Bruichladdich Distillery launches 13th annual Octomore series
Bruichladdich Distillery has unveiled the 13th annual series of Octomore, its super-heavily peated single malt.
Octomore single malts have defied received whisky wisdom since they were first released in 2008. Matured for five years, always super-heavily peated and bottled close to cask strength, Octomore’s surprising elegance has led the distillery to define it as “The Impossible Equation”.
In each new Octomore series, the distillery explores the very limits of single malt whisky. Distilled with quality not quantity in mind, the experimental trio of limited bottlings continue to push the boundaries of whisky making, exploring barley provenance, terroir, varying peat levels and cask management in the pursuit of flavour.
Bruichladdich Distillery Head Distiller, Adam Hannett, said: “When we look at the Scotch whisky category, Octomore truly sits in a world of its own. For me, getting to push this liquid to its very limits is a pleasure and a welcome challenge year on year.
“This 13th series is made up of a selection of incredible single malts with a real complexity and depth of flavour. Each one has its own distinct character while still staying true to the Octomore DNA, balancing intense peat smoke with our elegant signature style.”
Octomore 13.1 is the backbone of the series and offers a necessary comparison from which the other expressions alternate. Malted to a stratospheric 137.3 PPM, the spirit has been refilled into fresh ex-American oak casks after its five-year maturation, resulting in notes of rich toffee, coconut and vanilla.
Like 13.1, Octomore 13.2 is distilled from 100% Scottish Mainland barley. It is also malted to the same 137.3 PPM but is instead matured in first fill Oloroso butts from Jerez, Spain – giving a unique opportunity to compare the two spirits. The sherry influence beautifully complements the smoke and vibrancy of the single malt, with its slow maturation on Islay accentuating the salty tang of the spirit.
Octomore 13.3 demonstrates the phenomenal force of flavour when combining super-heavy peat with the variable harvests gathered from Islay, on one singular farm. Matured in a foundational parcel of first fill ex-American whiskey barrels and a supplementary selection of second fill European oak casks, it is malted to 129.3 PPM and has notes of vanilla and brown sugar, counterbalanced with fresh fruit.
The full Octomore 13 series, including the 13.1, 13.2, and 13.3, is available online at bruichladdich.com and in specialist whisky retailers from 5 October 2022. Prices start from £135.
About Bruichladdich Distillery
Bruichladdich Distillery is situated on the southwestern tip of the Hebridean island of Islay.
Bruichladdich Distillery crafts four different spirits:
Bruichladdich, unpeated Islay single malt Scotch whisky
Port Charlotte, heavily peated Islay single malt Scotch whisky (40 PPM)
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
