Product Overview
BRUICHLADDICH OCTOMORE 12.1 SINGLE MALT SCOTCH
Bruichladdich recently presented series 12 of its heavily peated Octomore range. Three fairly young releases, all 5 years old.
Octomore 12.1 is seen as the baseline expression of this series (in standard first-fill whiskey barrels), with 12.2 being an alternative maturation example (Sauternes) and 12.3 as an Islay grown barley version combined with a certain degree of ex-solera sherry cask maturation.
Nose: a mineral start with some earthy notes, reminding me of mezcal, although the smokiness doesn't seem that loud. The freshness of spearmint and lemon peel quickly comes out. After a while I also started picking up sweetness, like vanilla cake with chocolate nibs. Back to raw wool. Green apple and a hint of coconut flakes.
Mouth: sweet peat with plenty of white pepper and chilli (Taliskomore). Burnt heather and liquorice. Much more smoke than the nose suggested, and more coastal notes and iodine as well. Dark chocolate. Quite a dry, slightly acrid note with grapefruit zest and earthy minerals towards the end.
Finish: long, rather more herbal now, with a hint of salt and slightly floral touches.