Review by: Raygun

Octomore is of course known as the most heavily peated Scotch there is, the Bruichladdich label reaching 200+ppm. Another feature is using entirely Islay barley from the Octomore farm. The OBs are batched releases typically blending different cask types. There are occasional single cask IBs, with probably the most coming from Rest & Be Thankful. I’m not sure of the details, but they had some close connection with Bruichladdich. At some point Rest & Be Thankful was sold and is now part of Fox Fitzgerald. Thanks to dustbunna for the sample. Initially sampled blind, with additions after the reveal in italics. Rested about 15 minutes.

---

Distillery: Bruichladdich

Bottler: Rest & Be Thankful

Region/style: Islay single malt Scotch 

ABV: 63.9%. Cask strength.  

Age: 7 years. Distilled on March 19, 2008 and bottled on May 6, 2015. 

Cask type: French oak (new? Ex-wine?) #2008000908, 316 bottles.

Color: 1.3 russet. Natural color and chill-filtered.

---

Nose: Tobacco, prunes, cherry cordial. Oloroso mustiness. Despite the color, it’s not overwhelmingly Nose: Seems peated for sure. Some swimming pool, brine, and dried fruit. Smoldering wood kind of smoke and a bit of varnish. Has a definite intensity.

Palate: Yes, peated and I believe sherried. Some warm spice, Christmas cake, chutney, all slightly scorched and smoky. ABV seems to be around 50%, but I’m notoriously bad at estimating ABV. Not getting Laphroaig or Ardbeg vibes. Initially thinking Port Charlotte or Bowmore. Not as big as most Octomores I’ve tried, or as meaty. Sometimes Octomore doesn’t even register as smoky because of the high peat. This seems more like a conventional peated Scotch. 

Finish: Some cola turns up and dried cherries and blueberries. Maybe red wine rather than sherry? Somewhat tannic, but not all that woody. Low teens, I’m guessing. Mildly spicy. More scorched chutney. Turns a bit sweeter with time and the spice intensifies as well.

---

Guess: Scotch, peated, low or mid-teens range. Around 50% ABV, maybe a little higher. Probably a sherry cask, though a mix involving some red wine wouldn’t shock me. I’m wondering if it could be an oddball Longrow, but I suppose I’ll stick with PC.   

Post-reveal thoughts: Right distillery, wrong label. A little surprised it’s Octomore, because the ABV didn’t seem that high and it wasn’t the peaty punch in the face that I expect from Octomore. More well behaved than those usually are.    

Conclusion: I tend to find Octomore overrated, especially for the price. Yes, they’re insanely peated and they bring a very distinct experience, but it’s not one that I’m usually that wild about. Also $250 or more for what’s usually a 5-6 year old whisky bothers me. That said, I like this one. One can’t call it subtle, but not as aggressive as most Octomore is. Nice sweet and spicy combo. I’m not sure what sort of French oak cask it was, but I’m guessing a wine cask.

Score: 85

Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)