Islay is home to a rich history of traditional Scotch whisky production, but one progressive distillery is breaking all the rules.
Adam Hannett isn’t one to do things by halves. In his eight years leading Islay Scotch whisky icon Bruichladdich, the head distiller has transformed the century-old business into a thriving hotbed of modern ingenuity. Under his direction, the label with the unmistakable blue hue has quietly dropped some of the industry’s most remarkable releases, with 2019’s “The Untouchable” garnering international acclaim and the much-revered 27-Year-Old Rare Cask Series treasured by even the most fervent of critics. Bruichladdich’s latest effort, however, is certain to ruffle a few feathers.
With the unveiling of the latest Octomore 15, Bruichladdich’s most arcane and divisive peated release, we see Hannett at his most experimental. The head distiller, along with a team of blenders and craftspeople, is aiming to redefine the Scotch whisky industry’s concept of what is possible, probable and, most importantly, palatable.
With a stratospheric 307.2 phenol parts per million (PPM), the Bruichladdich Octomore Series 15 now lays claim to the esteemed title of ‘second most-heavily peated’ spirit in the world, bested only by the Octomore 8.3 at 309 PPM.
For Hannett, who has been with the Islay label since 2004, the latest release marks a turning point for a sector that has long been ruled by its staunchly rigid approach. In fact, if you ask him, Octomore is the perfect ‘antidote to the industry norm’.
“Octomore stands out for its heavily peated flavour profile, but there’s so much depth and complexity to the liquid,” Hannett tells me. “On paper, this is a single malt whisky which should have a one-dimensional, intensely smoky flavour profile.”
“It shouldn’t work – but what we’ve created couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Everything has to work together in perfect harmony. Intense peat smoke must be delicately balanced with specific barley varietals, quality oak and time. The smoke can’t overpower the flavour or quality of the spirit. It’s about avoiding a one-dimensional flavour profile and ensuring everything comes together beautifully.”
Bruichladdich Octomore 15
As the name would suggest, the latest Octomore marks the 15th annual edition of the super-heavily peated release, with this year’s iteration comprising three unique expressions. Self-proclaimed the ‘Impossible Equation’, the trio of bottlings goes firmly against the grain, provoking more questions than it answers. Even among Bruichladdich’s core range, Octomore stands out—with Hannett revealing that on credentials alone, the spirit would traditionally viewed as too young, too strong and too heavily peated to have any liquid credibility.
“Octomore, at its core, is an experiment,” the head distiller explains. “It all started by asking “What If?”. What would happen if we distilled whisky using malting barley with exceptionally high phenol content? And what would happen when this spirit was patiently distilled using different barley varietals and matured in a range of specific cask types for a minimum of five years?”
“Curiosity, experimentation, and innovation are inherent to Octomore’s DNA, and we’re always pushing the boundaries when it comes to each annual series. But Octomore is about much more than just super-heavy peating levels,” Hannett continues. “We take a deep dive into every nuance of the whisky-making process – from peat levels, cask type, age, maturation profile and barley provenance – demonstrating how all these elements come together.”
The series opens with Octomore 15.1, which Hannett describes as the ‘backbone’ of the experiment. Characterised by an intricate balance of smoke and 100 per cent Scottish barley, the spirit has been matured in a combination of first-fill bourbon barrels and reused and re-charred ex-bourbon casks. It arrives at a beefy 59.1% ABV and is malted to 108.2 PPM, representing a ‘raw and uncompromising’ single malt.
Taking things up a notch, Octomore 15.2 utilises a specific combination of second-fill wine and second-fill bourbon casks, with the spirit finished in first-fill Cognac casks. It is distilled from the same batch of Scottish grown barley and also malted to 108.2 PPM, however, is bottled at a slightly reduced ABV of 57.9%.
The subtle lowering in alcohol volume helps to cut through the peat smoke on the nose, allowing the sweet citrus fruits and smooth vanilla custard notes to rise to the surface. The acme of the collection, however, is the Octomore 15.3.
Crafting the ‘World’s Most Heavily-Peated Spirit’
With a heavyweight 307.2 PPM, the Octomore 15.3 is a fitting conclusion to the remarkable series. Hannett explains that the release was distilled from variable harvests from a single farm on Islay, representing unprecedented levels of provenance and traceability. Grown and harvested on the eponymous Octomore Farm, less than two miles from the distillery, Octomore 15.3 has matured in a combination of first-fill bourbon casks and first-fill Oloroso hogsheads from Ferando de Ca stilla, Jerez, Spain.
At 61.3%, the single malt whisky is the highest strength of all the releases, however, exudes a soft texture replete with rich malted barley sugar and dried fruit zest. Naturally, Octomore’s unmistakable peat smoke settles on the finish, providing a lasting impression that won’t soon be forgotten. According to Hannett, it’s the combination of time-honoured techniques, modern production and just a hint of luck that made this release so ‘special’.
“We’ve always been passionate about our raw ingredients, terroir, provenance, and people, with Islay and the community at the heart of our decision-making,” Hannett explains. “We’re making whisky today using time-honoured techniques and original machinery from 1881, but with a progressive outlook, and to me, that’s really special.”
“For me, Octomore truly lays bare the alchemy of whisky making.”
“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”, continues Hannett. “The goal is never to intentionally create the most super heavily peated single malt whisky in the world, but rather 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 bottling of the Octomore single malt Scotch whisky has been conceived, distilled, matured, and bottled only on Islay. The spirit is non-chill filtered and contains no added colour. The complete Bruichladdich Octomore 15 series, including the 15.1, 15.2, and 15.3, is available to purchase in Australia through specialist retailers or via the official Bruichladdich online store.
