Octomore 13.3 - 5 y.o. Release 2022

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 61.1% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Edition 13.3 places the barley’s provenance at its heart: it is made entirely from Concerto barley grown at Octomore Farm on Islay. Bruichladdich distilled the whisky in 2016 from barley harvested there in 2015; the malt used was peated to 129.3 PPM. After five years of maturation, the distillery bottled it in 2022 at 61.1% in 0.7-litre bottles. The whisky is non-chill-filtered and contains no added colouring.

For maturation, Bruichladdich combined first-fill ex-American whiskey casks with second-fill European oak casks. The European casks had previously held Rivesaltes or red wine from Ribera del Duero. They give the whisky structure, while the first-fill ex-American whiskey casks allow more of the distillate’s character to emerge. Vanilla and brown sugar meet rounded green fruit, dry smoke and maritime notes.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose opens with malt sugar and dry peat smoke that is initially gentle. Green apple, honeydew melon, apricot, rose and geranium appear alongside honey, vanilla, brown sugar, marzipan and ginger biscuits, while eucalyptus adds a fresh accent.
• Palate: The whisky feels soft, velvety and oily on the palate. Honey and brown sugar give way to lemon peel, a maritime note of mussel shells, malty pastries, marzipan and coconut. Green apple and vanilla remain discernible, while the peat smoke gains strength with hints of creosote, shoe polish and ash.
• Finish: The finish lingers for a long time. Smoke and maritime notes gain strength, while honey, lemon, warm sand, marzipan, grilled fruit, peach, cooked pear and sea salt persist. Charred wood and wood smoke bring it to a close.

Distillery/Bottler:

Bruichladdich Distillery was founded by the Harvey brothers in 1881. After closing in 1994, it resumed operations in 2001. Bruichladdich distils its single malts on Islay, matures them there and bottles them on the island. Within the Octomore range, the .3 suffix denotes bottlings made with barley from a single harvest at Octomore Farm, located about two miles south of the distillery.

Facts: