Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 02.1 / 2_140 62.5% NV

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Serge Valentin (90)

Octomore 5 yo ‘Edition 02.1’ (62.5%, OB, 2009) New world record: 140ppm! Colour: white wine. Nose: plain peat smoke, full peak smoke and only peat smoke – and wet dogs (did I ever tell you how sorry I was, dogs?) And a mix of cigar ashes and apple peelings. With water: it seems that it’s cleaner than the 01.1 from last year, also rounder and kind of softer, with a smokiness that’s a tad more… round. Soot, ashes, hay, tar, liquorice, then a little mint, Vicks, camphor… Just like last year’s version, it reminds me a bit of the older Ardbegs that were distilled in the 1960s. Great nose. Mouth (neat): quite biting but the mouth feel is very pleasant, all on ashes and marzipan. Strong coffee. With water: very excellent I must say. Hugely smoky of course, liquoricy, sweet, very phenolic, ashy, caramelly (fudge), extremely well balanced. Does smoked salmiak liquorice exist? Finish: very, very long, ashy and tarry as well as fudgy, less brutal than expected (feared?) Comments: I know that the Octomore concept looks like a gimmick to some aficionados but I sincerely think that the end results are of very high quality, provided you aren’t against a little peat in you whisky ;-). One point above the 01.1 as far as I’m concerned, which makes this youngster break the 90-barrier. Of course, if you hate peat, it’ll be more like 50 ;-).