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Ok, both are intensely peaty, and "cask strength". For the 6.1, that works out to 57%, for the 7.3, 63%. Initially, the alcohol overpowers the nose at close range, but from across the room, the peat is very noticeable. A drop on the lips/tongue opens up as it gets diluted in the mouth, with the flavour expanding over 60-120 seconds.
After adding a bit of water, the alcohol no longer overpowers the flavour of the whisky. The Octomore 7.3 has a dusky/smoky nose where the 6.1 has a more peaty nose with definite floral notes. In the mouth, the floral continues, even as the peatiness expands. The 7.3, on the other hand, has no floral at all, but a bit of that almost oily character that Lagavulin has until you dilute it slightly. I'm thinking that the 7.3 will want a bit more water than the 6.1 to let the peat open up without being oily. Overall, I'd say that I prefer the Octomore 6.1 by a slight margin because of the characteristic floral notes that I associate with Bruichladdich.
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