Guess what on the nose in the first place? Peat! But with a lot of wealth as well, like from an older whisky. Subtle fruity notes, grilled meats, typical Bruichladdich cereals, hints of lemon. On the palate, explosive (you surprise me 64%!), But also sweet, spicy, peat-ball. Liquoreux elsewhere. A few drops of water (OK, a little more than a few drops) reveal plum. Enthusiasm 4/5

This is my second bottle and just like the first one two years ago, fantastic!

The noise is light peat with soft fruit and sweetness. Not overly complex not a lot of depth, just nice.

The palate on the other hand is awesome! Sweet thick cooked smoked pineapple, with raisins, marmalade and smoked vanilla that lingers with a bit of soot. 

The palate is not overly complex, but WOW what a whisky! And at only 5 years old Very rich and rewarding. Almost no burn. No water needed.

If you like high impact from your dram, this one will do the trick. Well worth the price. In fact, it's a very high value scotch.

Note: this puppy needs oxidation; it's a 88 right out of the bottle but develops beautifully after 4-6 weeks of sitting. The wait is well worth it.

05 04 15 bottling, bought at distillery in October 2015 (c. £150 a bottle) - largely because of the collectability factor and it being the most highly peated Malt ever. It was also reported to be one of the staff favourites. Opened May 2017. Islay Barley from single local farm. The 'Octomore of Octomores' - Peated to 258ppm - The highest peated malt ever - although 258ppm does not necessarily translate through the distillation process into the finished whisky. Ardbeg / Laphroaig think 40-50 ppm for a comparison. There's a lot to unpack and process with this malt. It's expensive for a 5yr old malt - marketing hype? It's 64% so not short changed on alcohol.If you're not into peated malts look/start elsewhere. However, this has local barley provenance ('terroir' - n'est ce pas?), they've put the age statement on the bottle – so nothing to hide. This whisky has had some great reviews - so no 'blind tasting here'... and my expectations are running high ... Initial notes - two or three tastings combined - bottle open a couple of weeks.Colour: bright gold.Nose: to die for...shy at first - but there’s hints and suggestions of all sorts – almost nutty, almost coffee, then a big swell of uber intense sweetness – farmyard notes (see review of the Bruichladdich Renaissance – v similar) moving towards dried apricots as it opens. At first though …like… where’s all the peat gone? The barley, malt, spirit and peat smoke work really well together- almost seamlessly - creating a poised and balanced whisky. The peat – rather than stealing the show takes a gentlemanly second place to the barley – the smoke is perhaps Ardbegian?. Later on, more earthy damp wood notes put a show on – but never taking over. Over time in the glass the vibrancy continues. Taste: big, elegant, clean as a whistle, salted barley/caramel – as noted in many of the reviews the alcohol spirit is very restrained for 64%. Finish: big, long lingering – peaty, subtle touches of iodine and medicinal notes. Long long long…Leaving aside the 'prominent Bruichladdich Malt signature which runs through I am reminded of the Ardbeg Supernova Committee release 2015 that I tried at the time of visiting Bruichladdich. It has the same enormousness. A 57% Port Askaig tried recently – also very good (and a third of the price) was clumsy next to the Octomore in my view. I’m happy so far without water. With the alcohol so high, I’ve found the temperature has a big effect on the nose. I recommend drinking this outside on a cool day with a clear head. I think keeping the temperature of the glass down may intensify the nose, by reducing the evaporation of the alcohol.Another 93pts from me

(TASTED BLIND)
NOSE: Smoked bacon, maple syrup, hay, farmyard, oily and buttery, also orchard fruits (90p)
TASTE: Sweet, strong, intense, a lot of sweet peat, sugary and even some yellow fruit salad. (91p)
FINISH: Sweet, a little white and black pepper, ginger. Medium short finish. (88p)
OVERALL: Sooty, ashy, sweet, intense if not very complex. A lovely uber-peated malt driven whisky. Total score 90 points.