This run of Octomore reviews has reaffirmed two things for me: the spirit can be stunning, but most of them are loud and shallow. Considering how much I adore Port Charlotte, you might think that the peatier Octomore would be a natural fit, but it has never been so.The Cask Whisperer bottled this Octomore from Jim McEwan’s personal cache of casks and he must have had quite the warehouse of casks considering the lot done by the Cask Whisperer and the dozens that followed from Dramfool.

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Whisky: Octomore 11 Year (2008), The Cask Whisperer

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 58.8%

Cask: Wine Cask

Age: 11 Years (Distilled 2008, Bottled 2020)

Notes: Rich, meaty barbecued pork butt with a sweet marinade and charred fat left me licking my lips; a tinge of maritime brine set the stage for a beach park barbecue. Dusty earth and medicinal camphor lingered further in with whiffs of something farmier, like cows gathered in a nearby pasture to watch the proceedings. Medium-bodied, the flavor profile opened with sweet caramelized sugars, dusty earth, and an undercurrent of wood smoke— a bit of mesquite and burning sage. Currants and sour cherries lingered further in, or came to the fore more quickly with water.  A touch of rubber slippers appeared with cracked black pepper, dried grass, and dusty red dirt.  The finish was long and peppery with charred wood, grass, and cherry pits.

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Score: 7-8 (86)

Mental Image: Beach Park Pasture

Conclusion: I rated this Octomore higher than most, its wonderful meatiness and richness reminded me of Ardbeg (something like an elevated Uigaedail). The palate moved in a slightly different direction, with some of the sweet refined sugar and candied phenolic qualities I find less desirable, but plenty of wonderful fruits and intriguing hints of rubber or pasture funk— one of those coming from the wine cask, the other from the malt.  Overall, my favorite from the set!