Octomore 10.4/88 Virgin Oak

Rating: 17/23 N: Ash, smoke, intense peat, a little brine, faint meat. Honestly, this isn't the most complex, interesting, or enjoyable nose. There's nothing actually wrong with it though. P: Tons of peat. Ash, smoke, brine. Some sweetness from a little malt with apple and tangerine. I could say all sorts of things about the herbal, smoky, and slightly earthy characters. There's a little bit of roast pork. Black pepper. It's hot, but the proof is high. There's a little vanilla that borders on sandalwood. A bit of barbecue. F: Lingering peaty smoke with a little malty sweetness, light apple, a touch of vanilla, some black pepper, and roast pork. - Conclusion - This is quite good. Is it blowing my mind? No. It's tasty, but it tastes young. Yeah, it has tons of peat, but it lacks mature complexity and just a peaty punch in the face is pretty gimmicky. Amrut Peated (17/23) has a somewhat more mature character to it, but it doesn't have as much rugged interest to it. These two seem pretty competitive. Laphroaig 10 (18/23) has more mature complexity to it. Sure, its low ABV makes it taste a bit weak, but its flavor is definitely better. This has too much youth and campfire to it. And the amount of peat is a bit gimmicky. There is a fair amount going on here though and it's a tasty dram. There's some nice complexity at the start of The Shin 10 (16/23), but it gets kind of young and sweet as it goes on. It's still a good dram, but I'd probably put this ahead of it. There's some rich savoriness here that The Shin is sorely lacking. Nikka From The Barrel (17/23) has some nice balanced malt and smoke with a more traditional profile. The alcohol shows through a bit and the flavors get a bit muddled, but it's a more cohesive experience. Choosing between the two, I give this the win. I'd been thinking a 17 for this, but now I'm considering an 18 again. Still, I think the Laphroaig 10 is better though. And Amrut Peated is very close to it. I'm going with a high 17. Coming back to this for the last couple of sips, I like how it has so much going on, but there's definitely a barbecue vibe happening here that isn't really my ideal profile. Still, the salt and brine mix with the roast meat, ash, vanilla, and other flavors to create a pretty balanced dram. I think I'd take it over Octomore 11.3, which is more mellow and fruity, but this does remind me of Laphroaig Quarter Cask and Ardbeg An Oa a bit, though it mercifully has less of a sweet barbecue profile. Would I still take Laphroaig 10 over this? Probably. This is fun, but it's still kind of gimmicky. I'll stick with a high 17 for this.

So I'll just apologize for what will be a terrible review. I'm just terrible with peat notes sometimes. nose - There isn't much to talk about here. It's super sweet, sugars, vanilla, oak, and peat. It's got a nice oak profile. There are some cool bourbon notes here. taste - rich, creamy, but insanely complex. The oak is complex and rich but yes a touch bitter. The malt is the classic octomore sweetness forward malt. Sorry guys, I don't have enough to say here. It's just really good octomore. It's that super sweet profile, candy cigarettes, peaty goodness, and just rich and velvety. I'll debate the final score but 3.75 for now. Really really good, but we'll see if I go 4.0 later.

As soon as you open the bottle, the peat smoke fills the whole room - so you know what to expect from the first taste. As a super heavily peated whisky, it’s probably not a surprise to say that the first taste is heavy on the peat, too. However, there is a balance between the vanilla from the wood and the peat. The peat doesn’t go away, but there’s a softness to it that mixes with more subtle notes of clove, cinnamon and berries. As it develops it mellows into soft, vanilla smoke and leaves a warm cigar-like finish. This is a beautifully complex dram, softer than you would initially expect but still packing a kick. Wonderful!

Hits its ground for a 3 year. Has loads of dark chocolate, pineapples, marshmallows, raisins, vanilla, ginger, and peppers. Nose: Smoke, Caramel, Dark Chocolate, Mocha, Treacle, Raisins, Butterscotch, Sultanas, Ginger, Almonds, Grilled Pineapples, Licorice. Barbecue Chicken Palate: Smoke, Vanilla, Marshmallows, Pineapples, Mackerels, Figs, Dates, Chili Peppers, Peaches, Vanilla, Luxardo Cherries, Raisins, Mirabelle Plums Finish: Raisins, Hazlenuts, Ginger, Blood Oranges, Christmas Cakes, Apricots, Coal, Marshmallows, Vanilla

Nose: Smoky campfire, salty ham, some hot fresh ginger. Palate: Intensely spicy heat, freshly cracked black pepper, clove, cigars. Finish: Once the heat subsides I'm left with slightly charred sausages over a campfire. It tastes like it smells. Notes: Not for the faint of heart. The cask strength really punches hard on the palate. The spiciniess must feature on the scoville scale somewhere.

Outright power and clarity here. Nose shows rubber hose and petrol, giving way to straight barley on the palate. The influences are almost exclusively grain and peat — unsurprising from a three-year whisky brought up in crisp, clean wood. It lacks the complexity that comes with age and exotic barrels, but it’s lovely in its unapologetic unadulterated simplicity.