Octomore 10.4

Octomore 10.4, 3 YO, 63.5 %

A .4 release so virgin oak; in this case specifically heavily toasted French Limousin virgin oak. This is a vintage 2016 expression, bottled 2019-07-18, and limited to 12000 bottles. It has a peat level of 88 ppm phenols.

Unusually this is a 3 YO, and the first ever Octomore at this young age so far. The standard age of the Octomores being 5 YO, with a few being older.

Nose: Peated wood chips. Definitely reminiscent of the (lovely) Octomore newmake. Fruity with a deep maltiness. Leather, sun-warmed sand, cocoa nibs and earthy nutmeg. With time lovely coffee notes. Whisky flavored, well-matured cheddar cheese.

Taste: Full bodied. Rather dry at first, then it mellows out somewhat. White pepper, soot and ashes. Meaty.

Finish: Medium long finish. The fruitiness from the nose reappears on the finish. Pepper and barbecued meat.

Comment: Incredibly complex for just 3 years, especially the nose is impressive.

Score 88/100

Sláinte!
-Thomas