Tastes

One of my hardest bottles to rate. When I put this in blinds with my other top barrel proof bourbons ... sometimes it finishes a ways down the list, but often it will win and beat some absolute hitters. Nose: Vanilla, spicy, dark Juicy Fruit with some black cherry. Like Juicy Fruit gum with some light spice and cinnamon. Sometimes I can find the artificial banana in the background and sometimes I get a BBQ note. Flavor: Starts very sweet, but with a hot, charred, tannic oak note and sometimes some cherry. Then gets spicy and peppery. Finally, a burst of cherry and some artificial banana shows up and then spicy again at the back-end. Body: Thick, coating, and very buttery rich. Finish: Dark caramel, butter, spice, black cherry, artificial banana, dark and dried fruits, tannic and drying oak, leather, dark chocolate. Artificial banana really shows on the finish.

Had seen some great reviews of Dettling out of Alabama, so grabbed a bottle while vacationing in Orange Beach, AL. The bottle I have is a 61-month Cask Strength Single Barrel. It is fantastic. The Alabama heat produces a bottle that is unbelievably dark and rich for a 5-year bourbon. Nose: Dark, chocolatey caramel with oak, vanilla Juicy Fruit, orange cream, coconut, linseed and orange peel. It's like Juicy Fruit gum with vanilla, spice and chocolate. Flavor: White sugar sweetness on the front with strong vanilla Juicy Fruit. Some nice spice, white pepper, and oak mid-palate. On the back-end the caramel sweetness and spice combine along with vanilla and orange peel. Body: Thick and creamy mouth feel, but nothing great when compared to some of my best barrel-strength bourbons. Does the lack of age contribute to lack of oiliness / thickness (relative to the best bottles)? Finish: Caramel sweetness, vanilla Juicy Fruit, creamy dark chocolate, white pepper and spice linger along with orange peel and vanilla that gives an orange creamsicle vibe as the other notes fade.

Found this in a local store for $100 and grabbed one. After I tried it, I bought 2 more at the same price. Fantastic bottle at $100 (early-2023 pricing). Nose: Dark, rich, malty brown sugar and spice. Smoked meats and light fireplace ash. Peat. Sherry notes, but not overtly strong. Seems older, richer, and more complex than other high-ABV Islays. Peat and smoke are less overt, allowing other subtle aromas. Flavor: Dark, rich, almost-burnt caramel and brown sugar sweetness, spice, oak, peat, smoke, smoked meats. Really don't get an overt sherry note, but sure it's contributing. Body: Thick, rich, and coating. Finish: Brown sugar, spice, lots of oak, caramel, peat, a little smoke, sherry notes, lingering ash, faintly medicinal in the background.

This is my only Octomore. I'm glad I bought it so that I have one on the shelf and I think it's very, very good. However, not sure it's worth the $263 I paid when I compare it to other bottles I've picked up around $100 like Laphroaig 10 CS, Laphroaig Cairdeas PX Sherry CS, Ardbeg Uigeadail, Ardbeg Corryvreckan, Highland Park CS, etc. Nose: Dark, dried, sherried fruits (like plums, raisins, and dates) with hot peat and barbecue smoke / smoked meat. Those 2 main notes (sherry and barbecue) are incredible. Flavor: At first it's a spicy and smokey honey sweetness. Then spice, oak, sherry, hot peat with black pepper, barbecue smoke, smoked meat. The peat and smoke here are all barbecue smoke and smoked meats. I don't get much medicinal, ash, campfire, cigarette, etc. Really nice notes for high peat / smoke. Body: Decent thickness, but certainly not oily or syrupy. My guess is that the young age of Octomore hurts it here. Just not enough time in the cask to get really great body. Finish: The sherry and barbecue notes dominate and linger forever.

The tasting notes below are for a local store pick of 1792 Full Proof. I always think I shouldn't like this so much, but it rates incredibly high every time I put it in a blind with other heavy-hitter, high-proof bourbons. Nose: Dark, rich, cloves, linseed oil, oak, worn leather. Not a lot of sweet, but some dark brown caramel or dark brown sugar after it opens-up. Black cherry. Maybe some dark dried orange or dried red apple peels in the background. Something that comes across as butterscotch or anise. Sometimes get a BBQ note. Flavor: Starts with a brief spicy brown sugar sweetness and some char / campfire, then a spicy tingle and drying oak, ending with black pepper, spice and oak. Body: Caramelly and rich, keeps tongue coated throughout the finish. Finish: Powerful, long, and rich. Caramel, black cherry, Juicy Fruit with vanilla and pear, oak with a little spice and linseed oil, some char. A really long, great finish

Nose: Dark, rich, cloves, linseed oil, oak, worn leather. Not a lot of sweet, but some dark brown caramel or dark brown sugar after it opens-up. Black cherry. Maybe some dark dried orange or dried red apple peels in the background. Something that comes across as butterscotch or anise. Sometimes get a BBQ note. Flavor: Starts with a brief spicy brown sugar sweetness and some char / campfire, then a spicy tingle and drying oak, ending with black pepper, spice and oak. Body: Caramelly and rich, keeps tongue coated throughout the finish. Finish: Powerful, long, and rich. Caramel, black cherry, Juicy Fruit with vanilla and pear, oak with a little spice and linseed oil, some char. A really long, great finish

Nose: Dark / burnt sugar, burnt butterscotch, sherry notes, dried and dark orange peel, and maybe some peat that seems toasted and sherried. Burnt butterscotch note is strong and incredible. Flavor: Smokey. Sweet honey / caramel toffee and burnt butterscotch. Incredibly spicy and peppery (but without burning / drying too much). Decent amount of peat and plenty of sherry notes. Good oak. Body: So thick! Caramel / butterscotch / toffee that completely coats. Finish: Smoke, spice, pepper, oak, with a touch of peat, plenty of sherry notes, and a lingering caramel sweetness.

Nose: Briney, medicinal antiseptic (but not band-aids), caramel and little butterscotch, sour sweet fruits, smoke, peat, maybe a hint of lemon and a touch of cut green hay. Flavor: Starts with brine, sweet caramel, honey, and fruit. Overtaken quickly by a fruity, briney, smokey, peaty, and spicy note with sharp black pepper. On the back end is a more-ashy smoke, with peat, spice, black pepper. Body: Thick, oily, viscous, absolutely coating. Finish: Long and strong, like a sweet cigarette or sweet campfire smoke. Then strong spice, black pepper, ash, antiseptic. A sweet, fruity note returning at the end.