Review #182 - Bruichladdich Octomore 14.1
The first of the 2023 editions of Bruichladdich's Octomore - this 14.1 is the ex-bourbon cask variety of the super heavily peated Islay whisky. Details are plentiful about the production of the spirit: it's Concerto barley, grown on the Scottish mainland, and it was peated to 128.9 ppm during the malting and drying process. We get a vintage of 2017, as well.
Bruichladdich always uses craft presentation for their whiskies, so we don't have to worry about chill filtration or added coloring, and we get it at a preferable strength - a cask strength of 59.6% ABV, in this case.
Bruichladdich Octomore 14.1
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 225 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 225 (2023)
Age Statement: 5 Years
Strength: 59.6% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon barrels
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; 2017 vintage; Concerto barley from the Scottish mainland, peated to 128.9 ppm
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 1 month; bottles at 90%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Very bright and crisp, maybe slightly sharp - plenty of youthful spirit notes, along with lemon, vanilla, and a smoky agave or mezcal smell. The lemon grows sweeter with time, moving toward lemon-lime soda or even lemon preserve; there's mild oak influence, adding dry wood and some moss. With time, the nose grows much more creamy and slightly lactic, with hints of custard; the peat smoke is medium strength.
Palate: A thick mouthfeel, paired with strong (but not overwhelming) peat smokiness. The lemon and custard theme continues from the nose: vanilla, semi-sweet fruit, creamy texture, sugary oil, and estery tropical melon later on. The oak adds some white pepper; all sorts of lemon flavors now, including lemon candies and lemon curd. Very nice texture and mouthfeel.
Finish: Lemonade, sweet creamy yogurt, and a decent amount of both black and white pepper. That creamy texture, like custard and lemon curd, lingers for a while, and some strong smoke makes this a medium-long finish.
Final Note: It's in line with what we expect from the '.1' Octomore releases - ex-bourbon forward, with plenty of youthful spirit considering the 5 year age statement. This year, it's a little more simple in terms of flavors, but the fantastic mouthfeel and creamy texture make up for that in some ways. If you like peat, this is a great sipper without being too overwhelming, but the price of a bottle makes it a less-than-ideal value proposition.
Our Average Rating: 7.7 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.04
