: Dry, peaty/earthy, as spices fade over a long finish.

Amazing nose, incredibly savory and mouthwatering. I’m going to be trying real hard to justify getting a bottle shipped to me. This is right up my alley.

Score: 94

Musical Evocation: Led Zeppelin – “Achilles Last Stand”

Top 10 Whiskies of 2019

This post is about the Top 10 Whiskies I tried over the course of 2019, all just fantastic. I thought it would be fun to just check and see what I enjoyed most over the course of the year. It has to do with when I took notes on them, not when they were released. These are not in any particular order. Ledaig 10 Caol Ila 12 2006 Signatory Vintage Ledaig 12 Present Future Octomore 7.2 Octomore 9.3 Laphroaig Cairdeas 2017 Port Charlotte 10 Connemara 12 Kilkerran Heavily Peated Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare Port Ellen

Octomore 6.1

While I’ve been fortunate enough to come across an occasional not absurdly priced Octomore at a bar or as a sample, this was the first bottle I bought. It was pretty well priced, though not on the shelf when I went there. They had to check in the back/upstairs, and took a while doing so, so I really appreciated that.

Octomore 6.1, Islay Single Malt, 57% ABV

Minutia: Made from Scottish barley, peated to 167ppm, aged 5 years in American Oak ex-Bourbon casks. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Burnished, 1.1.

Nose: Strong but light smoke, funk, maritime quality, a bit floral.

Taste: Intense sealike smoke, pepper.

Finish: Smoky, delightfully savory, warms up a bit, fades over long finish.

This is such a great dram to really take your time and savor. The less you are doing in addition to drinking it, the better. It’s not earth shattering, and it isn’t really an everyday thing, but I will be sad when it’s gone. 

Score: 87

2019 Advent #19 - Octomore 7 Rest & Be Thankful

This bottler seems to be considered good, and they sure do price as if they are. Fortunately this sample wasn’t much of a bank breaker and I was able to try it and see for myself what other bottlers do with Octomore spirit. Also the highest ABV I’ve had by far so I’m interested in how I like this with it being over 60%.

Octomore 7 Rest & Be Thankful, Islay Single Malt, 63.9% ABV

Minutia: Distilled March 19, 2008, matured in a Frenck oak cask 200800908, and bottled on May 6, 2015 yielding 316 bottles.

Color: Tawny russet muscat, 1.3.5.

Nose: Smoke, bright/light/crisp quality. Bit appley. Oak, wine, more like oaky wine.

Taste: Funked up smoke of the nose. Low heat/pepper. Concentrated version of the nose, with an addition of spiced wine.

Finish: Heat ramps up right away. Smoke is big and delightfully peaty.

Guess: PC12.

If I hadn’t forgotten there was still an Octomore in the pool I’d have guessed it. I was led there by the characteristic Laddie funkiness plus a presence of peat. The finish is just awesome. It makes you kind of forget about the rest of the experience, which are good on their own. I’m super surprised by this proof, I’d have expected nothing to really come through in the nose. I don’t know how I didn’t really get any burn on the palate for this level of alcohol. What an awesome cask. I can’t say about other releases from this bottler, but I won’t immediately be dismissing them based on high price as this spirit is worthy of it. Note that I think that score is deflated a bit by how much the finish overshadowed the rest. I gave it a 24/25 (which has happened before) but it’s the closest to 25 I’ve had and really just don’t want to give on principle.

Score: 90

Here are links to the other posts from this calendar:

2019 Advent #17 - Octomore 9.3

One of the more interesting cask breakdowns I’ve seen, I’m happy to be getting around to this one blind and see what the various wines do without any expectations. A low ppm for an Octomore but still more than double most heavily peated malts. 

Octomore 9.3, Islay Single Malt, 62.9% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2012 from 100% Islay grown Concerto barley (the X.3 meaning) harvested in 2011 from Irene’s field, Octomore Farm, peated to 133ppm, matured for 5 years in the following combination of ex-American whiskey and ex-French wine casks: 25% 1st fill ex-American, 25% 3rd fill virgin oak, 20% 2nd fill Rivesaltes, 20% 2nd fill Syrah, and 10% 2nd fill Bourbon. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Russet muscat, 1.3.

Nose: Big smoke when you start to nose, intense wine wipes that away, and then they fight for dominance, struggling a bit against the ethanol.

Taste: Strong peat flavor, then some kind of salty fruit bomb goes off.

Finish: Big heat at first. Then vegetal, earthy peat. The peat gets funky as the heat persists, and then it fades over a long finish.

Guess: Port Charlotte or Octomore in a wine cask.

It’s a fairly broad guess, but that’s how it felt. I’m at the part where the amount of bottles left in the pool is small enough that guessing is a but easy. I confused the X.3 for X.4 and was thinking the X.4 would have been virgin oak so I was leaning Port Charlotte, but included Octomore in the guess because it felt stronger than that (peat and ABV-wise). Had I remembered what the cask breakdown was, I’d have gone right to Octomore. This is a really neat dram, and is truly an upward journey. When I like a nose as much as I did this one, I’ve come to expect either a significant dip and a bit of a rise or a steady decline as I proceed through the palate. This is the opposite where each step makes me like it more. If I come across a bottle of this at a store, I’ll be taking it home unless it’s wildly overpriced.

Score: 92

Here are links to the other posts from this calendar:

2019 Advent #11 - Octomore 7.2

Based on how much I’ve appreciated wine casked whiskies in the past, I’m disappointed this one is blind a little bit. I’m glad so I can have a fresh experience, but sad about the anticipation I’d be experiencing waiting to drink it. 

Octomore 7.2, Islay Single Malt, 58.5% ABV

Minutia: Produced from 100% Scottish barley, matured in ex-bourbon and northern Rhone Syrah casks for 5 years, peated to 208ppm. The X.2 denotation implies the European Oak differentiation from the X.1. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Burnished, 1.1.

Nose: Funky smoke, ashy, peaty. The funk stays but changes each sniff. Ethanol. Occasional dried druit.

Taste: Bright, cheesy weirdness, pepper comes in, smoke comes in.

Finish: General smoke becomes savory, pepper fades, then the weird and savory combo fade. Medium.

Guess: Port Charlotte, some kind of wine cask.

I’m not surprised it was an Octomore with an atypical cask, I guess I just underestimated how much peat was involved here. This is strong, really weird, and really good. Wine cask expressions continue to score highly for me. I’m really glad to have done it blind and not be biased knowing how much I’ve liked those finishes so far.

Score: 92

Here are links to the other posts from this calendar:

2019 Advent #9 - Octomore 9.1

A young Islay, with a bit less peat than the range had in the several releases before but still well above pretty much anything that’s not an Octomore. As with most things they do these days, the transparency about exactly what went into these bottles is much appreciated.

Octomore 9.1, Islay Single Malt, 59.1% ABV

Minutia: Distilled from 100% Scottish Concerto barley, harvested in 2011 and distilled in 2012, peated to 156ppm, matured for 5 years in ex-American whiskey casks for the full term, the breakdown being: 51% Jim Beam, 26% Jack Daniels, 15% Clermont, and 8% Old Grand-Dad. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn.

Color: Old gold, .6.

Nose: Smoky, funky. Tough to do but possible to tease out a vague fruitiness in the nose, though it’s competing with a lot of ethanol.

Taste: Toasted nut, fruit (subtle and dark), heat.

Finish: Peaty, smoky punch. Peppery build into fade. Medium-long.

Guess: Octomore 9.1.

Second in a row with a specific and correct guess feels really good. I’m at a bit of an advantage with a vague idea of what’s in the pool, but it still feels good. The nose screamed Bruichladdich distillate right off the bat and the intense finish could only be an Octomore. I didn’t get enough woodiness or non-Bourbon cask influence to be an X.2 or X.3, so it had to be the only X.1 in the pool. This is a strong dram in all senses of the word; it’s of great quality and is a very slow dram. Not only will you get more out of it by really savoring it, it’s hard to drink quickly. Very surprising is how the smoke was moderate in the nose, absent in the taste, and then a monster in the finish. This dram is an experience and tells a story.

Score: 86

Here are links to the other posts from this calendar: