The Octave Premium Range

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THE OCTAVE PREMIUM RANGE

Premium Octave Invigorated Whiskies

The Octave Premium Range showcases years of maturation expertise transforming some of Scotland's oldest and rarest whiskies into gently expanded and more sophisticated forms.

These premium whiskies from some of Scotland's most iconic distilleries have been held in sherry casks to intensify their flavours and add new dimension to their flavour profiles, bringing out the best in each rare dram.

Having pioneered maturation in Octave casks, DTSW's Chairman Euan Shand trademarked The Octave™ name over 15 years ago. There are now over 45 different Octave Invigorated™ whiskies in The Octave portfolio.

Octave casks are approximately 1/8th the size of a butt and each one yields around 80 bottles of precious spirit.

These rare and exceptional whiskies are presented in luxury packaging befitting their provenance.

We proudly present the inaugural releases in The Octave Premium Range:

Blair Athol 1991 27 Year Old

TASTING NOTES

Before Octivation

Colour: Pale gold
Nose: Soft honey and cereal notes, honey nut Cheerios. Vanilla crème caramel studded with raisins.
Taste: Sweet Key Lime pie dusted with nutmeg. Chewy, silky texture. Undertones of fresh mown grass and fruit blossom. More oak than apparent on the nose.
Finish: Soft and subtle, not oversweet. Becomes more herbal with fresh lemongrass and thyme.

After Octivation

Colour: Copper
Nose: The rich malty toffee sherry notes are reminiscent of an Amontillado sherry with leathery, rich tobacco mixed with polished oak. The fruitiness comes over as orange oil and candied peel.
Taste: The citrus changes to a rich lemon and lime vintage marmalade, all offset by hot and spicy notes, reminiscent of Szechuan cuisine. A lovely syrupy mouthfeel.
Finish: Citrus notes persist to a good length with a great balance of sweet oak and dryness. Towards the end a subtle liquorice root and aniseed note comes out.

Bowmore 1998 20 Year Old

TASTING NOTES

Before Octivation

Colour: White wine
Nose: A fresh sea breeze. Sea spray, smoked oysters and lemon juice. Subtle leafy notes.
Taste: Bigger than the nose, grassier with more pronounced peat. Some liquorice and herbs. Subtle fruit.
Finish: A tad saltier than the palate. Good length, slightly bittersweet and spicy.

After Octivation

Colour: Old gold
Nose: Clean, sharp and phenolic with mineral wet rocks. Bags of citrus marmalade and lime pickle with a hint of smoked cheese.
Taste: Fruit is more tropical than on the nose but still fresh and vibrant. Becomes more peaty and grassy. Smoked salted caramel walnuts that have been toasted over a driftwood bonfire.
Finish: Long and warming. The citrus reappears then menthol then seaspray coastal notes take hold giving rockpool seashells and seaweed.

Cambus 1991 27 Year Old

TASTING NOTES

Before Octivation

Colour: Sauternes
Nose: Baked apple with vanilla ice cream, sweet orange peel, very creamy.
Taste: Hints of more tropical fruit, but still orchard fruits predominate. Slightly waxy on the palate. There is wood, yet it is not over spicy, quite light.
Finish: “Zippy” with good balance and length. Sweet grain persists.

After Octivation

Colour: Full gold
Nose: Initially rich and sweet with lively fruit notes; apple compote and crystallised fruits, especially pineapple. Then a light waxy vanilla emerges with hints of a creamy latte underneath.
Taste: Again, lashings of fruit, but this time more to green pear and ripe banana. Grain more to the fore with barley sugar sweetness. Sumptuous mouthfeel.
Finish: Fruit still there as citrusy notes evolve to a gentle spicy finish. Long and lingering on the palate.

Cragganmore 1993 26 Year Old

TASTING NOTES

Before Octivation

Colour: Rich copper
Nose: Soft sherry and sultanas, faint smokiness and fresh oak.
Taste: Vanilla fudge and fresh dates. Some fresh herbs emerge, basil and thyme. Soft fresh walnuts. Sweeter and chewier than the nose suggests.
Finish: The smoke and oak of the nose returns, fades to a more dry herbal spice.

After Octivation

Colour: Madeira
Nose: The sherry is very much to the fore with rich smoky, earthy, toasted oak, dark molasses with butterscotch sauce.
Taste: Fresh fruit emerges through the dark, robust, dried fruit of the sherry. Red and blackcurrants, very syrupy on the palate.
Finish: The dry smoky leather of the finish is balanced by a more savoury meaty finale.

Port Dundas 1973 46 Year Old

TASTING NOTES

Before Octivation

Colour: Pale Gold
Nose: Soft but full of dry fruit and caramel.
Taste: Good balance between sweetness of the spirit and the oak from the cask. Some soft citrus, clove studded oranges, and hints of stone fruit.
Finish: Good length and nicely spiced.

After Octivation

After: Copper
Nose: Wonderfully complex with beautiful sweet sherry and muscovado sugar to the fore. Fruit comes over with some sour cherry notes and bright fresh coffee berries.
Taste: An immediate tropical fruit explosion with lively mango and fresh coconut. Lovely balance, like a well-made bellini, with the sweetness balanced with the dryness from the wood.
Finish: As the fruit begins to fade, spicy notes come forward. Nutmeg, aniseed and hot buttered cinnamon Danish pastries. Very long, complex and satisfying.

Strathclyde 1990 28 Year Old

TASTING NOTES

Before Octivation

Colour: White wine
Nose: Sugar almonds and red apple skins. Fresh and floral.
Taste: More spicy than on the nose. Herbs, especially fresh mint provide the balance to the sweetness, and nicely coats the mouth.
Finish: Dried fruits emerge and the nuttiness of the nose returns.

After Octivation

Colour: Full Gold
Nose: Aromas of an old-fashioned sweet shop. Toffee apples, honey and chocolate. Underneath a hint of cigar box and cedarwood.
Taste: Soft and gentle sherry to the fore with spiced gingerbread, all counterbalanced with a minty, menthol freshness. Silky mouthfeel and oilier than on the nose.
Finish: Warm spiciness initially with lashings of dry sherry fruits. Ends with a more delicate Manzanilla freshness of salted almonds.

Tormore 1995 23 Year Old

TASTING NOTES

Before Octivation

Colour: Straw
Nose: Fairly simple, fresh mown hay and herbaceous borders. Gentle lemon oil.
Taste: Hints of dried vine fruit, but off dry with some spice present. Citrus is more pronounced, Limoncello, sweet limes.
Finish: Medium length and spicier than the palate. Oak comes more to the fore but does not dominate."

After Octivation

Colour: Gold
Nose: Like walking through a mountain pine forest and coming out into a meadow above the tree line. Mountain fresh, piney, herbal and grassy. Spicy fresh green olive oil. Over time, the sherry comes forward with darker treacle.
Taste: Much fruitier than on the nose with bright lime citrus. Herbs still there with lively Thai basil and fresh mojito style mintiness, drizzled with a honey rosemary marinade.
Finish: Initial hint of fresh pepper before the citrus reasserts itself. Juicy oak with a saline hint. Medium to long.

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Duncan Taylor

Small cask, impressive whisky

Premium Octave Invigorated Whiskies

Blair Athol 1991 27 Year Old

Bowmore 1998 20 Year Old

Cambus 1991 27 Year Old

Cragganmore 1993 26 Year Old

Port Dundas 1973 46 Year Old

Strathclyde 1990 28 Year Old

Tormore 1995 23 Year Old

Where to buy our products

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