Bruichladdich Octomore 5.1
The occasion
Octomore 5.1, the peatiest whisky on the planet 169 Ppm, a malt so good that I still wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it.
Well, after the 6 preceding drams, one would expect that my nose would be well saturated, but from the moment that the first bottle was cracked open about 3 meters from me, a wave of aromas came rolling in.
The Whisky
Nose: Peat, but not from a campfire, no this is a wildfire of peat, but at the same time rich of fruit: Cranberries but also hints of Orange, Dark Chocolate,Vanilla, a maritime breeze somewhere in there: a faint smell of Salt. There is just so much in here
Taste: And the gates of heaven open: Heavily Peated, but surprisingly smooth, Iodine, Toasted Barley again the fruit, but new flavors like Grapes, but also spices: hints of Cinnamon and Ginger
Finish: a long warm burning but pleasant sensation, a long lasting intriguing taste of Peat and Oranges on your tongue and a warmth that reaches every corner of your body.
The Verdict
To me this one is verging on the divine. The next morning I picked up a bottle in a shop on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.I finished about half of it by the time I had to return home. But fate (or that is the ground handling services at Edinburgh or Brussels Airport) struck me a cruel blow. I packed the metal container with the bottle inside in a duffle bag together with my clothes. But as soon as I went to retrieve my checked-in luggage at the luggage carousel, a strong smell of peat indicated that things had gone terribly wrong.
Sadly enough, the dented metal container is the only souvenir I have left.
