Octomore 07.2/208 Cask Evolution

This is for Octomore 07.1 Scottish Barley 5 year old 208 Reported ppm Seventh US Release. Nice and enjoyable, disappointed knowing how much it is.

This came courtesy of @Generously_Paul. I was hesitant on trying it because I really disliked the 7.3, but this is a completely different beast, all to its own. Brown sugar was the first note on the nose I got, along with maple syrup, and more spicy than sweet though. Cinnamon, nutmeg, candied bacon, and kielbasa come to mind also. Palate is also fantastic, with mouthwatering peat, deep ruby fruits, barbecue, and steak. Sounds like a damn good dinner to me! It has a really long finish married will with savory and sweet notes as well. Water adds some maritime characteristics as well. Extremely well done Bruichladdich! Only more age (this is about a 5 year) would maybe help this one, but it doesn't need it. 4.75! This one is lovely, complex, and deserves your time. The theme of this dram needs to scream summer... "She Bangs the Drums" by The Stone Roses will do.

Age: 5 years old Alcohol: 58.5% Maturation: Ex-Bourbon cask with finishing in ex-French Syrah casks from Rhone Valley Paid: $182 (Travel retail exclusive) This is the only x.2 Octomore I have tried and, as is the rule with travel retail exclusives, it is disappointing. The consolation prize is that it’s still an enjoyable whisky, but not for $182. Red wine and volcanic ash is a strange combination. The explorations of peat and red wine by Springbank, with their Longrow Red series are more to my liking because they show me that wine is missing more alcohol and some peat. Octomore 7.2 looks at things from the other way around: Is a peat monster missing some wine? No. This is not an improvement over the x.1s. The cheapest and easiest to find Octomore in my area is the 6.1, and it is much better without the wine influence. Some water is mandatory with this 7.2, otherwise you get this awkward ash polluted with Syrah. Even with water, it just brings out the buttery and savory goodness that the basic 6.1 and 7.1 already has in abundance. The arrival is surprisingly delicate for the high ABV, but this one also finishes bitterer compared to the x.1s. MARK: 88/100. Not recommended. If you want to spend money on an Octomore, try x.1 and x.3s.