Bruichladdich Octomore 4.1/167

Nose: This has to be one of the best multi layered noses that I've come across .. as u let it open up you come across a bevy of notes... it all begins with the beautiful smokey notes .. I mean I'm an Islay addict and there's no two ways about it ...However when you hear 167 ppm even the most brave hearted come in with some preconceived notions on the havoc that this peat monster would unleash .. but one has to appreciate Bruichladdich for creating such a beauty out of this beast which even at such a high ppm has the smoke just caressing your nose rather than coming out to burn it.. :) What follows below are the iodine and citrus notes ... leave it a bit longer and it changes to something that smells like wood shavings and then there are raisins and some mild spices in the mix as well .. Although the temptation to sip this one was really a lot .. I still felt there was more to this tale so kept it there for a wee bit more and there I was standing in a garden with a barbeque smoking up some juicy meat on it with a bit of the barbeque sauce being poured over it.

Palate: Once again the beast springs up another surprise.. this time your palate is greeted with the pleasant sweetness probably coming from vanilla and cereals.. and then come strong peppery spices which gradually begin to show the strength that this one possesses..there are also some over ripe bananas...with good strong notes of dark chocolate in there as well.. For the second sip I decided to put in a few drops of water that completely tamed this one ... bringing out some lovely ethereal tones to this one. I'd say sheer brilliance of the Master Blender to bring out so much complexity from a five year old.

Finish: This is where you actually realize you just sipped down a massive peaty monster ...probably covered with a lot of dark chocolate too....cus this one has a long (with an extra g) smokey finish leaving the peaty fumes smoking out long after its gone combined with those bitter tones coming from the dark chocolate making it something that you ain't going to forget in a long while!!.. Sláinte Jim McEwan!!

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