Octomore 14.1 - 5 yo - Release 2023

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 59.6% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Octomore 14.1 provides the bourbon-cask-matured foundation of the 14th series, offering a reference point for comparing the range’s other cask variants. This single malt uses only Concerto barley from mainland Scotland; the malt has a phenol content of 128.9 ppm. Its entire five-year maturation takes place on Islay in first-fill ex-bourbon casks. This puts the heavily peated barley and its interaction with cask maturation at the heart of the whisky.

The 2023 release is bottled at 59.6% without chill filtration or added colouring. Powerful smoke meets the sweet vanilla and caramel notes of bourbon-cask maturation, while citrus notes provide a brighter contrast. This version contains 0.7 litres and comes in a metal tin.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose reveals smoky vanilla, sweet caramel and toffee. Sooty, earthy smoke mingles with delicate coconut and almond notes. A hint of lemon recalls lemon meringue pie, contrasting with savoury notes of grilled pork.
• Palate: Bright citrus notes, smoke and distinct minerality emerge on the palate, followed by charred oak and the embers of a beach fire. Toffee and creamy vanilla accompany the earthy smoke, while pear, gooseberry fool and green apple add fruity accents. Roasted coffee then becomes more pronounced, along with nuances of clove and nutmeg and a delicate hint of heather honey.
• Finish: On the finish, butterscotch and vanilla combine with earthy peat smoke and a hint of salty sea spray. Lingering notes recall burnt heather and gorse flowers.

Distillery/Bottler:

Octomore is made at Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay. Its tall stills with their narrow necks reflect the distillery’s original design from 1881. Together with slow distillation, they favour an elegant, fruity style that remains discernible even in heavily peated spirits. The additional height encourages reflux during distillation, helping to refine the spirit.

Mark Reynier, Simon Coughlin and Jim McEwan developed the idea for Octomore after their early experience with peated Port Charlotte. In 2002, they commissioned Bairds in Inverness to produce barley malt with the highest possible level of peating. Working with the maltster enabled small batches and the use of barley from different origins. Octomore thus became an experiment exploring the interplay of intense peat influence, distillation and cask selection; the approach to casks was shaped first by Jim McEwan and later by Adam Hannett.

Facts: