Billed as the most heavily peated single malts in the world, Bruichladdich’s annually released trio of Octomore single malts prove that high phenol levels don’t necessarily mean a smoke bomb in the glass. The whiskies are far gentler than the numbers would have you believe; this year’s .1, expression, for instance, is malted to 108.2 parts per million (ppm), putting it far above most (if not all) Islay whiskies, among them Ardbeg (around 55 ppm), Laphroaig (40 ppm), Lagavulin (35 ppm), and Bowmore (30 ppm).
This year’s lineup—the 15th in the series—kicks off with 15.1, distilled from 100% Scottish barley, bottled at 59.1% ABV, and, as mentioned, comes in at 108.2 ppm. It’s matured in a combination of first-fill bourbon barrels and second-fill, re-charred bourbon barrels.
15.2, builds upon the foundation set by .1, distilled from the same batch of barley and malted to the same ppm; a shift comes during maturation, when it’s matured in a combination of second-fill wine casks and second-fill bourbon barrels, then finished in first-fill cognac casks. It’s bottled at a slightly lower 57.9% ABV.
This 15th edition of Octomore is rounded out by 15.3, which comes in at a sky-high 307.2 ppm—a phenol level second only to the brand’s 8.3 release, which was touted as the most heavily peated spirit in the world to date at 309 ppm. It’s distilled from barley grown on Octomore Farm, located less than two miles from Bruichladdich Distillery, and aged in a combination of first-fill bourbon casks and first-fill oloroso hogsheads. This single malt clocks in at a mighty 61.3% ABV.
All three whiskies are available now on the distillery’s website and in stores; 15.1 is priced at $205, 15.2 at $245, and 15.3 at $280.
