Tasting Notes

Producing WhiskyCast has given me the opportunity to taste some really amazing whiskies, and I’m pleased to share my tasting notes with you here. You can search my entire database of tasting notes from this page, and I hope you’ll find it useful.

Octomore 15.3

Octomore 15.3 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Image courtesy Bruichladdich.

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Type: Single Malt

Bottler: Distiller

ABV: 61.3%

Score: 94 Points

This year’s “point 3” release of Octomore uses barley grown on Islay’s Octomore Farm and peated to a whopping 307.2 ppm of phenols. It’s matured in a combination of first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels and Oloroso Sherry hogsheads, and the nose has touches of toffee, dried fruits, toasted coconut, and barley sugar. The peatiness comes alive on the palate with peat smoke and black pepper at first, followed by dried fruits, butterscotch, orange peel, and a touch of brine. The finish is long with peat smoke, sea salt, and a touch of brown sugar. Excellent! (August, 2024)