After being a bit distracted by the Old Pulteney 2004 we’re back at some more Octomores and today we’re checking Octomore 8.3.
Unlike Octomore 8.1 and Octomore 8.2, Octomore 8.3 is only 5 year old which is more or less in line with previous Octomore generations. The barley was grown in a single field at Octomore farm (Bruichladdich Distillery neighbors) and 56% of the whisky was matured in ex-Bourbon casks and 44% matured in European oak casks. 18,000 bottles at 61.2% were produced.
The 309 PPM (Phenols per million) figure for Octomore 8.3 is mightly impressive, and probably holds the unofficial Guinness world record for the peatiest barley, but we do know that the PPM level drops rapidly from the malted barley stage to the final product (depending on distillation, barrels, etc). Nevertheless, I guess we still should expect heavy influence in the whisky so let’s check it out.
Octomore 8.3 Masterclass (61.2%, £156.55/€189,95)
Source: http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com
Nose: Malt, damp peat bomb, thick and dense heather honey with little vanilla. Salt and meat. Vinegar (like pickles in vinegar), overripe pears and peaches, cream. With water: the intensity goes down and we get some wood smoke, chocolate and more pears and peaches. Continue reading
Nose: Sweet malt and sweet red wine, tannins, nuts, lactic, moss, big time leather- new shoe leather and smoked leather. Red gooseberry, freshly cut wet peat. After a few minutes, perfume, bay leaves, cloves, and more and more leather. 
Nose: Soft smoke, creamy with vanilla and fruitiness, green melon (that weakens over time), orange orchard, pastry and almonds and more fruit sweetness after a few minutes. 
Nose: Old sherry, sherry vinegar and balsamic vinegar, dried fruit, milk chocolate. Lots of sherry fruits instead of the chocolate and spices that dominate the 25yo. After a while cherries and strawberries, more sherry vinegar, sour sweet dried and fresh berries and a bit more chocolate but not on the same chocolate levels of the 25yo. 
Nose: Oh, this is some deeply sherried whisky, dried fruit, red berries and cherries and dark chocolate. Dry with lots of spices, wood spices, cinnamon and nutmeg and more and more nutmeg and nuts. After a few minutes the different waves mesh together with dark chocolate, dried fruit, cherries and a dash of spice. Great balance and harmony and it it gets better with extra time. 
Nose: Classic Glenmorangie notes, honey, butterscotch, soft nuttiness, orange and lemon peels perfume, a minerals and chalky, buttery almonds croissant and a dash of white pepper and mint freshness. Very rich and sweet. 
Nose: Young malt at first, then sweet dried fruit, soaked raisins, vanilla and honey are strongly felt lurking behind. After a few more minutes canned cherries and milk chocolate. With a few drops of water gentle wood spice, much more chocolate and less vanilla. 
Nose: Very sweet at first. Sweet peat with sweet oak spices, vanilla and dried coconut flakes. After a minute there’s clean smoke but when left to its own devices for a little while more there’s sea breeze on hot wood deck, honeyed fruits: peaches and apricots. 
Whisky Gospel 