Octomore Edition 03.1 / 3_152

In September 2015 it was great, at 88, it’s a pity that the database deleted my 4 x 25 note when updating.

Great whisky. Smoked malt at its best. Just leaves room for a very complex bouquet of many other lovely taste nuances.

Tasting Notes by Jim McEwan, head distiller; Character: What a sensation! Please try it first without water to experience the full power of this amazing spirit. Colour: Winter sunshine. Nose: The senses are totally ambushed. A vortex of peat smoke and fire, iodine, wet seaweed, tarry pitch and soaking sailcloth. The more subtle notes of hawthorn and heather, bog myrtle and mint, pine resin and mountain thyme emerge slowly bringing a coolness to the palate. Palate: A stunning combination of aromatics and flavours. The senses pick up the mellow oakiness from the sweet bourbon casks coming through like chicory and bitter chocolate which brings balance and subtle smoothness. Also, deep down the Bruichladdich DNA of soft green fruits. Finish: The palate and olfactory system have been completely seduced, having survived the war of the elements, and the flavours remain long after the storm has passed. Mood: Defiance. Definitely not for the faint-hearted. Like getting hit by a 20ft wave that has crashed over the peat bogs of Islay!

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2021/06/03/yet-even-more-bottle-polishing-spring-summer-2021/ What’s the difference between Octomore’s 3.1 and the 6.1? Around £100-150 on the secondary market! So having sold a 6.1 to a whisky club friend, imagine my surprise when we [he] realised – after opening it – that I’d wrongly given him a 3.1 instead. In hindsight, it was a win-win. He got his 6.1 and a try of the 3.1, whilst I – in the spirit of letting go – actually got round to drinking a bottle from my own collection. Thank you Lewis, and also for the CS Springbank [WB89]. Whiskyauctioneer tells us: ‘This rather oddly is actually the fourth Octomore release from Bruichladdich, following the Octomore Orpheus 3.2. A further increase in peating level to what seemed at the time a remarkable 152ppm. There were 18,000 bottled‘. N: Is that not the smell of testosterone & oestrogen, encapsulated within this very salty sweaty ‘green’ [concoction of organic & manufactured vegetal]~oily=briny herbal [shammy] leather profile? T: Vegetal-oily intensity carbolic-phenolic dry sour~bitter? < salty, meaty…. arrival & travel before braking abruptly [though temporary] thereafter. There’s plenty here, but is hard to decipher when things flutter in and fade out so rapidly. F: With a puckering blackberry-pollen soft-zingy ashiness, just a touch of succulent vanilla quince/pear jelly, and tobacco bitterness on the turn, one could eke out a Bayeux-style finishing note tapestry. All roads, however, lead to dry phenolic vegetal oily cauterised/ashy cigarette-abused > raisins/pears. C: Very decent whisky if somewhat disappointing given the price/prestige and, admittedly, expectation. Given the outturn sizes, many of the Octomore range will be around for many years to come, so we can afford to be [more] patient.

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2020/12/29/letting-go-12-reek-of-peat/ If there is to be one more – there’s always more – it has to be an Octomore that hadn’t caught my fire when first opened. Let’s prop it up against tonight’s ‘Reek of Peat’ flight and see how it stands up. I was drinking Octomore when I learned, first-hand, what a liquid dinner was. Finding myself in Islay in October 2013, the choice was food or whisky. I was on a tight budget back then. I went to bed one night on an empty stomach – food-wise – yet full of Octomore and other drams. N: Similar to the vegetal saltiness of the ‘Reek of Peat’ flight, overall, yet the blended /consolidated nature of this presentation sets it apart – one of the main appeals of Octomore. Whatever happens hereafter, we’ve a lovely Islay-encapsulated nose. T: Despite the majority of the previous drams falling within the 50% bracket, you just know you’ve stepped up another abv gear after sipping this beast. Sweet dry/smoky > rum? [wow] vanilla,… slowly turning to briney-barley juice,… F: ,… into to an ever-vegetal bitter succulent ashy conclusion. C: Aside from that passing rum vibe, there’s little ‘magic’, but that’s because I’m always hankering after the 6.2 that I paid stupid money for in 2013/14, back when Octomore was like Bimber is now. Provisionally scores 86+ points, easily [full bottle report to follow].

An incredible scotch! Liquid candied smoke, soot, lemon-drops, papaya, mango, pear, vanilla, creme-brûlée with almost no burn or heat at 59%abv. A high impactful full-bodied scotch that leaves you speechless for a 5yo. If you can find it at a decent price, get it. Right out of the bottle fabulous! Hasn't changed much in two weeks since opened. I'll update if oxidization changes much. Much better than the 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1. Top four in the Octomores I've had so far. Awesome!

Smoke, salt and sea, hearty strong, it`s not for every day. Matches are in the air, the second sip is sweet funny, the smoke dissipates.

WOW!

I really wanted to hate this. But it is actually a good whisky. Not too complex, but that's to be expected from a 5yo whisky.

Horny. On the nose rather fruity and fine, but then the peat explodes in the mouth, but with extremely tasty flavors. Water makes the smoke stronger!

A wall of herbaceous peat, granite, tall grass, reeds, with a hint of vanilla and a rocky smoke. After a few minutes, bubbles of icing sugar, fresh lychees, mashed banana, white peaches. Rose water, Turkish delight, it's oddly delicate. On the palate, solid, thick peat, but also mirabelle plums, airy and iodized notes, citrus, grapefruit, pineapple, lime. Angelica. Long and explosive finish, typical of Octomore, it destroys everything in its path, at the same time it's quite supple, charcoal, damp earth, dark chocolate, candied chestnuts. It's slightly velvety. As an Octomore fan, I can confirm that the older ones are the better ones. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2025/05/octomore-edition-031-5-yo.html

Tary and malty aroma, anise, pepper, heather honey, spruce wood smoke, custard, pear, almonds, raisins, vanilla, roastted chestnuts, hay and toast. Marzipan sweet and tary taste, horseradish, liqourice, orange peel, ginger, dark chocolate, vanilla, walnuts, lime juice and lapsang souchong. Long, smoky, fruity, spicy and malty end.

Always interesting to taste an octomore, but read the data more extraordinary than they taste. The peat and smoke is not soo dominant and exaggerated strong as expected, instead one notices the young age and thus also something metallic. In addition, the high alcohol content stands out. Adding water to the whisky wins sweetness, but he loses quite quickly from the rest of the aroma. All in all, a (sub) average whisky that does not justify the asking price.