Octomore Edition 09.1

ALL HAIL LORD OCTOMORE!

Burp.

King Kong ain't got nothin' on me ... Right? 

--Lord Octomore

Editions 07.1 and 08.1 smelled great, but trended towards mono-dimensional violence in the palate. This was a surprise because I've enjoyed previous editions, and a disappointment because I've been considering treating myself to a bottle. I say this partially because 03.1, 05.1 and the first 10yo were very very good, and partially because Lord Octomore is looking over my shoulder... I am now being told that I will buy a bottle no matter what... Okay that's very reasonable, considering how cheap this is for 5 year old whisky. No, Your Eight-Flippered Glory, that was not sarcasm.

I should start the review now.

Distillery: Bruichladdich
Brand: Octomore

Ownership: Remy Cointreau

Region: Peatsburg

Maturation: American oak casks

Age: minimum 5 years (bottled 2018)

Alcohol by Volume: 59.1%
PPM: 156

NEAT

Forest fire 😪, peanuts, soil and chalk dust in the nose. Lots of ethyl. Mint and cocoa in the middle of a peat bog. The palate is *whew* big and hawt. Very green. Dried grasses, tomatillo sauce. Er, peat. Bitter chocolate and burnt things. Heat and smoke in the finish. A little bit earthy and sweet.

DILUTED TO ~50%abv, or >1tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Not much going on in the nose. Peat, cinnamon, mint and horseradish. In the palate, there's a pinch of sugar and a bag of peppercorns. Dried herbs and dirt. Some tar, lots of tang. Smoke, earth and bitterness in the finish.

WORDS WOR.....

ALAS! Lord Octomore has been sacked, deposed, (allegedly) haggissed by those nice people who wave from their steering wheels when you cross paths on A846. Peatsburg is Islay again.

It's a good thing too, since 09.1 was not great.

Edition 09.1 has completed the descent in quality of each of these Octomores this week, and leads me to think the whole wine cask thing they're doing with other batches is a good idea. This edition has dropped below even *gasp!* Supernova levels. It's just hot, smoky and kinda limp. The nose is bereft of layers and fruit. The palate can't push beyond heat and peat. It has cured me of any interest in trying future editions.

Availability - Europe and USA
Pricing - Europe: $110-$160 (ex-VAT), USA $170-$180
Rating - 78