What they say

Building on the structural brilliance of our super heavily peated spirit, this Octomore 10.2 edition has spent the first four years of its life in fresh bourbon barrels, before being moved into exceptionally high quality, and incredibly rare Sauternes casks. The reputable chateau who originally managed these casks had filled them three times over with French sweet wine, allowing the oak to mellow and therefore temper its influence in our subsequent spirit. The combination of the softer smoke and oak influence has created a sublime balance with tropical fruit notes.

• MALTED TO 96.9PPM
• DISTILLED IN 2010 FROM THE 2009 HARVEST – 100% SCOTTISH GROWN OPTIC AND OXBRIDGE BARLEY
• MATURED ENTIRELY ON ISLAY FOR EIGHT YEARS
• ORIGINALLY FILLED IN TO FIRST FILL EX-AMERICAN WHISKEY CASKS FOR 4 YEARS THEN RECASKED INTO SAUTERNES WINE CASKS FOR 4 YEARS
• BOTTLED UNCHILL-FILTERED AND COLOURING FREE AT BRUICHLADDICH DISTILLERY, 56.9% ALC. / VOL
• LIMITED TO 24,000 BOTTLES

Official Tasting Notes

• CHARACTER – A great contrast to the .1 and total opulence. Longer in the cask, tremendous cask pedigree and a combination of sweet tropical fruit and smoke that is unbeatable.
• AROMA – Wisps of toasting oak, smouldering peat and ripe nectarine, passion fruit and lemon in syrup.
• TASTE – Rich, oily texture, hints of dryness from the oak but sugary sweet and fruity, lots of peach, jelly babies and dry smoke, classic Octomore sweet/smokey combinations encased in toasted oak.
• FINISH – The oak and smoke linger after all the remining notes fade, each one clear and crisp. Before they go head to head, there is honey and orange notes, and hints of clove that set off the finish.
• COLOUR – Hazel.

What I say

The second Octomore in series 10 was released exclusively to Travel retail. This 8 year old was subject to 4 years in American oak and then 4 years in ex-Sauternes wine casks for a smoky and sweet & fruity combination.

• ABV 56.9%
• Age 8 Years Old
• Bottler Official
• Bottling 10.2
• Cask Bourbon & Sauternes
• Category Single Malt Whisky
• Cost £140
• Origin Bruichladdich Distillery
• Outturn 24,000 bottles
• Region Islay
• Released 2019
• Vintage 2010

My tasting notes

• Appearance Amber gold (10/20), slow, fine tears and beaded, fine legs.
• Nose Vanilla heavy, malt heavy, sweet ash, beach bonfire, smoked scallop meat, briny, some banana, pineapple tropical fruits, earthy cocoa, coffee and mocha and some eggy custard.
• Taste Medium-full bodied, massively peaty, malty, malt extract, chocolate, some sweet vanilla, slightly burnt Danish pastries, butterscotch, caramel, toffee, molasses, leather, bbq smoke, touch coastal, peach and apricot cobbler.
• Finish Long, smoky, honey sweet, dry ash and smoke.
• Overall Sweeter and smokier than 10.1 and a nice addition of both tropical and stone fruits, I don’t think I’d have picked out the Sauternes influence here but in my defence Octomore’s are pretty robust spirit to begin with!

Score 88/100

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