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iladdie · 8 years ago

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What can we learn from the information given about the #laddiemp6 Octomore bottles without nosing and tasting them? This is an attempt by me to predict some of the notes I can expect based on the know how I currently have about the whisky making process.

The fun part would be that I write something in the blog that turns out, when tasting the drams on the 4th of May 2017, to be utter nonsense. That would spark some questions and it would make me learn!

Disclaimer: I haven’t a clue what these drams smell and taste like when I write this, but I want to test my knowledge and see if I can give it a fair snog. (<<<is that proper English?)

So what do I know about these Octomore’s? The Bruichladdich website gives some details on this dram which can be found here.

2010 Octomore cask – 4468

Distilled 2nd December 2010

60.4%,

Warehouse P2 L12,

Cask type – 2nd fill Rivesaltes (Hogshead)

I’m expecting Peat, Red Fruits, Nuts, Sweetness, all the standard Bruichladdich notes, but not yet Pineapple.

2003 Octomore cask – 0022,

Distilled 7th November 2003

59.2%,

Warehouse 12 B12,

Cask type – Ribera del Duero / Bourbon

I’m expecting Less Peat, Some Red fruit, dates, nuts, some vanilla, light oak, less sweetness, leather, clove and pineapple.

2010 Octomore cask – 4819,

Distilled 15th December 2010

62.2%,

Warehouse 14 13H,

Cask type – Fresh Bourbon

I’m expecting Big Peat, Wood smoke, Spice, Clove, Sharp, leather, fruitiness, saltines and the standard bruichladdich fruity / grassy / malty notes below that.

Image found on Bruichladdich.com ©

Ok, not lets find out what I can learn from doing a tad of research online into the casks types and the previous content.

Cask #4468

First up is Cask #4468, which was a 2nd fill Rivesaltes. Rivesaltes is a French fortified wine from the Rouselion region of France.

Wikipedia quote:

Rivesaltes is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée for naturally sweet, fortified wines (vin doux naturel) made in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region of France. They are similar to Muscat de Rivesaltes AOC wines, except the grape varieties are not restricted to Muscat. The wines are red or white, and made from Muscat, Grenache noir, Grenache blanc, Grenache gris, Macabeu and (rarely) Malvoisie grapes.

A grape from Portugal also has the name Rivesaltes, so this indication on the dram can also indicate a Portugese wine. lets presume that the French Fortified wine is meant. The notes that are found in Rivesantes are dependent in the type produced.

Ambré: An oxidative maturation of at least two years in barrels. Amber-colored wines with odours of nuts, almonds, roasted coffee and candied fruits.

Garnet or Rouge: The wine must be stored reductively for at least 12 months, of which three months on bottle. The young wine is deeply ruby red and has aromas of red fruits (bramble, raspberry, cherry and cassis).

Tuilé: Is stored oxidatively for two years. The orange-brown wines, often rancios, smells of roasted coffee, cocoa, tobacco and confectionery fruit.

Hors d’Age: Is a Ambré or Tuilé which is stored for a minimum of five years.

Rancio: With the elderly a wine can be named “Rancio”. It is therefore an extraxified wine, which is stored for some twenty years.

So I think I can expect some nuts, coffee, (red) fruits, cocoa and tobacco from the wine together with some oak that comes from the casks.

The vanilla and spice influences should be low depending in how long the first fill casking lasted. Is there some information to be found how long the previous fill was in the Rivesaltes cask? Actually thanks to the Transparency campaign by Compass Box and Bruichladdich we know Rivesaltes casks are used in the making of the Classic Laddie.

Classic Laddie 14/009

So we know that after 7 years in a 2nd Fill Sweet Red and White Hogshead the content was used. This does not give us to much information on how long it was filled at first fill though. I am guessing that the first maturation is shorter or equally long. Why am I saying that? The first fill gives more in less time, so if the second fill was good enough as a component part, the first fill was probably ok too at that age. Not very scientific I know ;)

We also know the John Evans’ Valinch was in a Rivesaltes Cask.

I found only one Tasting Note for this dram on Maltkanzlei facebook

Google Translated to English it reads: (sorry for the odd translation)

Quote:

The 24th single barrel from BRUICHLADDICH’s single Cask series, just like this year’s Feis Isle single Cask bottlings, is a Rivesaltes barrel. What else was Rivesaltes? In short, it is a strong, sprinkled, liqueur-like southern French sweet wine with a particularly high sugar content, regularly obtained from the extremely aromatic muscatel grape. Eye / nose: Golden apple juice. Handwarum is the malt and diligently breathed it also, the frame agrees. In the nose, I also notice the ‘John Evans’ first a Laddie’s rather unusual, youthful alcohol note. Ouch, that is powerful! Okay, 9 years maturity are not the world and he also has nearly 60% ABV, which must be tingling basically. Nevertheless, there are barrels in which the nose is still rounder under similar conditions. Regardless of the alcohol influences, malty sweetness and a certain fruitiness are unmistakable in the nose. Palate: “Rich and full with an exotic fruity note: grapefruit, papaya and mango. The sweetness is complemented by the intensity and power of this dessert wine.” Thus Rivesaltes is tasted in the net z.T. Described. And so it finds itself in the beginnings also in the whiskey again. Amazing potpourri with exotic hints. Very unusual for Bruichladdich, where in the new spirit you find more European fruits like apricots and mirabelles. The Rivesaltes converts the Brennereich character here interesting. I wonder if the fruit notes remind me of my exotic love of my hotly-liked old Bowmores or Glenglassaughs. Hmmmh … the wineiness of Laddie is very much different from the old heroes. But he is not bad. I feel it very much in waves. Sometimes great, sometimes more of medium kind and goodness. Finish / Conclusion: Amazingly long finish. Toward the end, the winey sweetness and fruitiness of the palate of an unexpected malice, somehow a bit bitter, reminds me of the wash at Laddie. Somehow crazy. Again a nice Valinch with interesting aromas, as it should be with a single Cask – if one likes just Rivesaltes. Otherwise I make it a bit difficult for me. Good, but not really outstanding whiskey among the crew Valinches.

Also a 2016 Feis Ile Bottle was matured in a Rivesaltes Cask. I find some notes on this dram on the whiskynotes.be site.

To quote the whiskynotes website.

Quite:

Bruichladdich 9 yo 2006 ‘Islay Grown’ (61%, OB – Feis Ile 2016, Chalice barley – Dunlossit Farm, Rivesaltes cask #3304, 410 btl., 50cl) Nose: very malty and slightly lactic, on porridge and breakfast cereals with milk. A custardy note, but without the overdose of vanilla. Quite a lot of fruity notes underneath, like peaches and ripe melon with drizzles of honey. Hints of wet hay and yellow flowers. A soft sea breeze as well. Not entirely my style.

Mouth: very sweet and fruity now, with a thick texture. Lots of apricots in syrup, or poached butter pears – really beautiful. Almost a pear liqueur, alongside the big malty notes. Some vanilla and candied ginger. Also a greener note, something zesty. Greengages. Butter pastry.

Finish: drier, woodier now and not too long. This one had some spectacular elements (due to the Rivesaltes maybe) and a few quirky sides, which makes it difficult to score. Around € 90.

There has actually been a Rivesaltes matured Bruichladdich before this cask. The Octomore 6 Year Old 2008 (cask 5716) – Rivesaltes Cask (Rest & Be Thankful) (70cl, 64.1%)

I haven’t been able to find any notes. Sorry ;)

Cask #0022

Cask #0022 is a Ribera del Duero / Bourbon cask. Another Octomore that also is a Ribera del Duero / Bourbon cask is the Octomore 07.3. Notes on this dram can be read on the Bruichladdich website and many blogs. Feel free to download the notes here.

The 07.3 is 5 yo and this much younger than Cask #0022. Cask #0022 is 13 years old and would therefor be more oaky, more red fruity, more nutty, more vanilla-like, more spicy and less peaty. Also Pineapple, tobacco and leather would come in from the standard Bruichladdich distillate.

Octomore 07.3

Cask #4819

I am not predicting anything on the last cask. Thats because I think this will be a good dram. Bruichladdich and First Fill Bourbon goes well together. It may just be resembling the Octomore Futures II – The Beast /167 . I could not tell personally but who knows, maybe someone can.

Octomore Futures II – The beast

So to summarise. I found a whole lot of “similar” drams.

2010 Octomore cask – 4468, could be like 2008 Octomore, Rest and Be Thankful

2003 Octomore cask – 0022, could be like Octomore 07.3, only far more mature

2010 Octomore cask – 4819, could be like Octomore Futures II – The Beast.

Who knows! I know one thing! The online tasting is going to be friggin amazin! I am really really really looking forward to comparing the second and last.

Bruichladdich Octomore #laddieMP6 What can we learn from the information given about the #laddiemp6 Octomore bottles without nosing and tasting them?

#ウイスキー #व्हिस्की #barley #bourbon #bruichladdich #islay #malt #Nerd #Octomore #peat #phenols #Scotland #whiskey #Whisky

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