Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 02.1 / 2_140 62.5% NV

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Serge Valentin (90)

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 ;-).

Gal Granov (86)

Color : Pale straw. quite light in color, as most of the young Islays which have not been to sherry casks.

Nose : Smoke (no surprise here) , ash, sweet touches too (Laddie or not laddie?) , Wet stable (Someone who rides horses came today with their wet boots, and they smelled just like this one. i swear!). I love the nose on this one.

Palate : can you spell Kabooom?! what a powerful palate. Atom bomb kind of. Bam! in your face, the peat is Huge, but sweet notes on the side of the tongue do penetrate. Definitely some coffee notes (as Serge notes) and wet cereal sweetness developing into ashtray ash. This baby is anything but one-dimensional. Well Balanced . (if you can say thaty about something so peaty by nature)

Finish : Loooooooooooooooong. Looooooooooooong. amazingly long, with some dark chocolate notes on the bitter finish combining well with ASH. have you ever licked an ashtray and then eaten dark 80% chocolate? This is the feeling i am getting here.

Overall : Wonderful dram. At first i was a bit surprised by the sweet nose, as i had expected RAW peat (like the Nova) , but the more and more i visit this one (Happily i have a bottle) i love it even more. I won’t drink it daily, but hey – when i am in the mood for some strong and yummy peat, this is my go-to dram.

BOW (90)

Tasting Notes by Jim McEwan, head distiller;

Character: A spirit for peatophiles. The most heavily peated single malt in the world but with a gentler side which evolves as time goes by.

Colour: Winter sun/Lemon grass.

Nose: Without water aromas of peat fires. iodine, burning heather and oily, sea-encrusted rope. Opening up to notes of Hawthorn, Birch, Myrtle and Juniper. Adding water, the Myrtle mint oiliness moves forward, clearing the path for notes of green apple and pine needle.

Palate: A total tempest of peaty marine spirit that leaves the palate mesmerised. Awesome does not even come close! The power of the spirit is as phenomenal as it is phenolic. It crashes onto the palate in a tidal wave of smoke, engulfing the senses with a mind-blowing whirlpool of Islay character.

Finish: 24 hours is about right!

Mood: Braveheart. Pugnacious, ready to take on the world. Face the monster and enjoy what is a totally unique experience.