Bruichladdich reveals Octomore 15 series
This year’s batch of Octomore single malts from Islay distillery Bruichladdich features the second most-heavily peated spirit in the series to date.
The Octomore 14 series has explored barley provenance, cask type, and varying peat levels since it launched in 2008. The details for the latest trio have just been announced. “Octomore is an experiment,” head distiller Adam Hannett said. “This is a whisky which is layered and complex, there’s nothing else like it. Creating a brand new Octomore series each year is a welcomed challenge. It is a moment to pause, reflect, question, and push our boundaries of whisky making. Who knows what will come next.” Octomore 15.1 was aged in a combination of first-fill Bourbon barrels and reused and re-charred ex-Bourbon barrels. It is bottled at 59.1% ABV, malted to 108.2 phenol parts per million (PPM), and priced at US$205. On the nose, it shows notes of vanilla custard and sweet malt, with mango, bananas and apricot jam on the palate. Octomore 15.2 was aged in a combination of second-fill wine and second-fill Bourbon casks before a finishing period in Cognac casks. It is bottled at 57.9% ABV, malted to 108.2 PPM, and priced at US$245. On the nose, it shows notes of citrus and peat smoke, with smooth vanilla custard and caramel on the palate. Octomore 15.3 is second to only 8.3 in its extreme phenol content, coming in at 307.2 PPM. Grown and harvested on a farm less than two miles from the distillery, 15.3 was matured in a combination of first-fill Bourbon casks and first-fill oloroso hogsheads. It is bottled at 61.3% ABV and priced at US$280. It shows smoked cinder toffee and rich malted barley sugar on the nose, with dried fruit and sweet orange zest on the palate. “Our Islay barley works exceptionally well with high phenol levels, and Octomore 15.3 balances intense peat smoke with our cereal forward, malt-sugar spirit,” Hannett added. “Contrary to popular belief, we’re not looking to intentionally create the most super-heavily peated single malt whisky in the world, but rather create an extraordinary dram which demonstrates the perfect alchemy of peat, maturation, barley varietal and cask type. And that’s Octomore 15.3 for me.” Each Octomore has been distilled, matured, and bottled only on Islay. The complete Octomore 15 series is available at Bruichladdich’s website and select retail locations.
