Islay-based distillery Bruichladdich hopes to enrapture peat freaks with the launch of its Octomore 15 Series, a trio of super smoky whiskies. The collection has been matured for five years, and explores the nuances of barley provenance and cask types, with escalating peat levels.
Head Distiller Adam Hannett describes Octomore as an “experiment” designed to go beyond conventional boundaries. “Based on liquid profile alone, this should be a one-dimensional, overly-peated Islay single malt Scotch whisky with no depth, but we’ve created the opposite,” says Hannett.
The Octomore 15.1, Octomore 15.2, and Octomore 15.3 expressions each embody Bruichladdich’s dedication to showcasing how variations in peat, cask, and barley affect the spirit’s final character.
Head Distiller Adam Hannett describes Octomore as an “experiment” designed to go beyond conventional boundaries…
Octomore Edition 15.1 (£140)
Bottled at 59.1% ABV, with a PPM of 108.2, the foundational 15.1 has been matured in a mix of first-fill bourbon barrels (72%) and re-charred ex-bourbon casks (28%). Official tasting notes report an intricate layering of peat smoke and malt sweetness.
On the nose, expect caramel, vanilla custard, and citrus. On the palate, the intense peat smoke balances with charred oak and sweet malt, finishing with a crisp marine edge.
Octomore Edition 15.2 (£155)
The Octomore 15.2 is distilled from the same batch of Scottish grown barley, but takes the experiment further, to better showcase the impact of its unique cask composition, specifically second-fill wine casks (42%), second-fill bourbon casks (58%), finished in first-fill Cognac casks.
Bottled at 57.9% ABV, with a PPM of 108.2, this whisky offers aromas of citrus, lime zest, and lemons on the nose, balanced by an undercurrent of smoke. On the palate there’s vanilla custard and caramel, with pepper and cinnamon to add depth.
Octomore Edition 15.3 (£195)
The most heavily peated of the trio, Octomore 15.3 has been distilled from variable harvests from a single farm on Islay. With a high ABV of 61.3%, and a PPM of 307.2 (reportedly the second-highest phenol content in Octomore’s history), the liquid has enjoyed maturation in first-fill bourbon casks (69%) and first-fill Oloroso hogsheads from Jerez (31%).
Tasting notes refer to smoked cinder toffee and rich malted barley sugar on the nose, opening to butterscotch and creamy vanilla on the palate. Peat smoke lingers on the finish, mingling with burnt sugar and a hint of sea spray.
The Octomore 15 Series is available at The Whisky Exchange and other select whisky retailers.
Glen Moray hopes to temp whisky fans with the latest addition to its Xperience Collection, Forbidden Fruit. This novel single malt is finished in casks that previously held Calvados, the historic apple brandy of Normandy. The whisky continues the Elgin distillery’s long-running interest in cask experimentation. Forbidden Fruit follows earlier Xperience Collection bottlings Phoenix Rising,…
The Isle of Raasay Distillery has introduced a new single malt matured exclusively in uncommon American oak. Chinkapin, or Quercus muehlenbergii, is a North American species traditionally used only as a finishing cask. At Raasay, it has been part of the distillery’s maturation programme from the beginning. The Chinkapin takes its position as the third…
Two new exclusive bottlings have been released by The Whisky Exchange, offering dram-fans a chance to explore contrasting whisky styles from Ireland and Japan – one is a 20-year-old Redbreast, matured in Oloroso sherry casks, the other a single-cask Mars Komagatake, the latest entries in its Sumo Series. The Redbreast offers mature pot still character,…
The Luxe Review 
Islay-based distillery Bruichladdich hopes to enrapture peat freaks with the launch of its Octomore 15 Series, a trio of super smoky whiskies. The collection has been matured for five years, and explores the nuances of barley provenance and cask types, with escalating peat levels.
Head Distiller Adam Hannett describes Octomore as an “experiment” designed to go beyond conventional boundaries. “Based on liquid profile alone, this should be a one-dimensional, overly-peated Islay single malt Scotch whisky with no depth, but we’ve created the opposite,” says Hannett.
The Octomore 15.1, Octomore 15.2, and Octomore 15.3 expressions each embody Bruichladdich’s dedication to showcasing how variations in peat, cask, and barley affect the spirit’s final character.
Octomore Edition 15.1 (£140)
Bottled at 59.1% ABV, with a PPM of 108.2, the foundational 15.1 has been matured in a mix of first-fill bourbon barrels (72%) and re-charred ex-bourbon casks (28%). Official tasting notes report an intricate layering of peat smoke and malt sweetness.
On the nose, expect caramel, vanilla custard, and citrus. On the palate, the intense peat smoke balances with charred oak and sweet malt, finishing with a crisp marine edge.
Octomore Edition 15.2 (£155)
The Octomore 15.2 is distilled from the same batch of Scottish grown barley, but takes the experiment further, to better showcase the impact of its unique cask composition, specifically second-fill wine casks (42%), second-fill bourbon casks (58%), finished in first-fill Cognac casks.
Bottled at 57.9% ABV, with a PPM of 108.2, this whisky offers aromas of citrus, lime zest, and lemons on the nose, balanced by an undercurrent of smoke. On the palate there’s vanilla custard and caramel, with pepper and cinnamon to add depth.
Octomore Edition 15.3 (£195)
The most heavily peated of the trio, Octomore 15.3 has been distilled from variable harvests from a single farm on Islay. With a high ABV of 61.3%, and a PPM of 307.2 (reportedly the second-highest phenol content in Octomore’s history), the liquid has enjoyed maturation in first-fill bourbon casks (69%) and first-fill Oloroso hogsheads from Jerez (31%).
Tasting notes refer to smoked cinder toffee and rich malted barley sugar on the nose, opening to butterscotch and creamy vanilla on the palate. Peat smoke lingers on the finish, mingling with burnt sugar and a hint of sea spray.
The Octomore 15 Series is available at The Whisky Exchange and other select whisky retailers.
First pour: Glen Moray adds Calvados twist to Speyside whisky and it’s a toffee apple treat
Glen Moray hopes to temp whisky fans with the latest addition to its Xperience Collection, Forbidden Fruit. This novel single malt is finished in casks that previously held Calvados, the historic apple brandy of Normandy. The whisky continues the Elgin distillery’s long-running interest in cask experimentation. Forbidden Fruit follows earlier Xperience Collection bottlings Phoenix Rising,…
Isle of Raasay debuts The Chinkapin single malt whisky matured in unusual Oak casks
The Isle of Raasay Distillery has introduced a new single malt matured exclusively in uncommon American oak. Chinkapin, or Quercus muehlenbergii, is a North American species traditionally used only as a finishing cask. At Raasay, it has been part of the distillery’s maturation programme from the beginning. The Chinkapin takes its position as the third…
The Whisky Exchange debuts 20 Year Old Redbreast Irish Whiskey and Mars Komagatake Japanese single cask exclusives
Two new exclusive bottlings have been released by The Whisky Exchange, offering dram-fans a chance to explore contrasting whisky styles from Ireland and Japan – one is a 20-year-old Redbreast, matured in Oloroso sherry casks, the other a single-cask Mars Komagatake, the latest entries in its Sumo Series. The Redbreast offers mature pot still character,…
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