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Bruichladdich Octomore Masterclass 08.2

Jam Smeared Chimney Breasts

10 592

@RianCReview by @RianC

24th Jan 2020

0

Bruichladdich Octomore Masterclass 08.2
  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    92

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Huge thanks to @wierdo for this sample. Wasnt going to do a review but have been compelled to share my surprise and enjoyment of my first contact with this.

Nose, such a surprise as the peat isn't immediately as in your face as you might expect, kind of smouldering menacingly in the belly of this whisky. It sort of sits under some delightfully companionable fruity notes. Like the inside of a peat fire chimney breast smeared in different jams; strawberry, marmalade, cherry, raspberry and plum. Peat is heavy on the ash and Tiger Balm. Sweet and peat heaven!

Taste, my word this is exquisitely well-oiled! It' s so rich and rewarding on the mouthfeel. Water isnt needed (though ill add some) and i'm struggling to believe this is 58%. Taste is a mish-mash of the peaty notes and fruit notes from the nose but with some sour mezcal, vegetal notes and liquorice root. Like a good blues solo ... few notes but in perfect harmony.

Finish, well, this sample soon will be ha! Quite fruity actually, with more strawberry jam and liquorice root. A little sage and bay too with more ashy smoke to the death. Long

Water has brought out more smoke and nose hair singeing peat on the nose and teased the more overt fruit notes into balance. Interesting.

Phew! This is as fine a peated whisky as i've had. @wierdo, you know how to pick em ;). Reminds me a little of the Ledaig Amontillado, that similar combo of sweet and peat working in perfect tandem.

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5 comments

@Hewie
Hewie commented

Man that sounds stunning. Had me drooling big time

4 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Nock
Nock commented

@RianC thanks for the lovely review. You have piqued my curiosity. I opened my bottle of this in October. The last time I tasted it was mid-November. So, you have inspired me to revisit this bottle.

I love how you described the nose as the peat sitting menacingly behind raspberry, strawberry, plum and marmalade jam. Well done. Sweet was clearly the lead with peat in the background.

And so we are clear – I left my cork off the bottle for the first month it was open (October 10-November 10).

I have to say that my bottle has really opened up with that air time. The flavors are far more pronounced than during that first month. The peat has really come into the fore now. The peat is now a full-frontal assault on the nose with all those jam notes, now well smoked, sitting in the background. I have a glass of Ardbeg Uigeadail beside it as a reference point . . . no comparison. This is a massive peat and super sweet jammy fruits. I like your note about the sour mezcal, vegetal notes, and liquorish. Again, well pinned.

I am delighted that @weirdo was able to share some of this with you. And I am even more delighted that you took the time to share your experience with us.

Cheers!

4 years ago 5Who liked this?

W
Wierdo commented

@RianC I've only had the one dram of this since I opened it a couple of months ago. I poured myself a dram and bottled the sample for you at the same time and have left it since with a bit of air in the bottle. I haven't got the balls to follow @Nock suggestions to leave the cork out for a few weeks! Interestingly the first whisky that popped into my head when I first sipped this Octomore was also the Ledaig amontillado cask. It's that combination of dense peat and rich fruit.

4 years ago 2Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC commented

@Nock - thanks, my pleasure! I had the feeling that this would definitely change with air and I would love to own a bottle to see that progression first hand. I'm not always the biggest fan of sweeter cask matured whisky but when it's done well it can be stunning. Always hard to mark a sample but I sense this could have gone higher had we become more acquainted.

@Hewie - I am so glad I was able to sample this as its out of my range but, having said that, I would break the £100 barrier for this.

4 years ago 2Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@RianC “Jam smeared chimney breasts.” There’s an image. Sounds excellent. Makes me want to run out and grab some Octomore.....right after I’m done with this dry January nonsense. laughing

4 years ago 3Who liked this?