Octomore OBA Concept

Octomore OBA Concept, NAS, 59.7 %

This is a distillery exclusive Octomore released in May 2017. The Octomore OBA Concept is a vatting of 10 casks, 3000 bottles in total (50 cl bottles).

On the bottle it says: “Aged years: Undisclosed, PPM: undisclosed”. I call that intriguing for an Octomore.

The official info goes:

“Our story begins at Feis Ile 2016, Adam Hannett’s first Masterclass as head distiller. There was a deal of expectation and Adam had indeed something special to share. It was Octomore; but not as we know it. The Octomore proposition had always been straightforward – mind and palate bending levels of peat, with the finesse and elegance of traditional Bruichladdich, bottled mostly at five years old. Sonnets in peat and barley. Now we present Adam’s Octomore “OBA Concept”, a limited distillery release of only 3,000 x 500 ml bottles. Rare indeed.”

Nose: Huh, this is unusual. Not at all what I was expecting from an Octomore on initial nose dipping. Earthy and aromatic notes of coffee and cocoa nibs. There is peat here, but is “solid form” - charcoal and soot. With time I also pick up notes of pepper, vanilla and cinnamon. Dry aniseed. Given even further time the peat becomes more smoky and takes on a slightly medicinal character. Then there are all these notes of fruit coming through, dried fruit, fresh fruit, orchard fruits, citrus, raisins. It just keeps on coming. Wow, a whirlwind of aromas.

Taste: Richie Rich and as tall as a house. Or something similar. Intensely fruity straight off! Like a super condensed, hyper concentrated fruit cocktail or fruit sherbet - apples, pears, grapes, banana, pineapple, mango and more. Underneath the fruitiness there is a deep and dark wave of peat rising. And it is coming fast.

Finish: Medium long finish. Once the peat wave has passed I am left afloat on the now melted fruit sherbet. Happy, confused and exhausted.

Comment: The official product page sums it up beautifully I think: “Mind F**k”.

Score 93/100

Sláinte!
-Thomas