Review #161 - Bruichladdich Octomore 10 Year 4th Edition
Most of the Octomore bottlings from Bruichladdich come with a five year age statement these days, but there are the occasional super heavily peated whiskies that go beyond that. In fact, there is a series of 10 year Octomore bottlings, and today, we're looking at the 4th edition of this series, which came in 2020.
As per usual, Bruichladdich gives us lots of information about the whisky. The barley used was peated to 208 ppm in the malting process; this has a vintage of 2009; there were 12,000 bottles of this release produced, meaning it's somewhat limited, but not the most rare whisky. Along with that transparency, we get the usual lack of coloring and chill filtration that comes with every Bruichladdich whisky, and a solid cask strength of 54.3% ABV.
Bruichladdich Octomore 10 Year 4th Edition
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 260 (2023)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 54.3% ABV
Details: 208 ppm peat level; 2009 vintage, 12,000 bottles, 4th release, bottled in 2020; not chill filtered, no color added
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 1 month. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: The peat is decently strong, but far from overwhelming - instead, sweeter notes of lime, vanilla, and custard are plentiful. These are balanced by sharpness from both spirit notes and some tart lemon; with time, that lemon scent sweetens, becoming almost a moldy lemon. That combines with the mineral, earthy, and lactic flavors from the spirit to create a funky experience; there is also plenty of damp hay, brine, and some petrichor.
Palate: Medium-thick mouthfeel, quite velvety, with more dry notes compared to the nose: dry oak, peppercorns, white pepper, and charred wood like a day-old campfire. There are still sweet notes of butterscotch, custard, lemon candies, and charred oranges; with time, tropical honeydew fruit and freshly baked bread crust arrive.
Finish: Long, with dry wood and grassy hay to start. Like the palate, vanilla custard adds sweetness, along with citrusy lime sherbet; it's spirity, and the aftertaste of peat smoke is the star, lasting several minutes.
Final Note: Great whisky - it isn't the most complex, but there's this underlying character in the spirit that's just very solid and weighty. The mouthfeel is great, adding to those velvety custard notes, and while the peat is strong, it gives plenty of room for some classic ex-bourbon flavors of light fruit and baking spice to come to the front. Definitely worth a try if you get the chance, but these bottles will be pretty hard to come by at this point.
Our Average Rating: 8.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.17
