Octomore 12.2 Aged 5 Years

Style: Sweet and Smoky

Rating: ☆ [Recommended]

Nose:

Burning spice attack accompanied with a satisfactory level of malt and oiliness. Huge iodine injection balanced by the magical Sauternes - Sweet white grapes and maple syrup supplying the sweetness. Then in comes some glazed oranges, smoked bacon, charcoal, summer grass, liquorice, rosemary, red chilli and mint all rolled together and offer excellent complexity and depth. An acidic and peaty tail.

Palate:

Black liquorice heads in first, with reasonable amount of charcoal stacked behind it. The sauternes-driven sweetness remains solid but has slightly contracted compared to what the nose previously suggested. Apricots, Tokaji, orange and smoked pineapple sheathed carefully by white oak. Cereal notes permeate through while the peat leaves a smoky aftertaste.

Finish:

Smoky water with glimpses of sweet and sour white grapes and apricots. Barley wavering gently till the end.

Thoughts:

By the time I am reviewing this, Octomore is already on number 14, how they can do this with similar specs year in year out is simply mind-blowing to me. Given the success of 4.2, I think it is not easy and needs courage to do another sauternes bottling given the bar is so high. Honestly, this expression meets my expectation - a beautiful synergy between the smoke and clean sugary sweetness. Although I wish I can see more facets of the Sauternes with a higher degree of integration, and undeniably that the Comus is still better; But this, honestly, is as close as it gets. Kudos.

[57.3% | 2021 Bottled | Limited Edition | Concerto barley | Bourbon and Sauternes casks | *]