Whisky: Octomore 9.1 “Dialogos”

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 59.1%

Cask: Ex-American Whisky

Age: 5 Years

Nose: Sweet, salty, and smokey. Billowing clouds of smoke from a salmon smoking shed and cigar party parted to reveal morning mist on calm seas with kelp, tarry ropes, menthol, and shrimp crackers. Oily seared mackerel and miso paste transitioned toward the subtle herbal smoke of hōjicha.

Palate: Medium-bodied and oily with caramelized sugars, salt, and maritime meat. An initial wave of sweetness carried sweet smoked salmon, herbal hard candies, and salted lemon gummies. Matcha pastries led into earthy-herbal undertones of tobacco, miso, and hōjicha. Sweet candied salmon appeared throughout while oily mackerel, smoked fish, and brown sugar hung at the end.

Finish: Lingering dryness with brown sugar and salt.

Score: 6

Mental Image: Candied Mackerel

Notes: I am not sure how impressions of mackerel, candy, and matcha work together, but they did. I felt like I was a judge on the Food Wars anime— or maybe Iron Chef— trying to make sense of a nonsensical dish with imaginary mackerel dancing in front of me while transforming into sweet hard candies accented with matcha, miso, and citrus. A part of me wonders what that would taste like.

I found this Octomore a bit sweet for my taste, though it was more interesting than most. The flavors were all over the map, but they generally seemed to repeat from the nose to the palate giving the dram a coherent experience. I did enjoy this, though I just kept wishing it was a little bit dirtier and earthier. Octomore and I do not seem always to click— at least when it comes to many of the official releases for some reason. I know not every Octomore can be 10.4, but I prefer the spirit pitted against that sort of aggressive cask.

Image Credit: Bruichladdich.com