El Cartel Follow Up and a Quick Take on Octomore Scottish Barley

If you read my last review, you would have noted that I was excited to find another offering from Blue Mountain Cigars. You would have also noted that the smoking experience of the El Cartel didn’t go as well as hoped for. Having purchased two of the El Cartel, I waited a few days and smoked the second one. The results were better…but still not what I wanted. The smoking experience was much improved but the wrapper was still coming apart from itself. While it was nowhere near what it was for the first cigar, it still happened. If I were to revise the scoring I did for the El Cartel, I would change the score to a 7.5 out of 10.

Within that same group of El Cartels I bought, I also picked up a CLE Corojo for the eventual purpose of reviewing. Like the first El Cartel, it basically exploded on me. At this time, I started getting paranoid that maybe it was my humidor that was the culprit. So in the name of science, I smoked a few value smokes that have been in the humidor for a month or two over the course of a few days and had no problems. This told me that the issues were likely from the humidity at the local B&M. The next time I stop in there, I may voice the issues that I have recently had.

Octomore 06.1 / 167 PPM Scottish Barley
Size: 750ml
Type: Scotch
Varietal: Single Malt
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Proof: 114
Price: $159.99 at Binny’s Beverage Depot

Two things usually catch the eye of those unfamiliar with Octomore. The first is always the bottle; the jet-black body of the bottle and square shoulders are unique. Then it’s the actual price of the bottle that usually makes everyone put it back where they found it. I was very fortunate to have been gifted a bottle of Octomore by two dear friends of ours that I do IT work for in my free time at Christmas. You may remember me last month writing this about Cask Strength Laphroaig:

Described by many as a “campfire in your mouth”, this is typically not something the novice whiskey drinker starts with. Heavy peat and smoke flavors with an oily feeling in the mouth is the best way to describe this besides calling this a campfire. It took me about three months of drinking the 10 Year before I started getting into this. 

Octomore is beyond the smoke and peat level of Cask Strength Laphroaig by a healthy margin. The first time I had Ocotomore back in the summer of 2011, I described to my friend who brought a bottle to a combo gig by saying it felt like someone lit a match in my mouth, blew smoke in my face and then threw me down a flight of stairs…at the same time. Saying it’s strong on the palette doesn’t exactly do it justice. But…I really like it.

Some quick tasting notes on the Octomore. I get notes of seaweed and salt water from the nose before drinking. On the palette, you’ll have notes of smoke, peat, and charcoal. The finish will leave you with more smoke, accompanied with something I can only describe as ‘oily’. Couple all that with the 114 proof warm feeling traveling down your chest. Again, this is not something that beginners should be going out to buy. Hell, if I just went out and bought a bottle (not that I can easily get it around here), my wife wouldn’t be too happy (price). However, should you have the opportunity to try it, being out at a nice bar or by way of a friend who has a bottle, I would encourage you all to do so just for the sake of experience.

As always, thank you very much for reading and I look forward to the next time I can share my thoughts with you.