It has taken a while but now the Elements of Islay series finally includes an Octomore Oc1, the highly peated spirit distilled at Bruichladdich. In fact this is one of the first independent Octomore releases ever.
Octomore Oc1 (65,4%, Elements of Islay 2015, 50 cl)
Octomore Oc1 (65,4%, Elements of Islay 2015, 50 cl)Nose: quite compact and dense, with initial aromas of eucalyptus and medicinal notes of antiseptics and iodine. Brine. Then some sour apples, becoming sweeter with hints of peach and marzipan. Lots of mineral notes, some sourdough as well.
Mouth: really heavy peat. I’ve had Octomores that were surprisingly soft but this one is rather gobsmacking. Very ashy, barbecued and sharp, again with a slight yeasty side and lots of herbal notes, like gentian, ginger and burnt thyme. Salty notes too, bread crust and chili heat. Hints of lemon.
Finish: long, thick, warm and smoky, with a sweet herbal edge.
This is a version of Octomore in which the peat is big and powerful, but it gets away with it by adding lots of sweetness and some herbal notes too. Very good but pretty expensive compared to the official bottlings (around € 250 for 50 cl). Available from TWE.
Score: 88/100