Octomore Masterclass 08.3/309 Islay Barley

Smoke, peat, smoky peat, smoked ham

Hmmm... okay. Peat. I get it.

Holy shit. This is the most intense peaty Scotch I've ever had. Hands down. It's a unique dram that deserves a spot on your list. Try it at least once. 👍🥃

The nose is faintly briny, not full on seaside sea spray as with most heavily peated malts. Slightly oily, petroleum essence. The scents are well integrated, not unpleasant. Neat, the initial tasting is immediately hot not surprisingly considering the ABV. Flavours of salted caramel and bitter orange come through. Reduced with a few drops of water the heat is tamed yet the palate doesn’t pick up any appreciable difference. Though the flavour does linger

I am not a pest guy but this was peaty delicious! Loved it. Peat and all.

We might just have some controversial statements in this review. Let me start saying: 1.- This is my second Octomore. 2.- I consider myself a hardcore peat head. 3.- In general, i am not the fondest fan of Bruichladdich. 4.- I have had a lot of Cask Strength whiskies before. Having said that, i got to say that i dont find this dram to be too enjoyable. And the reason for that is that even with a couple drops of water, which i added after having a few sips, it is not a dram that you cherish, that you keep for a long time, it is not a whisky that you want to drink everyday. And sometimes you find whiskies that are like that, but are far more enjoyable. Octomore is known for being the peatiest whisky on the world, and this one is bottled at 61.2%abv. Burnished gold color. On the nose: Peat is very fresh and perfumed. Mint; melted Chocolate fudge. Smoke from some scented candle. Naphthalene, smells a little like a public Bath. Nice buttery chocolate note. There is some citrus, more like lemon peel and grapefruit. Some very powerful freshness like the strongest breath candy you can imagine. Hay, very grassy, barley. Not off putting, a little hard to nose; not bad at all. On the palate, starts sweet to then deliver the most atomic spice bomb ever existed. Chocolate and vanilla right from the start; Then a ULTRA POWERFUL SPICE BOMB: PEPPER AND CHILLI AND WASABI, THIS IS DESTROYING MY PALATE, i even wrote this in caps lock. Second sip is easier. Nice chocolate, still a lot of spices, way too powerful. Aftertaste is not complex. It is not even THAT long. Starts with a puff of smoke, and then not much else. Medium long finish, but the palate has died, lol. A little grassy. Crazy dips. Scorched tongue, not a bad feeling though. Overall, this feels like way too young, way too simple and way too powerful to be truly enjoyable. You expect lots of different notes when you go cask strength since flavor lives in alcohol, but this is not the case. It doesn't feel "peaty", it is more like scorching, and i truly believe that some people (not all of them) praise this one just because the label of "the peatiest whisky ever". I love peat, i want to live in a peat bog, but this... this is not for me. 80 over 100.