Octomore 12.2

Peat for days

The perfect scotch.

Lovely integration of peat and alcohol here. They’re both intense, but without detracting from the whole package. On the nose, the peat is ashy, but there’s also band-aid and brine. For me, there’s only a hint of fruit or nut or the like: on the palate there’s faint watermelon and a salty almond note. Straightforward but thoroughly enjoyable.

Nose - Light charcoal/black pepper smoke, light salt, golden raisins, salt cured plums (w/ water) Bit more vibrant, less plum, more salty parmesan rind, cracked black peppercorns Taste - Salty sweet smoke, saline, salt pickled plums, gentle black pepper heat, light sweet lactic "funk" (w/ water) Ashy smoked meat sweet, salted sweet smoked meats, pears, almost teriyaki like sweetness Finish - Lingering gentle heat, light lactic funk, sweet pickled plums, saline (w/ water) Dry ashy smoke, sweet savory/meaty salmon jerky vibe Score - 86/100 Final Thoughts - This was quite the strange beast as it felt like two different pours once I added a bit of water to the pour. The nose was quite hidden on this one and only really opened up after I added some water. What's really strange is that I got this sweet salty preserved Asian hard plum vibe from this without water and once I added a bit of water, it completely disappeared. The plum was replaced by this sweet teriyaki meat/salmon jerky vibe. I guess it's good that you get two vastly different experiences from this one, but it just wasn't really up my alley. Compared to the 10.2 I felt like this one felt much more savory sweet smoked meats and I couldn't really distinguish that this might have been a sauternes finish. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - Probably not NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.