Octomore 8.1 Whisky Review!

Since the final bottling of the Octomore 9-series was just released overseas, it's about time I reviewed 8.1 from the previous series. And it just happens to be one of my favourite _.1 Octomores to date!

Those 9-series bottlings will still be at least a few months away from Australian shores, but all is not lost for Aussie Octomore fans, there are still plenty of the excellent 8-series "Masterclass" bottlings around. Including quite a few of the ridiculously good 309ppm 8.3 Islay Barley (reviewed here)! Which is a real surprise to me, I would've thought that glorious whisky would have flown off the shelves in the blink of an eye! If you're still after one of those I suggest you move quickly, and don't be afraid to shop around. From one Octomore fan to another it's not one you're going to want to miss.

That said, you're probably not going to want to miss this one either, because Octomore 8.1 is my second-favourite _.1 release to date, bettered only by the beastly and long-departed 5.1. 8.1 is still readily available from a number of Australian sellers at reasonable prices, although at $200-210 it's more expensive than previous _.1 releases have been. But that's understandable when you consider that it's 8-years old, as are the travel exclusive wine-matured 8.2 and partly-virgin oak matured 8.4 in the series, whereas the vast majority of other Octomore releases are 5-years old. Older Octomores can be utterly fantastic, with the incredible OBA and 2016's 10-year old Second Release being great examples. That extra age has definitely made a big difference to these 8-series whiskies, they're quite refined and disarming for Octomores, and even at their high strengths and peat levels all are remarkably easy to drink (but so is the 5-year old 8.3). Speaking of peat levels, with the exception of the aforementioned 8.3 the 8-series is 'down' to 167 ppm, which in reality is still a very high number. But as we've covered before that figure doesn't tell the full story since that measurement comes from the malted barley itself which is then milled, mashed, fermented, distilled and matured for years prior to bottling. Bruichladdich's tall stills, slow distillation and narrow spirit cuts will also have a huge effect on the finished product, as will the extra three years that Octomore 8.1 has spent in first-fill casks. So this probably isn't going to be the big beastie that you'd expect if you're only looking at the numbers.

While the more adventurous releases in each series always get more attention, the ex-bourbon cask-only _.1 Octomores are always the purest and clearest way to explore the Octomore spirit itself, since there are no fancy exotic cask influences getting in the way. They're always the lowest priced and most accessible bottling in each series, so they're ideal for newly reborn peat-heads to dip their toes in the (very peaty) water before jumping in head first. And this one is the ideal example of that. Octomore 8.1 was distilled in 2008 from Scottish barley, peated to 167 ppm at Bairds Maltings in Inverness, and spent eight years in first-fill bourbon casks from five different bourbon distilleries: Clermont Springs, Buffalo Trace, Jack Daniels, Four Roses and Heaven Hill. It was bottled at 59.3% ABV without any chill filtration or added colouring, since Bruichladdich don't go anywhere near that nonsense. And we certainly love them for it!

Octomore 8.1, 8-years old, 59.3%. Bruichladdich Distillery, Islay, Scotland.
Distilled from Scottish barley peated to 167 ppm, aged in first-fill ex-bourbon casks. Non-chill filtered, natural colour. 42,000 bottles.

Colour: Full gold.

Nose: Sweet, salty and slightly muddy. A big pile of drying kelp on a stony beach, with some chilled vanilla custard, a little sweetened lemon juice and black pepper. Distant bonfire smoke, and a little salt-washed driftwood. A floral sweetness and lovely dry, earthy peat with more breathing time.

Texture: Lovely. Medium weight, oily and peaty. Slight heat on the back, but in a pleasant way.

Taste: Sweet on entry like a stone fruit syrup, and some vanilla paste before the big earthy, muddy peat comes to the fore. A pinch of dry chilli flakes, a drop of floral honey and black pepper, and some vanilla fudge behind the peat.

Finish: Long. The muddy earthy peat carries through, as does the chilli flakes and black pepper. Then the peat dries out, with some smoked sea salt and a little ginger alongside. Some vanilla custard and more stone fruit syrup, and some drying ashy smoke and wet stone behind the sweetness.

Score: 4 out of 5.

Notes: Very, very good! It may not be the most "out there" or exotic Octomore around, but there's absolutely no shortage of character or flavour and it's very good at what it does. It's very Islay, with some extra earthy peat of course, and it's surprisingly refined and alluring for an Octomore. And there are no off-notes to speak of, it's just pure peat & sweet Islay sexy-ness from start to finish!

This would definitely make for a good introductory Octomore, but any established Islay fan is going to love it as well. Yours truly included. Definitely my second favourite _.1 to date, since that beastly 5.1 holds a special place in my heart as the Octomore that got me hooked on Octomore (talk about jumping into the deep end!). But the extra three years on this 8.1 has worked wonders if you ask me, and I'd say this is actually an Octomore that you can keep going back to, it's not going to wipe out your senses for the rest of the night. Maybe even a "session-able" Octomore! Well done Bruichladdich, as always.

Cheers!