I'm not been convinced to buy a full bottle of the peat-monster from Bruichladdich Distillery yet, but perhaps now is as good a time as ever considering the new owners and that they are keeping us a bit in the dark as to what their plans for the distillery are as to what bottlings the will produce. Needless to say, there's some wine finishes, which Bruichladdich's known for, in this session, and I'm wondering how it will work with a high level of peat?
Octomore 5yo 2002-2008 46% OB Futures Buffalo Trace Cask
This one comes from casks from The Buffalo Trace Distillery, so american bourbon oak then. At 80ppm, which is actually a low peat level for an Octomore. The malt used is Optic Barley. Information is good, but if there's too much I think it can ruin some of the magic, and this is right on the edge in my opinion. White wine color. It smells peaty, vanilla, honey, mustard, coffee creme, coastal, dark chocolate, seaweed, salty, briny, fish stew, crab stock. It's not peaty like Lagavulin or Laphroaig, not as medicinal and spicy. But very coastal character. The taste is sweet, burnt, peppery, dry white wine, plastic, a bit like english spring water, hard water. A bit off off-notes on this young peaty whisky. Much better one the nose, but all in all promising for the future (let's hope so).
Young and a bit unfinished spirit, but a bright prospect: 5.5
Octomore 5yo 61% OB Chateau Petrus Cask Finish
Chateau Petrus is a much hyped red wine, I don't know wether the hype is justified, as I've never tasted the wine. Maybe this is as close as I'll ever come to that. Light ruby hue. Some 140 ppm, quite a leap from the futures. It smells all peaty, sweet, port wine, onion rings, crisps, scandinavian style aqua vitae, which is potato spirit. Some notes of wine and fruit gums, but there's not much else to get beyond the peat. In some aspects it reminds me of the Talisker DE with amontillado finishings. The taste is sweet, butter bisquits, very peaty, some sweet marshmallows, and grape seeds, that dryness from when chewing dark grapes with seeds. The problem with this one is that there is none of that fantastic coastal character left. The finish is unnecessary for me, Speysiders carries much better in those wine casks methinks.
Unfocused and a bit unbalanced, not a very good one I'm afraid: 3.5
Octomore 5yo 59% OB 3_152
From some straight bourbon casks, hopefully a bit more like the Futures, one without that red wine meddling. 152 ppm this time. It smells nicely coastal, salty, fish stock, medicinal, camphor, vanilla, rubber bands, smoked haddock, smoked salmon, fantastic! The taste is very sweet and burnt, peppery, perfumy, peaty, minty, floral. Great whisky, but less coastal than the futures. Sugar, caramel, barley wine, a lot of nice sweet notes, but nowhere near the futures, is it because of the cask?
Enjoyable, but gotta love the peat, because the rest is sort of bland: 5
Octomore 5yo 62.5% OB 4_167
This one has even 167 ppm, over double that one I'm favoring so far in this tasting. I believe this as well is from only bourbon casks. White wine color. It smells of coastal notes, not far from Laphroaig Cask actually. Smoky, tarry, salty, medicinal, leather, dried fish, peppery, very nice one. The taste is as peaty as it gets. Licorice, lime rind, peppery, oaky, some drying notes. Still I think the futures is a better whisky. Perhaps the peat now is too much, but some of the best characters from the futures lacks in this one. A good one initially but that pepper and salt on the finish is nowhere to be found, instead there's just peat.
How much peat? A bit too much peat...: 5
Next tasting: Mixed peaty session (alternatives to Scotch Single Malts)
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