Octomore 12.3

Review #092 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 62.11% Comments: aged 5 years, distilled from barley grown at Islay’s Octomore farm, super heavily peated to 118.1 PPM, 75% matured in 1st fill ex-bourbon casks, 25% matured in Fernando de Castilla PX Sherry butts Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Amber color. Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, it starts to bead up quickly, but legs are very slow to form. Nose: 18/20 Sooty peat smoke, vanilla, caramel, adhesive bandages, and a nice maritime salinity. There’s also a very light squeeze of lemon zest and a hint of sweet fruit lingering in the background, maybe strawberries? Absolutely mouth watering. Palate: 38/40 Nice oily mouthfeel. Thick and heavy peat smoke, charcoal, thick clover honey, caramel, milk chocolate covered raisins, sweet and bitter red wine tannins, spicy oak tannins, ripe and juicy tangerines, and a little briny. The flavors are raw and powerful, yet perfectly balanced. The end result is absolutely delicious. Finish: 36/40 Very long finish. Wisps of peat smoke dance through my mouth, while adhesive bandages mingle with salted caramels, apricots, and buttered charred sweet corn right off the grill. As this ridiculous (yet tasty!) combination of flavors slowly fades, the peat smoke remains and is joined by ashes and a subtle earthy flavor, before finally ending with a lingering mild wintergreen. With Water: A few drops of water introduces peaches and warm strawberry rhubarb pie to the nose, fantastic! There’s a bit more salinity on the palate and some lemon drop candies on the finish as well. Total: 92/100 Final thoughts: Let’s start with a basic fact: all Octomore is expensive. I think some are worth the price tag, while others are not. I also think this one is worth every penny. My favorite whiskies are the ones that take my taste buds on a rollercoaster ride, and this is a bottle that certainly does just this. It never fails to make my head spin on the first sip, there’s just so much going on, you can loose time sitting here with this whisky slowly savoring abs processing each sip. And for me it also comes with a memory of my brother and I first trying this in a small pub on Rose St during our first trip to Edinburgh. Needless to say, we were both floored and put buying bottles of our own at the top of our shopping lists. Price: $190 Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Nose - Peppery campfire smoke, machine oil, sweet black peppercorns, earth, sea spray, menthol? (w/ water) Reduces the smoke a bit, adds a bit of lemon but mostly the same Taste - Hot peppercorn ashy smoke, salt, earthy, light lactic sweet, mouth numbing (w/ water) Ashy sweet smoke, earthy, salt, black peppercorns, ash, creamy sweetness, hint of golden raisins, bit of lemon Finish - Heat, fuzzy tingling heat, campfire smoke, Szechuan tingle/burn, salt, generic sweet (w/ water) Lingering salt, earth, ash, lemon Score - 75/100 Final Thoughts - Holy crap this had some heat on it. This 62% felt more like hazmat. Nose hid the proof very well and it felt like it was just a bit muted, notes of black peppercorns and pleasant ashy smoke, bit of black earth/dirt to round things out a bit. Once it hit the palate, you get a burst of black peppercorn ashy smoke, followed by lots of heat and a bit of salt and generic sweetness and then the TV static feeling all over your mouth. This was quite hot and water is definitely needed to proof this down a bit. Water helps reveal some fruit in this and frankly without knowing that there is 25% PX influence I would've never guessed that was there. This feels mostly ex-American whiskey to me with some sort of weird lactic fruit. This felt so good on paper, but maybe just not meant for my palate. Would I drink it if offered? - Maybe Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose- Soft smoke, slightly salty, hints of sweetness like fruits, malty yeasts. Some iodine. Taste- buttery brine with some malty cereal. Earthy and smoke mix with sweet dessert spices. Surprised how much the malt comes through. . Lot less influence of the px cask than I would expect. This is buttery bread, grilled over a campfire by the sea with only hints of grilled peaches and fruit Finish- more wood on the finish than I tasted before. Oak. Some bitterness with the sweet like smoked meats. Still briny. Medium long finish. Overall really pleasant, good bottle. I might lean toward the in your face notes of the .2 but this is still very good.

NOSE Smoke, grilled pears, salty minerality, dried orchard fruit, vanilla candy, honey nut cheerios and some dessert spices and malt. Octomore 12.3 has a wonderful coastal quality that really sets it apart from the 12.1 and 12.2 on the aroma. PALATE Smoke, grilled pears, sweet BBQ, herbal spice, toasted malt, buttery toffee, honey nut cheerios, vanilla candy and hay-like malt. There is so much weight in this palate it’s ridiculous. It’s like an earthy-peaty-sweet-and-spiced syrup. FINISH Long -> Smoke, toffee, fruit and honey fade out a bit oaky.

Already open No water Nose - hints of peat, brine, dark fruits Taste - strong fruit that pulls the fruit with it, spiky, peppery, Overall - the best of the 12’s, the sherry makes a nice complement to the smoke

Sharp peat. Great for cold nights as it is spicy and warming. Less balanced than the 12.2 so it does skirt the edge of that “band-aid” taste on the back end.