Octomore 8.4, the last in this masterclass series, was created to examine the effect of virgin oak on Bruichladdich's intensely peaty spirit. To achieve a balance of smoke and oak characteristics, 20% of the whisky was matured exclusively in virgin oak, while 80% was aged in first-fill ex-bourbon casks and then finished in European virgin oak, which had previously held Octomore 7.4.
The result is a rich and complex dram with notes such as praline, coconut and clove matched by those of barbeque, burnt heather and iodine.