Octomore series 15 – 10YO on Taste; Chivas Plan on Islay

Hello everyone

A shorter one than usual this time. Not all of the whisky info that‘s come in has been of much interest or for comment. Also, I‘ve been away for just over a week, enjoying the Christmas sights of Paris. Plenty of wine but no whisky. I had hoped to try some more French whiskies but none in sight in the on-trade places I went to.

My good news from this month so far is that, if all goes to plan, I‘ll be doing an interview with Adam Hannett, Head Distiller at Bruichladdich, in time for my first column in January. My hoped for samples of this year‘s Octomore series also arrived, thanks to Adam on Islay and Amy Brownlee at HQ. As I now have a cold, the only one I‘ve been able to taste in time is the 10 year old from series 15 and that intrigued me in terms of its maturation. I‘ll find out soon if any of the other three excite my palate more. More on those next time and I’ve also kept aside a little of this 10 year old to try alongside them. 

The maturation for this one was 50% first fill bourbon, 15% Pineau des Charentes cask; 25% second fill PX sherry butts and 10% first fill red wine casks (which red wine not specified). It‘s bottled at 52.2% abv. with no added colour and not chill-filtered. All casks blended and married for 6 months. Peat level is a robust 107 ppm.

Appearance: Shining, ripe barley gold with a hint of tawny. Pale brass/aged white burgundy highlights. Tears swift at first and then much slower and more widely spaced.

Nose: Smoky and peaty but very refined despite the peating level of the barley. It doesn‘t hit you in the face. A touch of warm oiland wax but also a fruity sweetness – stewed apricots and pears. Subtle oak, smoky honey and some candy floss. With water, the smoke is a little more pronounced but still refined More dark sugars/ treacle and some dark fruits. Salted popcorn (that slightly sweaty, toasted grain nose) and tropical juices. A nose to sit and savour. Develops more sweet notes as it sits.

Palate: Medium mouth feel – not too oily. Much more smoke and peat on the palate than on the nose. Richly roasted barley. Some astringency plus treacle/coffee ground bitterness. Mainly rich barley, smoke and dryness. Some vanilla from the oak as well as tannins. Smoked honey, smoky pear and tingly spices.

Finish: Very long, char and tar, smoky and dry with treacle sweet and bitter notes plus spices.

Also regarding whisky on Islay, Chivas (Pernod Ricard) submitted plans for its proposed Islay distillery at Gartbreck Farm in October with the regional council (Argyll & Bute) validating it at the end of November (impression shown here). No guarantee the local council will approve them as initially submitted but the company‘s plan for the facility to be carbon neutral should help. They are also proposing improvement of local roads. In fact, the planning application on the council site refers to, „Erection of whisky distillery together with visitor facilities, long sea outfall, water abstraction, pump house, road improvement and associated infrastructure works“. It‘s a site which has passed through one set of hands and almost a second before being left alone for some years. Pernod Ricard really missed a trick years ago when they bought part of Allied Distillers and didn‘t get Laphroaig then but that‘s something I‘ve covered in the past. I do still wonder where all the water will come from for the recent and proposed distilleries. I‘m musing whether Islay will need a desalination plant to purify sea water! Also, as I‘ve commented before, housing will be needed unless all jobs go to existing, experienced whisky-making residents who have homes there now but they’ll surely need to import new people. There‘s already a housing shortage for people returning to Islay or those coming in to work. I would have hoped such concerns might be part of the plans but it doesn‘t look like it.

Well, I‘ll be back in a week or so with the last piece for 2024. For those who celebrate it, happy Christmas dramming. See you just before New Year.

Slainte,

Caroline