Bruichladdich Octomore 14.1 Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

It’s the time of year for new Octomores, the ultra-peated annual whisky from Islay’s Bruichladdich. Now in its 14th instalment, the whisky comes in the usual three offerings. 14.1 was distilled in 2017 from a 2016 harvest of Scottish grown Concerto barley, malted to 128.9 ppm and aged for five years in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks before bottling at 59.6% Alc./Vol. Judging by the reviews below, this looks to be one of the better Octomores of recent times. Non chill filtered.

Other reviews... On the nose, Octomore 14.1 delivers layers and layers of dense peat: sweet smoke with grilled pineapples and hibiscus tea, phenolic peat with peeled-out tires, medicine cabinet, a distinctly oily rubber, and savory charred aromas like a beach bonfire. The palate, while still driving home the peat, is nimble and zesty with oranges and lemon, toasted peppercorns, and a heavy dose of charred grains. The finish is long and much softer, with zippy citrus taking the lead. 95 points - whiskyadvocate.com

...look for a golden hue and mild vanilla and spearmint aromas. The palate opens with mouthwatering butterscotch and menthol, finishing long with a smoked maple-sugar effect, which ever so slowly tapers off. 95 points - wineenthusiast.com

...The peat-lover’s standby ... As bold as ever, the nose is intense with elements of baked apples and ample creosote, then a nutty quality that suggests smoked almonds. It’s quite harsh on the back of the throat at full proof so I added some water to temper it for most of my tasting. This is quite helpful, allowing notes of dried apricots, fresh toffee, and some coconut to come into clearer focus, the finish here less briny than I’ve encountered in past expressions, which I kind of miss. The coconut note lingers the longest, making me dream of a cream pie to pair with this. 119.2 proof. - drinkhacker.com

... Alert, we're losing peat, ha! Just like the others, it's been using Concerto barley. Colour: white wine. Nose: back to austere ones, it seems. A lorryload of chalk and plaster, beach bonfire, 'a huge ashtray late at night', tyres, coal, a bit of glue, some iodine… With water: rather more green vegetables than more wool or chalk. Rucola seems obvious. Mouth (neat): scalpel-like again, with more bitterness, loads of ashes, lemon skins, seawater, oysters, a little varnish… With water: we're closer to 13.1, with ashes and… salted tequila. Quite some nutmeg. Finish: very long, lemony, grassier, and always very ashy. Olive brine in the aftertaste. Comments: it's a little tough to have many Octomore in a raw like this and we're absolutely not done! Liked this one too. 87 points - whiskyfun.com