This bottling was tasted as part of our Spirits Embassy tasting on 2/11/21.
This Octave An Iconic Speyside has been aged for 10 years oak casks, it has then spent 9 months in Octave cask #2932119. Only 86 bottles came from this cask when it was bottled in 2021.
For many years, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited has experimented in the use of differing cask sizes for the maturation of single malt and single grain scotch whiskies. This research stemmed from the simple premise that there is more interaction between the wood and spirit over a shorter period of time in a small cask than in a large cask, allowing a faster melding of wood, air and alcohol. The spirit in this bottle is an exclusive example of good whisky taken beyond all expectations to become rich, complex and wise beyond its years; it has been ‘Octave Invigorated’
The Spirits Embassy
Appearance
A touch lighter than mid gold, decent thick swirl line, and a few slow thick legs. #thewhiskeychaps
Nose
There’s a lovely fusion of sweetness, nuttiness, with a menthol twist for me. The evergreen boughs are back, barley sugar, those sweet sugar coated jelly shaped sweets. I agree with @whiskeychap with refresher sweets and vanilla crowns #thewhiskeychaps
It is, but I get a nuttiness balanced with it, like a walnut whip. #thewhiskeychaps.
— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) November 2, 2021
Palate
White pepper spiciness ooosh, bright, almost sparkling and fizzy. A real sweet/bitter palate, I can taste lemons, both sweet and bitter, pineapple then cranberries, cream soda and latte, it’s a dram of opposites. #thewhiskeychaps
It feels like my palate is performing gymnastics at the moment. Two very different characters but both very enjoyable#thewhiskeychaps
— Single Malt Mike 🥃 (@whiskyodyssey) November 2, 2021
Finish
Still quite spicy, lighter fruits are here, white pepper, bitter lemon, cinnamon, perhaps pushing into ginger, and quite fizzy on the tongue still. #thewhiskeychaps
Finish: Medium in length. Creamy and citrus. The dryness remains from the palate too. There’s a small amount of spice and chest warming. #thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃 (@whiskeychap) November 2, 2021
My thoughts
After tasting the first 3 drams of the evening this one really switched it up a bit. I can only recall once before nosing and tasting a whisky that brings opposites flavour wise for me, sweet then sour, one after the other, with a nutty undertone. I really enjoyed this character on the previous occasion, and i enjoyed it again with this whisky, definitely one i’d have in my whisky cupboard.
Overall: sitting in a restaurant overlooking Lake Garda eating a tart lemon dessert, then following up with a well made cappucino
— Single Malt Mike 🥃 (@whiskyodyssey) November 2, 2021
I really like this, although it plays tricks with the mind. No idea on distillery though!#thewhiskeychaps
Notes – This whisky is from a single cask, is non chill filtered, natural coloured and at natural cask strength.
Thanks to – Ian Logan – @iantheguardian, senior manager of whisky and hospitality at Duncan Taylor, and Mike – @whiskyodyssey, for joining us on this tasting, and for letting me use their tweets in my review, we had a great evening. You can follow Ian and Mike below.
Our tasting schedule can be found on our website, Thewhiskeychaps.com
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