Octomore Masterclass 08.3/309 Islay Barley

My oh my, what a fine day in November this turned out to be. Last night I received an email from one of my preferred retailers announcing arrival of the Octomore 8 series along with the newest Compass Box releases (Phenomenology & No Name). Waking early with the excitement of a 4 year old on Christmas morning, I had the car gassed and ready to go. I made the mistake of taking a quick look at the Distiller app and reading Pranay’s review of CB No Name and thought, “This is it…..this is finally the day I come face to face with the king of peat!” Between Octomore 8.3 (309ppm) and Compass Box No Name, I was sure to get smacked in the face with a smoldering peat log. Returning home well stocked, I quickly unwrapped the two competitors and readied them for the showdown. The two rivals presented themselves well while facing each other in matching glencairns. No Name weighed in at 48.9% ABV and was wearing the light gold trunks, while Octomore 8.3 tipped the scale at 61.2% ABV and was sporting light copper trunks. Going nose to nose, No Name presented similar measures of smoky malted barley and elegant oak (American and French), both swirling in a luscious pool of ethanol. Octomore, on the other hand, was equal to No Name in toasted barley smokiness, but richer and fruitier based on a combination of bourbon-aged American oak and European oak previously saturated in a quartet of red wines from France. This additional boldness aided Octomore in winning a draw for this category. On the palate both packed a hot punch with Octomore landing more solidly given its increased strength. With a multitude of peppery punches being thrown by both fighters, the audience was unable to discern a clear leader. Between rounds, both contestants were doused with the cooling effects of water and continued at a more tolerable pace in subsequent rounds. Here, No Name exhibited tarry elements of re-charring along with some dry, mild fruitiness, while the larger-than-life Octomore deftly maneuvered the ring throwing a complex assortment of jabs aimed at dried fruits, nuts, and barbequed clams. To this point, judges scored the fight even going into the final round. The finish proved to be well contested, with both aspirants going the lengthy distance in amazingly satisfying fashion. The audience showed their appreciation with a standing ovation lasting a full 5 minutes and one for each star registered. Both champions left the ring undefeated, but with trepidation that a king may still lurking in the wings awaiting discovery.