Octomore 8.4, the last in this masterclass series, was created to examine the effect of virgin oak on Bruichladdich's intensely peaty spirit. (The Scottish barley for this edition was peated to 170ppm.) 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.