Bruichladdich Octomore 6.3 Islay Barley

Here is a condensed version of my next blog post, an overdue review of a sample graciously provided by @Robert99.

Yet another Octomore review, this is the first .3 iteration of the series,100% Islay barley grown on the farm that gave this whisky it's namesake,peated to the eye watering level of 258ppm.

I believe the work that the Laddie team has been doing is interesting, one could view it as just being their marketing "shtick" but somehow I resonate with this idea of making a spirit that reflects the surroundings. Their trials using less conventional barley strains and growing grains in proximity to the distillery is in some ways a return to tradition, perhaps also the way to truly differentiate their products from the mass.

Nose: Farmy and greasy at first, then a bit of melon, lime oil (like the aftershave), dried cereal, hot cornbread. Then comes the Laddie split-milk notes, lamp oil, cold campfire. With time a growing minty/herbal side, licorice, a bit of cinnamon and vanilla. The smoke is always present wrapping everything together.

Palate: Sharp, sooty, sweet, almost fizzy, diesel fumes and cantaloupe. A handful of black earth and lemon lozenge. It turns mineral and bitter in the center before returning to a fun mix of sweet, creamy and herbal, vanilla, corn pudding and gentian.

Finish: acrid smoke, earth and grains and a bit of sweetness, the lactic note is present but not overpowering. I found it much less sweet than other versions, the body is huge, just really oily and viscous.

It is fairly close to the standard versions of Octomore but somehow more earth and grain shine through, the herbalmineral integrated with the sweetness, very well balanced

Thus far the Islay barley variants have stolen the show for me.

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