Octomore 2011 The Cask Whisperer (Bruichladdich)

Octomore 8 yo 2011/2020
(59.9%, The Cask Whisperer, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #4555, 246 bottles)
Octomore 2011 TCW is an 8-year-old Single Malt Whisky from Islay, Scotland. Bottled straight from cask: uncolored, non-chillfiltered, cask strength, single cask whisky edition of Bruichladdich coming from Jim McEwan (distillery manager at Bruichladdich for 15 years) private stock collection.
Rare, exceptional and dangerously drinkable.
 
Nose: Instant hit of vegetal peat, saltiness, rubber, light petrol, seared steak, dirty oil, roasted chestnuts, stale brown bread.
Palate: Tar, sawdust, unripe strawberry, pink peppercorns, cake - Victoria sponge, flamed orange peel, mellow peat smoke impressively integrated with the other flavours.
Nose (with water): Sweetness punches through the smoke, marzipan, pickle juice, toasted marshmallows.
Palate (with water): Palate brings brown sugar French toast, burnt pine nuts. A nice long warming finish.
 
from Serge's whiskyfun.com
"This baby from Big Jim McEwan's Private Stock - 2nd Release. No wine in sight this time, this is what we'd call a clear lap in motor racing. Beep, beep, beep… Go! Colour: white wine. Nose: much narrower, and yet more elegant, tight, mineral, lemony, creosote-y, chalky… I find this awesome. A lot of ashes, ashtray, also green olives, capers, samphires… That's all stuff that's ticking the proper boxes. Gazpacho. With water: perfect tight acidic smoke, soot, whiffs of new plywood (at Ikea), which I enjoy, more olives, new electronics, new MacBook (you know, 'It didn't work because something went wrong', etcetera…) Mouth (neat): simple, on ashes, lemons and green peppers. The thing is, this works a treat. More smoky gazpacho and some green walnuts. With water: excellent. Creamy mouthfeel, citrus, barley, smoke, ashes, bananas, limoncello… Finish: long, clean, fat, a tad more resinous. Comments: the best, al natural, without any butchered wines. Great young smoky tipple, well selected Jim, and a rather paroxysmic, yet civilised smoke this time. Nah, it's just super-good."
SGP:468 - 90 points.