🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

91.5

EYE / NOSE A rich amber color with dense, oily streaks. Our sample reveals its ageing in a Monbazillac sweet wine barrel. The nose is exceptionally harmonious: Despite 156 ppm phenol in the malt and full cask strength, the whisky doesn't start aggressively, but rather indulges with ripe, malty peat smoke. This is joined by honey, caramelized fruit, ripe apricots, vanilla cream, cinnamon, and a hint of ginger candy. Subtle, salty impressions round out the picture. A wonderful opening! The aromas are tightly interwoven, harmonious, and I like it immensely. My anticipation is growing. PALATE A soft start, very oily. It's always fascinating how Bruichladdich achieves this with the Octomores. Sweetness and smoke in perfect harmony; it seems as if the Monbazillac sweet wine cask is ideally embedding the smoke, which has been rounded off over the longer maturation period. I note toffee, peach, fig, accompanied by fruity, fresh wine notes. The smoke is slightly earthy and bacony, as one would expect. Then it becomes spicy. The oak suddenly makes its presence felt. An unexpectedly distinctive wood note pushes itself to the fore, overshadowing the delicate interplay of peat smoke and fruity, malty sweetness. The slightly bitter elements remain noticeable and accompany the further development, surprisingly persistent for a whisky with only eleven years of cask ageing left. FINISH / CONCLUSION A long, warming finish with sweet malt, smoke, and plenty of spice. The wood remains noticeable here, too: dark cocoa, tobacco notes, overall rather dry. With that increasing bitterness that was already noticeable on the palate, the finish is somewhat 'unwieldy'. In summary: Rich smoke meets dessert wine cask, but the oak character overwhelms the experience a bit too much. A characterful, but slightly uneven Octomore that doesn't quite live up to its tremendous potential on the nose. More notes and reviews on Facebook/Instagram: #Maltkanzlei

wow ... very nice / usually i am not a fan of Octomore 10+ years but this one is strong with peat / very sweet fruit and super dry ash. The seduction starts on the nose and it keeps its promise and delivers impresively good in taste. It makes my day and not only that it´s the best Octomore for me with 2.2 / OBA and 6.2 . Thanks Adam great choice for germany. The combination of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle brings notes of honeyed fruits, apricots, and a hint of citrus that blend harmoniously with the smoky, malty nuances of the whisky. This multifaceted aromatics creates an unforgettable drinking experience that is both fresh and vibrant, yet rich and satisfying. Bottle 044 of 294 OPEN

An incredibly good Octomore, which, despite its age, is extremely powerful. This sweet wine offers dried fruit notes with a salty edge, and the Octomore smoke comes through in the form of a freshly extinguished campfire. A great barrel!

It has an oily viscosity and a highly intense bouquet. I detect aromas of intense, maritime peat smoke, vanilla, crème brûlée, honey sweetness, shortbread, hay, peach, peppery spice, and orange. Moderately complex. A good balance between sweetness and dryness on the palate. The alcohol is quite noticeable, and it has a heavy body.

Wow, it's not easy

Strong ash yet somehow balanced, little dry - needs time to open, great pick

The nose is the best thing about this SC Octomore. On the palate and on the finish, it's a little special—I'll just say it now—Monbazillac is probably not my barrel or style. Completely overpriced for me.

One retailer writes: "The whisky was allowed to mature in a select Monbazillac barrique wine cask from the Bergerac region in southwest France, and the influence of the noble French sweet wine from a combination of Sémillon (providing body and sweetness), complemented by Sauvignon Blanc (for freshness) and Muscadelle (for floral aromas), results in a fine, multi-layered and complex Octomore (...), which is exceptionally harmonious on the nose with aromas of honey, ripe apricots, vanilla, cinnamon, caramelized fruits with a salty note; the taste is oily, spicy with fruity sweetness and pleasant peat, toffee, peach, dried figs, wine notes, intense Islay peat smoke and a fine oak note; the finish is long, dry and warming with sweet malt, smoke and spice."