Bruichladdich Octomore 10.2 Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Peated to 96.9 ppm, 10.2 saw four years in first-fill American oak followed by a lengthy spell in third-fill French oak Sauternes casks, making it eight years old. It's a more mature expression that creeps up on you, the nose being somewhat misleading from a freshly opened bottle. At first sniff the phenols seem too heavy to rise above the sweetness of the barley. Twenty four hours later, there's more smoked meat and earthy peat character along side Bruichladdich's distinctive butter menthol lozenge note. Incredibly dense, but not entirely a peat bomb, Hannett instead delivers something that feels more refined and composed in this edition. Amid the bustle of oil-soaked barley there are hints of char grilled pineapple, dark chocolate and aged mezcal. The peat has a drying effect; Menthol tobacco, jaffas, paprika and chilli infused bitter dark chocolate enter through the finish. Words like ‘restraint’ and ‘elegance’ are not typically associated with this distillate, however they could be applied here in a relative fashion. Normally you’d leave Octomore last in a line up. This one fits in somewhere after Ardmore or Highland Park - probably more so the latter because the Sauternes casks seem to have added delicate honeyed tones. So well balanced it’s dangerous, 10.2 remains a considerable whisky by any measure. 56.9% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

Other reviews... ...busy layering of hefty smoke and mildly citrussy butterscotch tart. Just a slight wobble in the tannin, I think...restored! The peat is not just huge, it offers both a searing acid note and also a salivating semi-bourbon style hickory sharpness; the smoke fades dramatically as the vanillas take control... it's an interesting debate: Is Octomore best when very young and peat has full control? Or when matured and the oak has had a chance to make a more nuanced whisky? I'd say from this evidence, and other Octomores I have seen over the years it is at its best when a little younger than this, as here the peat, despite the extraordinary complexity on the delivery, has just lost some of the power of its magic. 94 points - Jim Murrays Whisky Bible 2021

...Sea salt and buttery smoke on the early nose, becoming more honeyed. The palate is oily and relatively mellow, with pineapple enveloped in rich, spicy peat smoke. Quite long in the finish, with Jaffa oranges, pepper, and chili. (24,000 bottles; Travel Retail exclusive)
90 points - whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2019)

Notes from Bruichladdich.... CHARACTER – A great contrast to the .1 and total opulence. Longer in the cask, tremendous cask pedigree and a combination of sweet tropical fruit and smoke that is unbeatable. AROMA – Wisps of toasting oak, smouldering peat and ripe nectarine, passion fruit and lemon in syrup. TASTE – Rich, oily texture, hints of dryness from the oak but sugary sweet and fruity, lots of peach, jelly babies and dry smoke, classic Octomore sweet/smokey combinations encased in toasted oak. FINISH – The oak and smoke linger after all the remaining notes fade, each one clear and crisp. Before they go head to head, there is honey and orange notes, and hints of clove that set off the finish.

Note: The Octomore range often arrive in to our store suffering from minor damage in transit. This is out of our control. When we dispatch to you we will re-pack to avoid further damage in transit but you should allow for possible dents and scratches to the metal tins.