Description

Bruichladdich Octomore 15.3 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Volume: 700ml           ABV: 61.3%           Age: 5 Years Old           Country: Scotland           PPM: 307.2ppm

Bruichladdich is living proof that the traditional whisky regions of Scotland make no sense. Please don’t think that labelling a whisky “Islay” has anything to do with taste because the truth is far more complicated and interesting. Built in 1881 when puffer-supplied coal was available as an alternative fuel to local peat, it is likely that Bruichladdich was specifically designed to produce the purest unpeated spirit possible. The great Alfred Barnard supports this view with a tantalising clue – the Laddie is the only distillery on Islay that he does not describe as drying its malt using peat in his fascinating exploration of the island’s distilleries in 1885. Sadly, none of that 19th century spirit survives, but the original Victorian machinery has allowed an unparalleled legacy of craft distilling to trickle down through the generations of men who make this sophisticated Islay dram.

The Octomore series was launched in 2008 and since has been very well received by whisky connoisseurs the world over. The series resembles the start of whisky innovation and creativity for the Bruichladddich distillery. Peating the malted barley for longer periods and creating a whisky from local barley was the challenge. The distillery set out to create the peatiest whisky in the world and have succeeded time and time again. Using different types of oak for maturation and breaking the rules as many times as possible to create a peated whisky like no other.

Distilled from 100% Scottish grown concerto barley which was malted to 307.2ppm (phenol parts per million) and matured in bourbon casks and Spanish Oloroso hogsheads.. Matured entirely on Islay for 5 years before being bottled at 61.3% alc/vol.

Tasting Notes

Nose:Smoked cinder toffee, rich malted Islay barley sugar and honey come to the fore, balanced with fresh citrus. Dried fruit and crushed seashells mingle with Octomore’s heady peat smoke, with cloves, toasted nuts and a hint of coconut adding depth and complexity. Butterscotch, brown sugar and warm bread pave the way for the cereal-forward single malt whisky.

Palate:High strength yet exceptionally soft in texture, Octomore 15.3 is unmistakably rounded and viscous. Butterscotch and creamy vanilla enhance its smooth character, punctuated with dried fruit and sweet orange zest. Toasted oak and locally grown barley sugar are underpinned with waves of dry smoke.

Finish: Burnt sugar, coconut, and delicate sea spray linger on the finish, with the lasting impression of earthy peat smoke forcing you to come back for more.