Batch 174

Robust. The colour of chestnut, and smells of it as well, roasting and honey. This sweetness is allied to sloe-like bitter edges, some dried cherry and walnut while still retaining freshness. As it develops, you get fresh wild mushroom, chocolate and (not for the only time this week) dried orange zest before things move to marzipan and dried fruit. It finally settles down with an off-dry Sherried nuttiness and some mature cheese. Complex, in other words. Water adds more nuts with no loss of impact.

Peppery to start as the heat, which wasn’t apparent on the nose, now makes itself felt, giving things an almost sparkling quality with an added touch of cordite. The tip is burnt sugar, then comes dried lime. It’s got a little more grip than you might expect from the nose, while a fresh ginger note offsets the dried fruits. The alcohol does, however, kick in strongly. When water is added, you get some toasted marshmallow elements, some more classic Bruichladdich floral notes and apple skin.

Liquorice.

The nose is gorgeous and, while the palate doesn’t quite live up to its promise, this is a seriously impressive dram.

Driving up through autumn woods to Observatory Crest.

Big, with turfy smoke, drying grass and pear/lychee-like fruit backed with meadowsweet. The smoke is controlled very well – there’s even a slight minty quality – albeit with some tension and heat. In time, a big hit of Parma Violet. Water brings out more of the garden bonfire smokiness, while its youthful energy is more apparent.

Much deeper than the nose and filled with that Octomore mix of the dense earthiness of peat and sweet, creamy (almost oily) fruitiness. At the back lurk anise, black cardamom, red liquorice and mint. The smoke sits slightly apart. Water firms things up with some roasted, rooty elements and, again, more depth than the nose.

Starts to soften; surprisingly dense.

Still pulling itself together, so things haven’t quite fully ignited in the punchy style that’s popular these days.

Still getting to grips with that Low Yo Yo Stuff.

Fruity! Raspberry and mixed berries in yoghurt. There’s more overt smoke here than on 9.1, starting with a charred element. The fruits move to cranberry, red cherry, then dried rose petals, lemon peel and increasing smoke. Although there’s a host of elements vying for attention, there’s also a sense of calm and control. Water brings out a whiff of fresh paint and more fruits. The smoke is sly, sitting back at the start and then – boom! – hitting towards the back-palate. Fragrant, a touch of struck match, nuttiness.

Thick and quite vinous (it’s spent one year in red wine casks) with black grape skin, while the fresh berry elements continue, along with a briny element alongside some orange pith bitterness which acts as a balancing agent to the fruit and the blanketing, earthy smoke. Water makes things more delicate, the smoke seemingly drier in quality while the fruit – now rhubarb syrup mixed with blackberry jam – is retained. Great balance for one so young.

Fruit pastilles, that citrus edge, smoke and some heat.

Still young and vibrant, but balanced. Like it. Marked in its competitive set.

The Clouds Are Full Of Wine.

Dry heat with balanced smoke and a herbal aspect: rosemary wood on a charcoal fire, with some green olive, a mix of tar and a pleasant earthiness, plus woodsmoke on a wool jumper. At the same time as this pulls things towards the drier side, there’s a balancing floral sweetness, barley which inveigles itself with the peat reek, adding violet elements and a briny/saline quality. Water amplifies it further, adding a fatty quality. Really complex for its age.

Very thick again, unctuous and almost waxy in feel. Again, the citrus is there along with lilac blossom and runny clover honey. Though firm with a youthful edge, it has range. Water makes it a lot drier, with the fragrant smoke (moor burn), some Lapsang Souchong now fully in charge and, while the heat is impossible to tame, it has a quality that belies its age.

Heavy smoke, then rosewater and salty chocolate.

Made with 100% Octomore Farm barley, this is a vatting of American oak and wine casks. The most rounded and complete of the trio. The mix of earth, sweetness, smoke and bitter elements are all present and in harmony.

One dram and you’re off doing the Floppy Boot Stomp.

A lemony element is uppermost here to start with, alongside banana and pineapple esters, while the smoke slumbers slightly. There’s considerable heat, with some rooty qualities, such as angelica root and seed, while dried herbs (see Octomore 9.3) come through quite strongly. The smoke builds steadily alongside green plum, light ginger and dry grass. Water continues this green theme (more mossy now), along with a fine smokiness, dry sand and, finally, cultured butter. Dilution shows a youthful energy.

Quite different to the ever-so-slightly edgy nose, things pick up where the diluted palate left off with creamy, sweet elements, as well as that lemon and bruised fruit. It’s slightly oily in feel. The smoke bomb goes off in the middle of the tongue, adding in heather and bonfire – both smouldering wood and flame. It does need dilution to curb the heat. When that happens, things lighten and sweeten slightly, while never losing the smoke.

Green nuts and smoke. Quite short and always hot.

I was tempted to give this 3.14159. A short, sharp shock to the system. If you like things whippy and smoky, it’s for you. 

Charged with Electricity.

Has the distillery’s chewy, slightly oily quality, plus fragrant woodsmoke as well as a sense of rounded sweetness with some raw honey and honeysuckle, a touch of Neoprene and chilli flakes/pimento. There’s great balance being struck here. Water opens up the smoke along with some mineral qualities, then lemon, a little floral edge, then bandages.

Smoke kicks things off immediately, making it drier than the nose suggests with a calamus/gentian element and a dominant role for the alcohol. Though there is discernible sweetness in the middle of the tongue, as with the PI, a bonfire blazes on the back-palate, making water a necessity. The dryness continues along with this slightly needly intensity, even at high levels of dilution, with just a touch of butter in the middle.

Peels and smoke.

A heart-on-the-sleeve smoky malt, it just needs a little more central sweetness to balance that fierce alcohol. For the brave and the bold.

A bit of a Hot Head.