Octomore ‘Comus’ 5yo (61.%, OB, Edition 04.2, 18,000 Bts., 2011)

Octomore 4.2 Comus/167PPM

FOLLOWING ON FROM THE NOW LEGENDARY OCTOMORE ORPHEUS, THE NOW LEGENDARY JIM MCEWAN HAS CREATED ANOTHER LANDMARK OCTOMORE. COMUS WAS THE SON OF BACHHUS [GOD OF WINE AND REVELLING] AND CIRCE, DAUGHTER OF HELIOS THE SUN GOD AND A SORCERESS WHO WOULD BEGUILE THE INNOCENT INTO DRINKING HER MAGIC POTIONS.

“COMUS” WAS A PLAY WRITTEN BY POET JOHN MILTON AND FIRST PERFORMED IN 1634 AT LUDLOW CASTLE, ENGLAND. THE WORK PRESENTS THE DESPERATE BATTLE BY COMUS TO ENSNARE A BEAUTIFUL, INNOCENT GIRL AND THROUGH THE HEDONISTIC POWER OF HIS MAGIC POTIONS ­ – “HIS ORIENT POTIONS IN A CRYSTAL GLASS” – ­ ROB HER OF HER VIRGINITY. A PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOURSE ON THE BATTLE BETWEEN SENSUAL PLEASURE AND PHYSICAL ABANDON, AND REASON AND VIRTUE.

ALL VERY BRUICHLADDICH.

IN THIS OCTOMORE 4.2 “COMUS” WE SEE THIS SAME DUALITY ­ THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE BROODING POWER OF THE EXCEPTIONAL OCTOMORE PEAT AND THE SUBLIME ELEGANCE OF CASKS THAT PREVIOUSLY HELD THE WORLD¹S GREATEST SWEET WINE.

HENCE THE WHITE, VIRGINAL, INNOCENT PACKAGING – ­ BUT LIKE OUR HEROINE, DO NOT BE DECEIVED… ALL IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS. (This from bruichladdich.com)

A heavily peated single malt distilled at Bruichladdich distillery; Port Charlotte and Bruichladdich being the other less peated whiskies available. On the nose there is a lot of alcohol and some aggressive wood notes (juniper?) followed by some sweet and very present peat smoke along with a little cocoa powder and herbaceous notes. Cold toast too. With water things settle down some what and improve dramatically however the aromas remain consistent to the undiluted sample. The undiluted taste is very strong and with sand paper, aggressive malt and the peat smoke followed by the honey and then a very different sweetness, just for a moment like a loamy dessert wine. With water it holds together very well with a really sensational interplay between the peat smoke and the sweetness. A long warm finish with more oak notes and that loamy dessert wine all mixed up with the very big peat smoke. Lashings of cereal notes also make an appearance.

Well done Jim.

$160 (a wee bit pricey for a 5yo IMHO)

Score 84 points