Bruichladdich Reveals World’s Most Heavily Peated Single Malt Whisky
Where there is smoke, there is fire – the old saying goes – and there is a metric ton of smoke in Bruichladdich’s newest four-whisky range of peated single malt whiskies called Octomore – including Octomore 3 – which is said to be the “world’s most heavily-peated single malt whisky”.
Peated whiskies are frequently measured and compared by parts per million [ppm] of the organic compound phenol [aka carbolic acid] they have in their barley and anything approaching triple digits in these measurements is considered to be a particularly “smoky” whisky. The Islay distillery Bruichladdich’s newest range includes the Octomore 08.3 edition which is containing barley peated to an astonishing 309ppm.
Bruichladdich’s Octomore 08.3 has been matured for five years in 56% first-fill Bourbon casks, with the remaining in ex-Pauliac, Ventoux, Rhone and Burgundy casks, is bottled at 61.2% alcohol by volume [122.4 proof] and is said to have notes of maple syrup [provided you can get past the smoke, we presume]. Only 18,000 bottles of Octomore 08.3 are being made available by Bruichladdich.
Bruichladdich’s other three entrants in the range are the obviously-titled Octomore 08.1, Octomore 08.2 and Octomore 08.4 – all of which are eight-year-olds.
Octomore 08.1 is matured in first-fill American oak casks and bottled at 59.3% alcohol by volume [118.6 proof] – 42,000 bottles will be made available.
Octomore 08.2, has been matured for six years in second-fill Sauternes, French mourvèdre and Austrian sweet wine casks, vatted together, then two years in first-fill Italian ex-amarone casks before being bottled at 58.4% alcohol by volume [116.8 proof] and is said to contain notes of exotic fruit – 36,000 bottles will be available, but only in global travel retail venues.
Finally, Octomore 08.4 has been matured 20% of the time in virgin oak casks and 80% in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks, before being transferred into European virgin oak that has previously held Octomore 07.4, then is bottled at 57.7% alcohol by volume [115.4 proof] and is said to have notes of clove and coffee grounds. Only 12,000 bottles will be made available.
