.octomore - 07.3_169 - islay barley 2010

The second release of Bruichladdich's Octomore of Octomore. Distilled from barley grown on the lands of the Octomore farm on the east coast of Islay, where also the water comes from to dilute the whisky during bottling. If they would have done that, because this - is HOT...

63% abv, €160
single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: sweet, vanilla, young (at first), grain, corn, smoke, ash, seawater, fresh oysters, fruit, red berries, ripe cherries, anise, liquorice, a hint of eucalyptus

Palate: firm, hot, sweet, red fruit, berries, strawberries, sweet ripe cherries, stone fruit, apricots, smoke, ash, spicy, ginger

Finish: sweet, long, ash, smoke, hot embers, fruit, apricots, ripe mangos, overripe bananas
Mark: +++++

Conclusion: Holy crap, 63%... this needs water... Aah, better, more fruity nose after a splash of water, also more seafruit, which is nice and a little curious too. Sweet on the palate though, less seafruit, more treefruit and spices. I am loving this, whisky with balls and character...

More info: barley from the Lorgba fields at the Octomore farm, in 2009, peated to 169ppm, distilled in 2010, matured for 5 years in American Oak ex-Bourbon Barrels and Spanish ex-Wine casks of Ribera del Duero, bottled into an unknown, but limited number of bottles in 2015.

.many thanks to Bruichladdich for sending us a generous sample