Distillery exclusive single malt completes the Octomore 13 series

Bruichladdich Distillery has unveiled the final single malt offering in its Octomore 13 series. A distillery exclusive, Octomore 13.4 joins the super-heavily peated 13.1, 13.2 and 13.3 to complete the coveted collection.

Octomore 13.4 is distilled from 100% Scottish Mainland Concerto barley and malted to a heavy weight 137.3 PPM. Bottled at 61.6%, the spirit has matured in first fill bourbon casks, filled back in 2016, before being recasked into American Virgin oak casks later that year.

Providing a compelling comparison within the Octomore portfolio, the latest 13.4 release uses the same batch of barley as Octomore 13.1 and 13.2 and is also malted to 137.3 PPM. With each whisky matured for five years, the differentiation is all down to each specific maturation profile, with the 13.1 matured in fresh ex-American oak casks and 13.2 in first fill Oloroso butts. The release of Octomore 13.4 provides a unique opportunity to compare the spirit with its predecessors, showcasing the striking difference that the cask type can impart on the liquid.

The American Virgin oak casks have a high toast level specific to Octomore 13.4’s five-year maturation, adding to the whisky’s signature smoky character. Imparting a wealth of flavour, the American oak brings complexity and depth to the single malt, with notes of toasted oak, sweet vanilla, toffee and subtle spice.  

Bruichladdich Distillery Head Distiller, Adam Hannett, said: “Completing the Octomore 13 series, the 13.4 edition once more demonstrates the delicate balance of intense peat smoke with our elegant signature style. The maturation profile combined with strong peat levels and cask strength has resulted in a truly unique and complex single malt.”

In each new Octomore series, the distillery explores the very limits of single malt whisky. Distilled with quality not quantity in mind, the experimental collection of limited bottlings continues to push the boundaries of whisky making, exploring barley provenance, terroir, varying peat levels and cask management in the pursuit of flavour.   

Priced at £170, Octomore 13.4 is available to purchase now at bruichladdich.com.

About Bruichladdich

Bruichladdich Distillery is situated on the southwestern tip of the Hebridean island of Islay. It crafts four different spirits: 

• Bruichladdich, unpeated Islay single malt Scotch whisky

• Port Charlotte, heavily peated Islay single malt Scotch whisky (40PPM) 

• Octomore, the world’s most heavily peated Scotch whisky series (80+PPM) 

• The Botanist Gin, the first Islay dry gin  

The distillery was first established in 1881 by the Harvey brothers. It survived through periods of closure including world wars and economic uncertainly, only to be closed for 7 years in 1994. The closure left all but two redundant. 

The distillery was reopened by Mark Reynier, Simon Coughlin and Jim McEwan in 2001. The team have breathed new life into the community by keeping as much of their operations on Islay as possible. They installed a bottling hall in 2003, first grew Islay barley in 2004 (52% of annual production in 2021) and have since added additional warehousing to ensure all single malts are conceived, distilled, matured and bottled on the island. They are one of only two distilleries on the island (9 total) to make those claims. 

The independently owned Bruichladdich was purchased by luxury spirits company Remy Cointreau in 2012. They continue to invest in the values of the business, in being Islay-based, and in the local community.  

In 2020, Bruichladdich became one of the only distilleries in the world to be B Corp certified. They are the first gin and whisky distillery in Europe, and one of three globally, to be recognised for balancing profit and purpose.  

Provided by Bruichladdich Distillery