Review #28 - Bruichladdich Octomore 13.2

2022 Octomores Mini-Series: Part 2 of 3

Part two of our 2022 Octomore series, this time looking at 13.2. Like the prior bottle, this was made from Concerto barley from the Scottish mainland, peated to 137.3 PPM, and aged for 5 years before bottling, but the casks used for aging here make all the difference.

The '.2' releases are generally aged in some sort of ex-wine barrels, and this year, it's Oloroso sherry casks from Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla. We'll be looking for some darker, fruitier flavors this time, maybe even a savory notes if we get lucky.

Bruichladdich Octomore 13.2

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Current Locally Available Price: USD 250 (2023)

Age Statement: 5 Years

Strength: 58.3% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-Oloroso sherry from Fernando de Castilla

Details: Concerto barley, peated to 137.3 PPM

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 90% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Quite unusual here starting out, it's much more savory than the 13.1. There is plenty of prune and fig, lots of dark fruit, but then this funky meat comes in. It's like hard salami or Cajun sausage, and there is a definite lactic note joining in as well, all of which is lightly covered in mild peat smoke. Past the savory bits, there is a light hint of lemon, some barrel char, purple grape, and more dark jammy notes, like a blackberry jam. We end here with lots of funky fortified wine.

Palate: Some ethanol to start out, and the mouthfeel is thick. The obvious peat influence is still a medium amount, not overbearing, but it does start to build as the palate develops. Dry fruits are the star of the show, very dry in fact, and then that funky red wine comes back, like bottles in a moist cellar. It's tingly, salty, and then those savory meat notes return, even a hint of something rotten at times. There is black pepper, and something fermented... later, sliced pickles.

Finish: Medium long finish, and the peat smoke is plenty strong now. Lots of notes on the finish mirroring the palate: funky meat, even rotting meat, lactic notes, black pepper. On the sweeter side of things, we find red and purple fruit jams.

Final Note: Not too sure about this one; one of the two of us found it interesting to explore, while the other was put off by some very unusual flavors. The lactic note is classic Bruichladdich, and interesting enough to experience on its own, but paired with the funky savory notes, we can understand how it would be a bit off-putting. Still, it's an interesting one, at least worth a try before we could consider buying a bottle.

Our Average Rating: 7.3 / 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: 4.60