Review #366 - Bruichladdich Octomore 14.3
The third piece of Bruichladdich's 14th series of Octomore super heavily peated single malts - this 2023 release uses Islay-grown Concerto barley. In fact, they tell us exactly where this barley came from: just two miles away from the distillery, the Village and Lorgba fields on Octomore Farm were the home of this grain before harvest. Once Bruichladdich got their hands on the barley, it was peated to a ridiculous 214.2 ppm.
The casks used for these annual releases change each year; this time, it was a split maturation. 50% of the spirit spent the 5 years aging in first fill American whisky (not specified as ex-bourbon, interestingly) casks, while the other 50% was matured in second fill French oak wine casks.
Bruichladdich Octomore 14.3
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 300 (2023)
Age Statement: 5 Years
Strength: 61.4% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-American whisky and second fill FOC wine casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; 2017 vintage, bottled 2023; Concerto barley from Octomore Farm on Islay, peated to 214.2 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: Medium to strong peat to start - a little ashy, but a lighter complexion in general. Grilled jalapenos, light oak, grass and hay, and malty grain mingle. There are little hints of lemon curd, which become more creamy, almost custard-like, with time.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel - this has great texture, with a bit of cream and lemon tart like the nose. Peat starts mild but grows to a strong influence, and there's a sort of mezcal smoke style to it; more citrus, orange now, adds a zing, and there's a bit of cinnamon spice.
Finish: The sweet lemon curd and creamy notes continue from the nose and palate into the finish. The smoke is now more brittle and ashy, and we get white pepper and a fizzy element; later, some lime fruit arrives.
Final Note: This is on the subtler side for an Octomore whisky - not too cask forward, with a nice amount of the spirit character remaining. We do get some of those lactic notes that sometimes appear in Bruichladdich spirits, though they come across as sweeter in this bottle; the texture was especially nice, even if some of the flavors were more reserved.
Value for money isn't the best, as this is a very expensive single malt, but Octomore is still a series of whiskies that we're occasionally willing to splurge on.
Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 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: 4.48
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Octomore reviews:
Review #365 - Bruichladdich Octomore 14.2
Review #182 - Bruichladdich Octomore 14.1
Review #161 - Bruichladdich Octomore 10 Year 4th Edition
Review #96 - Bruichladdich Octomore 12.3
Review #77 - Bruichladdich Octomore 12.2
Review #29 - Bruichladdich Octomore 13.3
