Review #96 - Bruichladdich Octomore 12.3
'Local Barley' Series: Part 2 of 5
Part two of our series, and we're sticking around Islay for now, but sneaking over to Bruichladdich - we have their heavily peated Octomore single malt, specifically the 12.3 edition. These '.3' editions use a separate type of barley when compared to the '.1' and '.2' releases - they employ Islay barley-grown specifically. The 12.3, released in 2021, was made using Concerto variety barley from the Octomore Farm on Islay... they even give us the field in which it grew: Church Field, in this case. While the 12.1 and 12.2 Octomores were made using barley peated to a phenol level of 129.7 ppm, this 12.3 was peated to a 'mere' 118.1 ppm.
Casks will vary each year with the '.3' releases - this 2021 bottle employed ex-bourbon casks and ex-Pedro Ximenez casks, in a 75%/25% ratio. The sherry casks are, in fact, Solera casks, a much more rare (and MUCH more expensive) type of sherry cask; instead of new oak seasoned with young, mediocre quality sherry made specifically to prepare the barrels for future whisky aging which is the case for the majority of ex-sherry casks used in Scotland, 'Solera' casks are usually the actual barrels that were used in maturing high-quality sherries for long periods of time in a Solera system. These barrels are generally quite old and valuable, as the bodegas are not keen to give them up after preparing them for such a long time to properly age high-quality sherry.
Each time we tasted this whisky, we found different flavors to explore, which led to a pretty lengthy list of tasting notes, something you'll see below. There were many layers to this - it continues to astound us that so much complexity can be found in whisky that's merely five years old. The cask strength bottling policy and lack of chill filtration definitely contributes to that, but Bruichladdich also seems to source very high quality casks. There is likely a high proportion of first-fill casks being used for Octomore as well, so that the wood and its previous contents are able to have an immediate and dramatic effect on the powerfully peated Octomore spirit.
Bruichladdich Octomore 12.3
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 260 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 320 (2023)
Age Statement: 5 Years
Strength: 62.1% ABV
Cask Makeup: 75% Ex-bourbon casks, 25% PX Solera casks from Bodega Fernando de Castilla
Details: 118.1 ppm peat level; Concerto barley variety grown in Church Field on Octomore Farm on Islay; not chill filtered, no color added
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 8 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, and 80% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: This is pulling us in a lot of different directions - very densely flavored, though it isn't closed up, it comes right out at you. Umami notes are the first out of the gate: prosciutto, almost a charcuterie board of meats. They quickly make way for fruit, though; we get the whole spectrum from light to dark, starting with moldy citrus and orange, but moving to sweet raspberry, tons of plum, and darker sherry notes. There's dried fruit, too, like fig and prune. Then we're into baking notes: pretzels and cooked pasta noodles, rich vanilla bean ice cream, butterscotch and white pepper, along with quite a nice malty note. The peat smoke does come through, but it's a medium influence, not the heavy peat you might expect with an Octomore; in our experience, the smoke doesn't always present as strongly on the nose of the Octomores in general. The character of the smoke is like that of a mezcal at times, or some burning hay.
Opposite the fruit, baking spice, and smoke, there is another side to this nose: the woody, farmy notes. There is a medium oak influence despite the young age, and it has some cedar or pine character, a bit like smelling freshly cut wood in a lumberyard. This transitions toward a mulchy character, or more musty and mossy oak, like spending time in a damp cellar. There are green plants, mud, some dried grass, and those nice 'farmyard' funk flavors in here... it's powerful with some sharper spirit as well, with a lingering note of rubber cement.
Palate: A very thick, viscous mouthfeel, so cozy-warm and powerful and pungent. While there is a hint of savory still here, in the form of a dry rub barbecue, the emphasis of the palate is more focused on strong smoke and fruits. While strong, the peat is also pleasant, a bit like tobacco or a cigar smoke, or a campfire on a damp evening. There's some nice red wine sort of influence, figs and prune and ripe plum, but also some lighter lemon citrus and fruit sugars. The oak does contribute some tannins, but also baking spices of black pepper and vanilla, as well as some mild salt and a sugary glaze.
Despite the wide array of flavors, this manages to stay well-balanced, and the flavor shows no sign of fading any time soon. Like the nose, with more time, mulchy and earthy notes come in, lots of oils and a spritely spirit brightness, followed up by more rubber.
Finish: The finish is very long, with richness, restrained warmth, and creamy texture. It's oily, almost like a cooking oil, and the peat smoke is now constant and prickly, and it's aided by a hint of wood smoke as well. Speaking of wood, the oaky tones are damp and oily as well, and there is a nice 'ground espresso bean' taste, which transitions into dark chocolate. There's charred orange rind, and the wine influence is more mild now, but still gives us a bit of a barbecue taste when paired with the smoke. There's a hint of grain on the back end of the finish, with green hay; it's a pretty dirty whisky overall, which is emphasized at the end.
Final Note: We could spend an hour just nosing this whisky, it just gives and gives and gives. So many layers, so many individual and unique notes in different tastings, it really is hard to find another bottle to compare it to. It has the full range - fruits, baking notes, oak, smoke, and Bruichladdich's very unique spirit character. The question is - is that worth $250 to $300? Well, this won't be winning any value contests, but it does deliver a ton a flavor. If you're looking to splurge on a nicer whisky in that price range, and you enjoy heavily peated, powerfully flavored malts, this one could be for you.
Our Average Rating: 8.7 / 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: 5.22
