Octomore 10 Years (3rd edition)

The third edition of Octomore 10 Year Old. Whisky distilled from Scottish grown Optic barley, matured in different casks:

• 37% first-fill Port pipes
• 31% first-fill Cognac barrels
• 20% second-fill bourbon barrels
• 12% matured consecutively in first-fill American barrels (3 years), virgin oak (2 years) and second-fill American whiskey barrels (6 years)

Octomore 10 yo 2008 (56,8%, OB 2018, 3rd edition, 167 ppm, 12.000 btl.)

Nose: rich and powerful. Sweet tobacco with campfire ashes, tarry ropes and shoe polish. Behind this there are vanilla biscuits, chamois leather and sweetened black tea. Plenty of oats. Stewed apples and hints of red candy, possibly from the Port.

Mouth: really sweet again. Blueberry jam, creamy custard and burnt apricots. Quite hot and explosive, with some fiery spices and toasted oak. Deep sooty notes, as well as light medicinal hints. Tobacco and leather again.

Finish: long, on toasted wood, ashes and peppered chocolate.

Some Octomore releases seem much less smoky than their ppm suggests. In this case I actually feel the avalanche of smoke. Add to this the generous sweetness and you’re in for a rich, warming dram. Available from The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt among others.

Score: 88/100