Octomore 8 year old 8.2/167PPM
Review by Octomore
- Colour
Ruby red
- Nose
Peat smoke comes first but not dominant, there is red fruit, aniseed and barley sugar/boiled sweets. Smoke weaves between the other notes as they come, stewed apple, raspberry, blackcurrant, dried apricots and chocolate. Orange, mince pies and Turkish delight hint at the cask history then cherry wafers and coconut open out to floral notes of hay, geranium and Parma violets.
- Palate
Warming and sweet, deep fruit and satin-like smoke. The oak feels a little dry then lifts to become toasted bread, bubble-gum sweetness and strawberry Jam. Adding a drop or two of water opens up the Islay DNA of salt spray, ozone and citrus. As it opens you find rose petal, Turkish delight, praline and more strawberry jam, all the while the smoke is in the background holding everything together.
- Finish
Typical Octomore. Smoke comes through, a dry peat smoke, with malted barley and cherry, then goes out on its own.
- Conclusion
Exotic, rich and fruity. Layered and complex, this is all about the cask story.
- Note
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French Mourvedre – a red wine grape that has a reputation for producing intense red fruit, and strong, earthy, even gamey flavours.
Austrian sweet wines – full bodied and charming with an ability to challenge convention with innovative techniques.
French Sauternes – casks from the Graves section in Bordeaux that previously held some of the most revered and exclusive dessert wines the world has ever seen.
All of the above were second fill casks which had calmed the wood perfectly in preparation for a longer maturation with the mighty Octomore before being ACEd into fresh Amarone casks for a period of two years.