5 Octomore

Octomore 5 yo 2015/2021 12.1 ‘The Not possible Equation’ (59.9%, OB, 1st fill bourbon) 
Distilled from mainland Scottish barley and kilned to 130.8 PPM – for these phenol spotters on the market… Color: pale straw. Nostril: I believe Serge would say ‘millimetric’, so in different works extraordinarily pure, slim and exact. A blade of seawater, ash and peat – an epitome of fine high quality, trendy, closely peated whisky. I additionally discover fairly highly effective notes of whelks charring over coals, petrol and mercurochrome. With water: rock swimming pools, iodine drops, moist seaweed, burnt sheep wool, coal smoke and bacon fats. Mouth: what’s wonderful is that it is relatively textural in addition to very sharp, pure and highly effective. I do know this sounds foolish however it’s also fairly peaty – which I don’t all the time discover to be the case with Octomore the place peat flavour usually manifests extra as seawater, smoke and grapefruit juice. With water: will get deeper and wider now, smokier, sootier, peatier, extra sheep wool oils, dried herbs, dung, roof pitch and uncooked tar! End: lengthy, ashy, briny, citric, petrolic and nonetheless with this sense of scorching bacon fats. Feedback: Octomore at its uncooked and no-nonsense greatest. I had it at 89 however water actually helps to propel this one alongside.
SGP: 468 – 90 factors.

Octomore 5 yo 2015/2021 12.2 (57.3%, OB, 1st and 2nd fill bourbon with 1st fill Sauternes end)
129.7 PPM this time. Sauternes – and another candy wines – are often an exception to my common distrust of wine casks. Let’s examine what they have been as much as on this case… Color: gold. Nostril: farmyard and seashore lashed along with strands of sugar. On first impressions this works fairly effectively. Some type of smoked flower honey, dried seaweed, nori, smoked olive oil, seawater, lime juice and hessian. A properly sharp smokiness comes by over time. With water: cod liver oil, Bakelite, jute bag, black olive tapenade and plasticine. Mouth: the sweetness continues to be current however as soon as once more it really works fairly effectively, the impression of a balancing act underway. Barely acidic farmyard peat smoke, coal embers, wooden ashes, pure tar, petrol and pickling brine. With water: fluctuate tarry, a number of smoke, soot, ashes, camphor and brine. Maybe extra easy and classical peat monster territories now. End: lengthy, sooty, briny and exhibiting a barely extra grubby puffer smoke vibe. Anchovy paste and bacon lardons. Feedback: plenty of enjoyable and I feel superb because the Sauternes involvement has been finished fairly cleverly. Simply runs out of steam a bit in direction of the tip maybe.
SGP: 567 – 87 factors.

Octomore 5 yo 2015/2021 12.3 (62.1%, OB, 75% 1st fill bourbon & 25% 1st fill PX sherry butts) 
118.1 PPM and barley grown on Octomore Farm in 2014. Two parcels of inventory matured full time period respectively in bourbon and PX sherry. Color: brilliant straw. Nostril: inexperienced olives, wasabi, pickling brine and anchovies in olive oil. There’s additionally even some uncooked barley sweetness nonetheless in there surprisingly. As soon as once more I am discovering this related impression of deep, bass-like farmyard smokiness as on the 12.1. Right here there’s additionally extra camphor and extra brazen medicinal profile too. Glorious nostril! With water: riddled with sooty smoke, rollmop herring, pickling juices, camphor and uncooked seawater. Additionally develops this leaner medical facet that goes in direction of bandages and antiseptic. Mouth: very tarry and peppery up entrance. Glycerine, smoked mead, hessian, carbolic acidity, boiler smoke, iodine and a barely soiled dried herb side. Olive bread, cough mixtures and umami paste. Very salty and tarry. With water: the feel is admittedly spectacular now, you’re feeling such as you’re sipping prime notch smoked olive oil. Maybe a cornichon or two bobbing about in there together with a stray pork scratching. Some type of peated mead with traces of heather smoke. End: lengthy, tarry, leathery, briny and nonetheless on many of those impressions of pickling juices, olive oil and fats medicines. Feedback: actually wonderful, and the sherry takes a really quiet again seat right here which I feel works very effectively. I suppose I simply choose the 12.1 by a single notch is all. On common although, that is in all probability my favorite ‘batch’ of Octomores for some time.
SGP: 567 – 89 factors.

Octomore 7 yo 2013/2021 (62.3%, Dramfool ‘Jim McEwan Signature Assortment’, cask #1872, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 256 bottles)
Let’s examine what the Ken Dodd of Islay had schnaffled away for himself lets… Color: straw. Nostril: I’ve to report, that that is beautiful. Pure, classical and nearly embarrassingly recent and coastal. Riddled with ozone, shoreline, rock swimming pools, sandalwood and anchovy paste. This evolves extra in direction of fatter, thicker notes of farmyard smoke, hessian canvass and as soon as once more this impression of very advantageous smoked olive oil – which I am all the time a sucker for. With water: molten vinyl, camphor, crab sticks, iodine drops and lapsing souchong. Bruised cooking apples, malt vinegar and preserved lemons. Mouth: Zap! Pow! Kersplatt! And lots of different Batman references. Fairly just like the 12.1 however with added thickness from further age. Oily, concentrated peat and phenolics. Soy sauce combined with Maggi seasoning, pure tar extract, peated heather ales and pure brine. With water: as soon as once more a wee apple notice, crisp inexperienced apple acidity, then heather flowers, pure tar once more, richly smoky kiln air and anchovy paste. Will get very umami and peppery. End: über lengthy, filled with crystalline pure peat smoke, brine, anchovies, dried herbs, soy sauce and seawater. Feedback: actually excellent, I like this huge umami, farmyard tang to the smoke. I do know we frequently say peat covers up immaturity in youth, besides, is not Octomore a relatively speedy whisky?
SGP: 477 – 90 factors.

Octomore 13 yo 2007/2021 (57.5%, Dramfool ‘Jim McEwan Signature Assortment’, cask #3807, 1st fill Sauternes barrique, 290 bottles)
Color: deep gold. Nostril: smoked orange blossom, frivolously kippery, citrus curds, diesel fumes, tarragon after which grapefruit and seawater. There is a particular stress between the sweeter fruitier parts, and the marginally extra funky smoky features. With water: some greengage, heather flower, beers, darkish grained breads and a relatively earthy, bass-line smokiness. Wine cellar should – or am imagining issues now? Mouth: effectively, we may very simply be quaffing peated Sauternes. That is surprisingly syrupy, honeyed, candy and nearly viscous with these impressions of nectar, mead, smoked honey and touches of olive oil. The lightest of the bunch which suggests I am in all probability foolish for doing this final. With water: silky threads of peat smoke, tiny briny touches, thick olive oil, anchovy paste, Maggi, pure tar, TCP and iodine drops. The peat is extra magnified by water I feel, and as such it feels extra balanced. End: lengthy, tarry, that kipper smoke is again, some pink peppercorns, gauze and candy natural cough syrup. Feedback: If, like me, you’ve got a bizarre delicate spot for Sauternes maturation and peat, then you’ll in all probability additionally actually like this. However if you happen to aren’t a Sauternes maturation fan then it’s best to in all probability take a diversion flight via-Mongolia. A really enjoyable, very foolish and possibly pointless to attain whisky* (*shout out to the ‘All whiskies are pointless to attain’ crowd on the again).
SGP: 666 – 88 factors.