Price: $335 AUD
Purchased From: SMWS Australia
ABV: 57.1%
‘Exotic Miso-Glazed Octopus’ is a 16-year-old from distillery 3, released in 2021 in celebration of the Islay whisky festival. Matured in a 2nd-fill ex-Bourbon barrel with a total outturn of 195. This was my first ever distillery 3 bottling from the society, so I was looking forward to seeing how it compares to some original bottlings I’ve had from this legendary Islay distillery.
Nose
Lightly peated with a lovely sweetness to it. Straight away I’m getting umami, honey, hickory smoked meats, cloves.
Taste
Sweeter than I thought it would be; the umami is still there but not front and centre. Lime, miso soup, Iced VoVo biscuits, orange and some vanilla.
Conclusion
A complex dram, I found just a drop of water opened it up also. A lovely mix of sweet and savoury which works well with the light peatiness. In my opinion a tad expensive for a 16-year-old, but I guess you’re paying the distillery 3 premium.