[WHISKY REVIEW] A Tale of Two Octomore's

The Bruichladich project of pushing the limits in terms of producing the most smoky whisky in the world is still going strong, and it's something they are passionate about. Octomore belong to the type of concept that no one has chosen to follow. It has so far been released in seven editions, not counting a few variations finished in used cognac, wine and sherry barrels.

Phenols, a class of carbon compounds that gives whisky its potential smokiness, is measured according to the PPM (parts per million) scale. Ordinary peaty or smoky whisky, usually from the isle of Islay, lies somewhere between 20-50 ppm. The smoky scent and flavor in whisky is achieved by exposing the drying barley grains to the smoke from burning peat bogs. You can read more about the process in this great article: Peat and its significance

Octomore is actually a farm located between the small villages of Bruichladdich and Port Charlotte on Islay. When the brains behind the distillery of Bruichladdich had the idea to produce the most smoky malt the world had ever seen, they chose to call it Octomore, partly because this is the farm that produce the barley that they use for this whisky. Octomore 1, the first release in the series, had 131 ppm of phenols, Octomore 2 landed at 140 ppm and Octomore 3 was pushed up to 152 ppm. I think the record is held by the Octomore 6.3, with a mind-blowing 258 ppm. Nearly all editions Octomore is aged 5 years in barrels. This is probably due to the fact that the phenols gradually degrades during aging, or for that matter by oxidation. There is however a 10 year old expression of the Octomore, with a more humane phenol rate of 80,5 ppm. All of the Octomores are bottled at cask strength and have ABV levels around 60%, so a dash of water in the whisky glass/snifter (please use a snifter to get the full nosing experience) will be necessary. Although I usually nose and taste cask strength whisky unwatered, at least a wee bit, before adding a few drops, to notice the difference. And PLEASE (this goes out to the American readers) NEVER drink whisky 'on the rocks'. It will kill the flavors.

Octomore 6.2

ABV: 58,2%
Age: 5 yo
Phenol level: 167 ppm

This was my very first Octomore and I was quite curious to try it. I had resisted getting one partly due to some horror stories, but also due to the hefty price tag (~160 USD for a 5 year old).

Nose: Lemon, buttery caramel, heavy smoke, fresh wall paint, burnt rubber, glue

Palate: Sweetness, oily, dry tannins, beef jerky, overwhelming smoke developing, or rather regressing into ash. It's like chewing on a cigar! White pepper and salmiac. Difficult to keep in the mouth for more than 5 seconds.

Finish: Long. Ash, ash, ash, ash, ash, ash (please make it stop) and some salmiac.

Conclusion: Interesting but far too extreme and hyped. Much more pleasant on the nose than on the palette. Perhaps not the Octomore to start with then. After drinking it I found out that it had been aged in ex-Cognac Limousin oak casks. Since I'm not a fan of cognac at all, my impression of this whisky makes more sense to me in the rear view mirror. Overall score 68/100.

Fortunately I had the chance to try another Octomore, this time the 5.1. I was skeptic, due to my previous experience, but boy am I glad I gave this project another shot.

Octomore 5.1

ABV: 59,5%
Age: 5 yo
Phenol level: 169 ppm

Nose: Again lemon and buttery caramel, vanilla, much more gentle smoke than in the 6.2, nail polish. Something here that reminds me of raw meat. Gradually more subtle aromas appear: mint, soot and saltiness. After a few more moments new-mown hay and seaweed.

Palate: Accompanied by a rising smokescreen I notice pears, chili, liquorice and iodine. There is also sweet lemon, caramel and freshly cut grass. It's quite oily, almost Caol Ila-like, and some youngness is shining through. Apples! Nothing of the ashiness that killed the 6.2 (thank god).

Finish: Burnt grass, long, dry and warming.

Conclusion: Light-years more pleasant and above all far more balanced than the 6.2. This is a beautiful Island malt that I would recommend to any peat aficionado. I would love to try a sherry finished version of it. Overall score: 90/100.

Sláinte!