Octomore 12.2

Nose: Initially the nose is all wood smoke, brine and lemon zest but after extended nosing I got winey notes and a honey fragrance, which is the most obvious sauternes influence. The nose is pungent but also soft and plush and over time the peat aroma gains complexity with coal tar and earthy peat joining the wood smoke. Water reveals aromas of yeasty dough and a little plastic/rubber but the sweet honeyed notes provide enough balance to maintain a pleasant overall character. Palate: The arrival is sweet, rich and has a dense unctuous texture. The peat is fully in command here but it rides atop waves of luxurious caramel, dessert wine, apricots, honey, creosote and pickle water. There is a prickly sensation of white pepper in the late palate. Reduction simplifies and melds the palate with tarry peat and camphor gaining prominence while the texture becomes more silken, and the pepper note is diminished. Finish: Long. Peat smoke, grilled oysters with lemon, salt and pepper. Reduction brings sweetness. Adding water louches a lot of oil from this spirit with a strong misty haze forming almost immediately, and the whisky continues to gain cloudiness over time. It’s worth giving it a long rest after reduction as the nose and palate both transform a good deal over time. Initially water seems to just tame the spirit but the more time you give it the more complexity you will notice. It’s debatable whether the punchiness and purity of the neat pour is superior to the balance and complexity of the reduced form, but both are very pleasant. Overall I liked this Octomore, but it’s a whisky marque I tend to like most of the time anyway. This is certainly not the best Octomore I’ve tried but it’s far from the least enjoyable. I’ve been tasting Octomore since it was introduced and my broad impression is that it was stunning in the early days (say up to the 8th editions) but then hit a bit of a decline, however since edition 12 it has been steadily improving. The recent 14th and 15th editions are excellent and although the 12th edition whiskies were not quite up there yet they are all worth a taste. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)

Nose - Light charcoal/black pepper smoke, light salt, golden raisins, salt cured plums (w/ water) Bit more vibrant, less plum, more salty parmesan rind, cracked black peppercorns Taste - Salty sweet smoke, saline, salt pickled plums, gentle black pepper heat, light sweet lactic "funk" (w/ water) Ashy smoked meat sweet, salted sweet smoked meats, pears, almost teriyaki like sweetness Finish - Lingering gentle heat, light lactic funk, sweet pickled plums, saline (w/ water) Dry ashy smoke, sweet savory/meaty salmon jerky vibe Score - 86/100 Final Thoughts - This was quite the strange beast as it felt like two different pours once I added a bit of water to the pour. The nose was quite hidden on this one and only really opened up after I added some water. What's really strange is that I got this sweet salty preserved Asian hard plum vibe from this without water and once I added a bit of water, it completely disappeared. The plum was replaced by this sweet teriyaki meat/salmon jerky vibe. I guess it's good that you get two vastly different experiences from this one, but it just wasn't really up my alley. Compared to the 10.2 I felt like this one felt much more savory sweet smoked meats and I couldn't really distinguish that this might have been a sauternes finish. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - Probably not NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Neat. Neck pour. First ever taste of any Octomore! On the nose, the peat takes over the room. Radiates from the glass. It’s a savory peat. Diving into the glass, initial approach is all burnt ends but immediately the fruits and sweetness take over. Pineapple and pears with a side of raspberry preserves. Salted sour dough. Slight milk chocolate. Just has this cool flow from savory to sweet to savory to sweet. The peat is less aggressive than I expected. Omnipresent but not over the top. On the taste, the mouthfeel and immediate immense flavors are off the charts great. It is oily and the peat and spiced cooked pears take over every surface of my mouth. Everything escalated mid palate and continues to escalate to the finish. Mid palate, it’s a balance of sweet and savory. Spiced pears again with a vanilla cream. Salted Caramel. Finishes at its flavor peak. Cinnamon and pepper, pears, jam, burnt ends, white grape juice. Sparkling white grape juice for ages. Oh that is good. Still enjoying the finish well after the glass was empty. The sweetness and Jam aspects are not what I expected. The peat is balanced despite being over the top. I really enjoyed this pour. I’d buy 12.1 or 12.3 if I see them.

A absolutely Lovely invite to a spicy and delicious home campfire with the sweetness and complexity of grandma at thanksgiving. Incredibly accessible for a rediculous 127 ppm and incredibly complex. Many layers of flavors both sweet and spicy. Simply beautiful! Nose: quieter than expected for the pest bomb that it is, but is also way more inviting than expected. Sweetness throughout the smoke! Palate: simply delicious, a dream of citrus, and syrupy honey sweetness from the Sauternes cask I’m sure. But with a beautiful spice note that brings smiles and warm hearts. Finish: maybe the best finish I’ve ever experienced, not the longest, bust the smoke experience was incredible! $33/pour $250/bottle

NOSE Smoke, vanilla frosting , fruit cake, dried orchard fruit, honey, white raisins, earthy hay-like malt, herbal spice and a touch of minerality. There is a juicy quality to it that’s very enjoyable and pairs well with the earthier notes. PALATE Smoke, sweet BBQ, toffee, white raisins, dried fruit, earthy hay-like malt, baking spices and a touch of sweet tobacco and herbal. The darker notes continue to surface as it opens and after a while the Octomore 12.2 comes across like a dark and fruity, balanced, combo of peat-n-sweet. FINISH Long -> Peat, toffee, dried fruit, herbal spice and a touch of toffee.

Unbelievable exoerience with this one! Everything in this whisky speaks PREMIUM! On the nose, there’s a big charred oak, peaty aroma, but it comes together with a floral element, orange peel jam with a milk chocolate infused in it. But much more can come from it after as you keep seeping it. On the palate, it’s delightfully smoky, some notes of applewood smoked bacon, the orange peel is present and floral notes will show up in the end. The finish is extremely long and pleasant. Such an amazing dram! I can’t give it a smaller score than 5. Awesome!