Riverbourne Supremacy (Batch 4)

Riverbourne Supremacy Batch 4

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Nose: It's quite sweet on the nose - almost jelly lolly sweet. Quite a decent dose of moss and eucalyptus notes as well. The nose reminds me of opening a bag of fruit gummy bears down by the lake after a BBQ as a kid. Mouthfeel: It's a bit of an interesting mouthfeel on this - its a medium-weight whisky, nowhere near as thick and meaty as say a Bruichladdich, but it feels like it's got a solid strength behind it. It may only be a mid-weight, but it is viscerally there, and doesn't dissipate no matter how long you…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

Most definitely - this is a fantastic whisky.

Bruichladdich: Octomore 9.2

Bruichladdich Octomore 09.2

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Nose: Rich, smokey, sweet, and dark. Like opening the lid on a barbeque after you've left a rack of lamb glazed with berry jam on the grill for just a touch too long. Jammy (mixed berries), meaty, and a little ashy. Palate: Straight up, this is quite a dark, closed whisky; with ash, meat juice, some cloves, and pepper, being the mainstay on the palate. Add a dash of water though and you get a whole lot of tart raspberries and sour cherries on the palate. The ash turns more earthy and medicinal - going from barbeque to beachside camp…

Would I Drink It Again?

Total Score

Probably - not my favourite Octomore, but still a good whisky.

Bruichladdich: Port Charlotte Scottish Barley

Bruichladdich Port Charllote Scottish Barley

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Nose: Smoky, sweet, salty - quite coastal.  Hints of citrus - mainly lemon; and traces of nature reserves (from where I grew up).  Quite soft and subtle for the peat level. Palate: Smoky and salty, vanilla and lemon - a slightly floral hint lurking too.  The smoke is clean and bushfire-like rather than the usual Islay medicinal peat.  the smoke levels are consistent with what you'd expect from the peat levels of this whisky, but the rest of the palate is remarkably mild and smooth.  Somehow the palate is both delicate and solidly heavy at the same time. Mouthfeel: Thick,…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 1.1

Bruichladdich Octomore 1.1

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Nose:  Salt, seaweed, hay, wood shavings, and fresh malt.  Also some aniseed, and wet tar. Small hints of icing sugar and sherbet are also there. Palate:  Brine, peat, straw, jalepenos, mixed beer nuts, and well-charred barbequed meats.  Did I mention the brine and the peat?  They make up the majority of the flavour. Mouthfeel:  Mid-weight, and quite oily.  Quite a bit of burn. Finish:  Salty, extremely peaty, and barbeque ash.  Quite a long finish, with a decent amount of burn.  The finish is surprisingly dry considering the mouthfeel is so oily. Balance:  It's not really balanced at all; sweet and…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 2.1

Bruichladdich Octomore 2.1

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Nose:  Brine, lemon, recently mowed grass, peat, and polished wood.  Also traces of freshly oiled leather, and a slight hint of green apples.  Quite fresh and light. Palate:  Sweet malt, grass, burnt barbeque marinade, mixed citrus lollies, and fresh mint & other herbs.  There's a thick layer of strong and sweet peat blanketing everything.  Quite creamy. Mouthfeel:  Slightly less thick than the 1.1, but still what I'd say is mid-weight.  Slightly dry and creamy.  A small amount of burn, but quite a bit less than the 1.1. Finish:  Reasonable length, but shorter than most Octomores.  Quite sweet.  Fresh grass, lemon…
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Bruichladdich: Octomore 2.2

Bruichladdich Octomore 2.2

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Nose:  Wet timber, moss, ripe grapes, and mixed red-berry jam.  Also, unusually for an Octomore, there is quite a prominent amount of newmake spirit and paint-stripper on the nose.  Also a hint of some portwine jelly.  Given a bit of a breather, the paint-stripper and newmake spirit dies right off, with the berries and jelly becoming far more prominent. Palate:  Very sweet, with a hint of peat.  The grapes and mixed red-berry jam from the nose are quite bold on the palate.  Thankfully the paint stripper has departed, although there is still a hint of some newmake spirit at the…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 4.1

Bruichladdich Octomore 4.1

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Nose: Peaty, and salty.  Damp earth, and very slightly floral.  Not as peaty as you'd expect.  Quite clean, and not overly complicated on the nose. Palate: Straight up front you are absolutely belted with peat and cereal notes.  Sledgehammer to the tastebuds time.  After the sledgehammer is put away you get notes of ocean spray, bushfire smoke, and fresh tar.  Faint notes of vanilla and dried apple, but also a decent dose of pepper.  There's the tiniest trace of the dust that is left at the bottom of a bowl of beer nuts.  The peat lingers across the entire palate,…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 4.2

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Nose:  Honey snaps (biscuits), malt, vegetal peat, wet leather, and something strangely like jalapenos and over-ripe green grapes.  Sweet yet also tangy at the same time.  Also some floral notes hovering around the back, and a faint traces of vanilla pods and fresh cut grass. Palate:  Creamed honey, vanilla, and a strange mixture of something florally and briny vegetal-peat notes.  Super sweet, yet also quite peppery. There's also some pear cider and lemon zest floating around, and some candied ginger - and just a touch of Kakadu plum. Mouthfeel:  Mid-heavy weight, and very slightly both oily and syrupy.  A bit…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 5.1

Bruichladdich Octomore 5.1

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Nose:  Salty sea water, peat, fresh hay, lemon peel.  Very clean and compact. Palate:  Lots of salt and peat.  Slight seaweed and grassy notes; along with some boiled lemon lollies.  The faintest notes of cinnamon sponge cake.  The palate is almost entirely the same as the nose, with the added cinnamon sponge edging in right at the back. Mouthfeel:  Thick, so very thick.  Oily to start with, yet it dries extremely quickly as it heads to the back of the tongue.  Absolutely no alcohol burn at all. Finish:  Long, warming, and very dry.  Peaty, salty, and very lightly grassy. Balance: Perfect. …

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

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Bruichladdich: Octomore 6.1

Bruichladdich Octomore 6.1

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Nose:  Seaweed, peat, salt, and leather. A slight hint of dried fruits and nuts.  Both the seaweed and peat really dominate, but overall the nose is quite subdued compared to other Octomore editions. Palate:  Massively peaty and vegetal, with quite a bit of iodine as well - not Laphroaig levels of iodine, but probably the highest levels for an Octomore.  Strangely a little bitter at the back of the tongue. Mouthfeel:  Midweight and oily.  A slight alcohol burn. Finish:  Decent length, although a little subdued.  Quite a bit of iodine and vegetal notes, along with the ever-present peat.  A touch…

The Ninja's numbers - A completely subjective score.

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Mouthfeel
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Balance