Acre peat, rather balais, but which is gently tempered by syrah and rivesaltes. Malt is - as often - clearly in the spotlight. Young, fresh and lively in the mouth, but without the defects of youth. Roots enough, plugged into the cereal. The wine barrels are only there to slightly round the corners, without allowing to express their primary aromas.

Enthusiasm 3/5

Whisky n ° 1865

First encounter with Octomore and I expect something approaching the high-ester jamaican rums.

N : mix of charcoal smoke and turpentine, a touch iodine and vanilla. Maybe a little herbs too (seaweed ?). It's a nice multifaceted peat and not that aggressive, but it's all about peat. After half and hour it opens differently, sweetness gets more prominent : cereals and sugary biscuits but also a cold chlorophyllic presence I never experienced in any other whisky. I might be losing it, after ten more minutes I start smelling something close to pesto.
M : back on some more regular tracks with black pepper, coastal smoke and expected vanilla sweetness. I'm not sure how to explain this; but it's at the same time mouthcoating and drying. I'll add touch of oak bitterness to the list.
F : neverending (seriously) iodine smoke with the chlorophyll come-back.

That was some nosing. And I didn't specify but at 62.9% the alcohol is incredibly smoothed out. 8/10