Octomore Masterclass_08.2/167PPM (58.4%, OB, 2017)

• ABV: 58.4%
• Age: 8 Years Old
• Bottling: OB
• Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky
• Cost: £Sold out
• Origin: Bruichladdich distillery
• Vintage: undeclared

What they say

167PPM / Aged 8 Years

Initiation brings provocation. All of the opulent spirit in Octomore 08.2 spent the first six years of its life in one of three different styles of wine cask. French Mourvedre – a red wine grape that has a reputation for producing intense red fruit, and strong, earthy, even gamey flavours. Austrian sweet wines – full bodied and charming with an ability to challenge convention with innovative techniques. French Sauternes – casks from the Graves section in Bordeaux that previously held some of the most revered and exclusive dessert wines the world has ever seen.

Official tasting notes:

• CHARACTER – Exotic, rich and fruity. Layered and complex, this is all about the cask story
• AROMA – Peat smoke comes first but not dominant, there is red fruit, aniseed and barley sugar/boiled sweets. Smoke weaves between the other notes as they come, stewed apple, raspberry, blackcurrant, dried apricots and chocolate. Orange, mince pies and Turkish delight hint at the cask history then cherry wafers and coconut open out to floral notes of hay, geranium and Parma violets.
• TASTE – Warming and sweet, deep fruit and satin-like smoke. The oak feels a little dry then lifts to become toasted bread, bubble-gum sweetness and strawberry Jam. Adding a drop or two of water opens up the Islay DNA of salt spray, ozone and citrus. As it opens you find rose petal, Turkish delight, praline and more strawberry jam, all the while the smoke is in the background holding everything together.
• FINISH – Typical Octomore. Smoke comes through, a dry peat smoke, with malted barley and cherry, then goes out on its own..
• COLOUR – Ruby red.

What I say

The second Octomore 8 series masterclass peated to the same level (167PPM barley) but this time matured in French/European oak ex wine casks including Mourvedre (Red) and Sauternes (Dessert) wines amongst others.

Distilled in 2008 and bottled in 2017 at 8 years old

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Rose gold (11/20), medium-large tears leave long, fine legs.
• Nose: Sweet, Lactones, vanilla, peat smoke, beach bonfire, briny, salt caramel or salted soft toffee, smoked bacon, some fruity red & white grape juices, fresh lemon and orange slices, a hint floral – parma violets, then dry grassy hay, sweet malt, peat-kilned barley husks, a little vegetal but very sweet, stewed neeps with honey? a hint of burning rubber too.
• Taste: Initially big but later quite light on the palate, a dichotomy between char, ash, burning peat, smoke and sweet, jammy red fruits redcurrant, blackcurrant and apple, hedgerow fruits jam, woody oak, dried cinnamon sticks, dark chocolate/cocoa powder, a dash of water releases spice, clove, cinnamon, pepper, some malt and molasses,
• Finish: Long, peaty, dry oak wood, jam on brown toast and sticky cherry lips sweeties.

Overall

Another peat monster but with some serious wine/fruity sweetness thrown in for measure. A little in conflict at first on the palate but eventually settles into a succulent sweet peatiness liked smoked jam. The wine casks have thrown in a handful of other fruits and plenty of oakiness too for good measure.

Score 90/100

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