Bruichladdich Octomore Masterclass 08.3

One of the most recent releases of Octomore is this Masterclass 08.3, which was launched in 2017. Lovely color, if you ask me. It is only 5 years old and matured – according to the info that came with the bottle – on first fill bourbon casks for 56% and the other 44% were wine casks from Paulliac, Ventoux, Rhone and Burgundy. It was made of 100% Islay barley. The ppm of the malt is an unprecedented 309ppm, the ABV a whopping 61.2%. I think I’ll keep some water handy.

Wonderful nose, which is not scorching at all, on goat stable, beef jerky, caramel and a truckload of juicy honey. Loads of tropical fruit too. Dill, thyme, mint. Mango, dried apricots, sultanas. All of this wrapped in a blanket of soothing smoke. What a pleasant surprise!

It is wonderfully creamy and sweet, but also very smoky. You can actually taste barley sugar, tropical fruit and green herbs, while the smoke intensifies. Chewing tobacco, dark chocolate, orange marmalade, honey and eucalyptus. Delicious.

In the very long finish, I get some ashes and toasted oak, liquorice and smoke, while the sweet fruit dominates until the death.

Surprisingly fruity Octomore and one of the best I have tried so far. It will set you back almost 200 EUR though, which is quite expensive.

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