Octomore 10.4/88 Virgin Oak

Nose: Smoky campfire, salty ham, some hot fresh ginger. Palate: Intensely spicy heat, freshly cracked black pepper, clove, cigars. Finish: Once the heat subsides I'm left with slightly charred sausages over a campfire. It tastes like it smells. Notes: Not for the faint of heart. The cask strength really punches hard on the palate. The spiciniess must feature on the scoville scale somewhere.

Outright power and clarity here. Nose shows rubber hose and petrol, giving way to straight barley on the palate. The influences are almost exclusively grain and peat — unsurprising from a three-year whisky brought up in crisp, clean wood. It lacks the complexity that comes with age and exotic barrels, but it’s lovely in its unapologetic unadulterated simplicity.

Rating: 17/23 N: Ash, smoke, intense peat, a little brine, faint meat. Honestly, this isn't the most complex, interesting, or enjoyable nose. There's nothing actually wrong with it though. P: Tons of peat. Ash, smoke, brine. Some sweetness from a little malt with apple and tangerine. I could say all sorts of things about the herbal, smoky, and slightly earthy characters. There's a little bit of roast pork. Black pepper. It's hot, but the proof is high. There's a little vanilla that borders on sandalwood. A bit of barbecue. F: Lingering peaty smoke with a little malty sweetness, light apple, a touch of vanilla, some black pepper, and roast pork. - Conclusion - This is quite good. Is it blowing my mind? No. It's tasty, but it tastes young. Yeah, it has tons of peat, but it lacks mature complexity and just a peaty punch in the face is pretty gimmicky. Amrut Peated (17/23) has a somewhat more mature character to it, but it doesn't have as much rugged interest to it. These two seem pretty competitive. Laphroaig 10 (18/23) has more mature complexity to it. Sure, its low ABV makes it taste a bit weak, but its flavor is definitely better. This has too much youth and campfire to it. And the amount of peat is a bit gimmicky. There is a fair amount going on here though and it's a tasty dram. There's some nice complexity at the start of The Shin 10 (16/23), but it gets kind of young and sweet as it goes on. It's still a good dram, but I'd probably put this ahead of it. There's some rich savoriness here that The Shin is sorely lacking. Nikka From The Barrel (17/23) has some nice balanced malt and smoke with a more traditional profile. The alcohol shows through a bit and the flavors get a bit muddled, but it's a more cohesive experience. Choosing between the two, I give this the win. I'd been thinking a 17 for this, but now I'm considering an 18 again. Still, I think the Laphroaig 10 is better though. And Amrut Peated is very close to it. I'm going with a high 17. Coming back to this for the last couple of sips, I like how it has so much going on, but there's definitely a barbecue vibe happening here that isn't really my ideal profile. Still, the salt and brine mix with the roast meat, ash, vanilla, and other flavors to create a pretty balanced dram. I think I'd take it over Octomore 11.3, which is more mellow and fruity, but this does remind me of Laphroaig Quarter Cask and Ardbeg An Oa a bit, though it mercifully has less of a sweet barbecue profile. Would I still take Laphroaig 10 over this? Probably. This is fun, but it's still kind of gimmicky. I'll stick with a high 17 for this.

Surprisingly forward sweet taste. Still has the smoke but this version has it take a back seat.