Octomore 09.1 Dialogos

I'm really not an Islay snob. I love a Lagavulin 16 or a Uigeadail, but some of the really hardcore stuff like Laphroaig is a bit too much like getting a vaccination. So, what am I doing with this stuff? First off, I'm not going to talk about notes of this or hints of that, because there is absolutely nothing subtle about this. Five years old, and quite pale. Not quite new make, but this stuff is barely legal. The nose has a range of about 2 blocks. Bring it into a room and everyone will be asking "what is that?" even before you remove the cork. My tastings have been straight, without water, mainly because i fear a few drops could open it up even more. It's already plenty open enough as it is. On my first sip, I laughed. "over the top" would imply there's actually a top. It was as if Yosemite Sam had stuffed my mouth full of burning peat, followed by Bugs hitting me on the head with a big puffy sledge hammer. Because things like this only happen in a cartoon. But the peat and smoke, while front and center to a laughable degree, doesn't have any sharp edges. Followed by sweetness and fruitiness (delivered via Bugs with a seltzer bottle). Then a depth an complexity of flavor leaving me wondering how you do that with only 5 years aging. You can almost chew on it. The aftertaste is delicious and will stay with you for hours. Maybe days. As I said, I'm not a huge fan of big peat. I'm also not a heavy drinker. If i have one shot a week, that's a lot. Yet, I kept coming back to this stuff. I had a shot every night for the first week after buying it. It would be a bit much to say that I love this stuff. What I will say is that i find it deeply and wildly entertaining.

This smells less sweetly meaty than the 8.1 does. It smells smoky and peaty, but also clean. There is some meatiness to the nose, but it is less salty too. There's a hint of portobello rounding out the nose. The palate is surprisingly refreshing with some mint and floral notes mixed with some fruit. Of course, it has tons of peat and a huge helping of smoke. This has more smoke and less meat than the 8.1. There's some nice toasted wood in here too that brings in some bit of toffee with almonds. The complexity is solid, but not dramatic. I like how it executes the flavors that it has with clean finishes and a bit of sweetness rather than excessive bitterness. The balance actually turns out to be surpsingly good. There are plenty of herbal notes that are hard to place, but they go well with the mild lemon flavor. It has flavors across the board and deserves credit for its balance. It's easy enough to drink straight, but adding water helps to mellow it a bit. More herbal flavor and bandages come out, but they don't overwhelm and it actually does balance quite well, leaving a rich creamy finish. Hints of raisin even appear on the finish, blending well with the chocolate. It has spices of clove and cinnamon that make a good pairing. It's a bit too much like Laphroaig, but it's otherwise very complex and balanced. This is a great whiskey.

On the nose is a wonderful meaty aroma of burnt ends brisket with smoky, carmalized barbecue sauce. Underneath is a syrupy sweet canned stone fruit, peaches, mangoes, but also rich toffee and charred oak with a touch of vanilla earthy peat smoke. - To the palate it is very rich, but the alcohol strength doesn’t feel aggressive at all. Nutty chocolate fudge with soft creamy caramel and chewy black licorice. Black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of floral barley. - In the finish there is a long, peaty, smoky flavour with dense molasses and a hint of sea salt. — With water added, the nose gets lighter with more bourbon cask aroma and hints of pear and mint. The palate is significantly more intense with coarse sea salt, cracked peppercorns, earthy smoke and vanilla caramel. This lengthens the finish and leaves a dry, smoky oak flavour with a hint of anise. —//— Malt Mark: 96

Nose : You can’t miss the peat smoke at the first scent, which is the trademark of Octomore. When extending the sniff, it is possible to distinguish the sweetness of vanilla. Taste : A journey of senses. Intense peat smoke, followed by sea water, and after sweet vanilla. Intense and dry, but smooth for 59% ABV. Finish : the finish is long, pretty long. Peat is present, than smooth oak. Adding a touch of water balances the peat with the rest, leaving place for sweet citrus, even faint caramel. An experience!! Need to try!

Phenomenal balance of flavour given its huge peat bomb (156PPM) and it's high proof. I can't believe so much flavour can be added to a 5 year old whisky. On the nose there is what you would expect from a classic Islay, cigars, smoke, bonfires, seaweed, mince pies, spent fireworks, Christmas cake and applewood. On the palette it does a complete 180°, here you taste boiled sweets, figs, prunes, vanilla, cocoa, nougat, fudge and treacle, finishing with a long dry spicy finish

Nose: herbal notes, earl grey tea, dry moss, fresh cut hay, subtle honey and biscuits Palate: rich, silky, oily. Sweet honey and cream, dry wood campfire Finish: blast of earthy peat up front. Smoke builds after the swallow and lasts forever. In the background; honeycomb, cream, vanilla, candied ginger For a 5 year old whiskey this is amazingly complex, rich, and luxurious