Octomore 17.3 - 5 y.o. - Release 2026

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 60.9% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

The origin of the barley is central to Octomore 17.3: it comes exclusively from Irene’s Field on Octomore Farm, around three kilometres from Bruichladdich Distillery. Concerto barley from the 2019 harvest was distilled in 2020. This edition thus brings together one farm, one field and one harvest year.

The five years of maturation took place entirely on Islay. The composition combines first-fill bourbon barrels with second-fill European oak casks, including Ribera del Duero, Sauternes, ice wine and Syrah casks. The different portions of whisky spent their entire maturation in these casks; the wine casks were not used merely for a final finish.

The heavily peated malt has a phenol level of 132.1 ppm. In the glass, intense smoke combines with a distinct barley character, sweet cask notes and saline freshness. The 2026 edition is bottled at 60.9% in a 0.7-litre bottle. The whisky is non-chill filtered and contains no added colouring; it comes in a metal tin.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Salty peat smoke appears first, with tarry and medicinal notes accompanied by impressions of sea spray, coal smoke and weathered rope. As the smoke subsides a little, warm malt, brown sugar and fresh barley flour emerge. Lemon zest, crisp green apple, pear and pear drops bring fruity freshness. Gentle vanilla, marzipan, marram grass and wildflowers complete the nose.
• Palate: The whisky feels dense, viscous and weighty on the palate, with peppery spice. Salted caramel, smoked apple and toasted coconut open the flavour, quickly joined by praline and vanilla cream. Earthy peat then builds, with pronounced charred notes and dry ash smoke. Citrus oils and mineral salinity provide a striking contrast. Over time, smoky malt, sweet barley and peat become increasingly intertwined.
• Finish: The long finish is dry and warming. Malty sweetness, delicate floral notes and vanilla gradually fade into earthy smoke and maritime salinity. The peat lingers particularly long, with a savoury note.

Distillery/Bottler:

Bruichladdich stands on Loch Indaal on the Scottish island of Islay. The Harvey brothers founded the distillery in 1881. Following its closure in 1994, Mark Reynier, Simon Coughlin and Jim McEwan restarted production in 2001. Their approach placed greater emphasis on barley provenance and the influence of where it is grown in whisky production. Distillation, maturation and bottling take place on Islay.

The idea for Octomore grew out of experiments with heavily peated malt for Port Charlotte. In 2002, the team asked Bairds maltings in Inverness to peat barley as intensely as possible; the first Octomore was released in 2008. Slow distillation and tall, slender stills are part of the working methods behind its smoky yet nuanced style. Today, under Head Distiller Adam Hannett, the annual series explores the interplay between barley provenance, peat levels and cask maturation.

Facts: