Every time Bruichladdich announces a new Octomore series, there is always that ripple of excitement from the people who follow this stuff closely. Octomore doesn't just appear on a shelf without comment. The numbering system, the annual rhythm, the slightly ritualistic anticipation – all give each release the same buzz that follows a new iPhone release.

Part of it is what the packaging conveys. Octomore’s tall, matte black silhouette looks like it belongs less in a whisky cabinet and more in a design store. The stark geometry, the san serif uppercase lettering and the refusal to do anything ornate still feels a little unusual in Scotch. It is the opposite of Scottish nostalgia, and you can see why fans treat a new series drop as if it were a tech launch more so than a liquor release. This visual language was very deliberate for Bruichladdich after all, which in the early 2000s was repositioning itself as one of the few modernist voices in an industry largely content with familiar heritage cues. 25 years since the resurrection of the distillery by Mark Reynier and Jim McEwan, its community of ardent fans remains as alive as ever.

We recently had the opportunity to taste the whole line up of the recently launched Octomore Series 16. But before getting into what the latest bottles are doing, it feels right to revisit what Octomore is and why it has carved out a cultural space beyond just being the smokiest one in Bruichladdich’s portfolio.

Octomore did not begin as some grand project. It started because something went a little sideways at the maltings. When Bruichladdich resumed operations in the early 2000s, it sourced peated malt from Bairds Malt in Inverness. The unusual thing about the maltings operation is that it smokes barley over outdoor peat fires, which can never be fully controlled.

(Source: Bairds Malts)

Some batches came in predictably peated; some came out absolutely roaring, pushing far beyond what Islay distilleries typically expect. Classic island malts usually land around the mid-30s to 50s in ppm. Bruichladdich’s own heavily peated Port Charlotte is consistently produced at about 40 ppm. Every now and then, though, Bairds would deliver malt that jumped past 200 ppm.

(Source: Roddy Mackay)

Jim McEwan, who had just taken on the role of production lead during the revival of Bruichladdich, noticed these wildly inconsistent batches and asked: what if they made whisky entirely from the extreme batches rather than blending them away with unpeated malt. So they tried it. The first Octomore was distilled in 2002 at 80.5 ppm, which already felt like a provocation in a category where most distilleries pursue flavour consistency. Later batches went far higher, with some breaking past 300 ppm and earning their place in whisky trivia lists. This was perhaps the start of a broader early 2000s shift where small distilleries began experimenting more freely with style boundaries, partly because they were not dependent on supplying blenders and could afford to release outliers. Octomore arrived at the same moment that single malt drinkers were becoming more interested in production variables such as barley provenance, fermentation length and ppm numbers, all of which helped the series gain traction.

But Octomore’s staying power was never just about being “the smokiest” line in Bruichladdich’s portfolio. Those record-chasing ppm numbers made for easy headlines, but they also ended up muddying the waters a little (especially for journalists who didn’t know whisky!). Phenol parts per million are measured in the malted barley, not in the finished whisky. Fermentation, the way the spirit is distilled, the cut points, the shape of the stills, the distillation cycles and finally the casks the spirit rests in – all of these can soften or reshape how the peat actually shows up in the glass. A 200-plus ppm Octomore does not taste four or five times smokier than a “regular” Islay malt; instead, what Bruichladdich set out to prove was that you could push phenols to the edge of what was technically possible, and still use other levers in whisky making to build something layered and crucially, drinkable.

As Bruichladdich Global Brand Ambassador Abi Clephane put it during the tasting session I joined, “Even though the numbers seem scary sometimes, the execution of the whisky production, the way Adam Hannett (Head Distiller and now Master Blender) makes it, is an endless balance.” The real story, Abi reminded us, is less about the lab figure on the spec sheet and more about the land, the weather, the farmers, the warehouses by the sea, and a stubborn insistence on doing as much as possible on Islay. Octomore becomes what the distillery calls an “Impossible Equation”: very young (usually around five years of age), extremely heavily peated, bottled at high strength – yet somehow refined, elegant and surprisingly easy to drink. Its reputation has helped drag conversations about barley origin, ppm, cask influence and production choices out of niche forums and into more mainstream whisky chatter. Even so, production of Octomore is very limited – accounting for about 10% of the distillery’s annual production.

Each Octomore series is broken into numbered sub-releases – the now-familiar .1, .2, .3 and .4 pattern – with each one designed to explore a different variable. The “.1” bottling is always the control. It is made from 100% Scottish mainland barley, malted to that series’ headline ppm, and matured in ex-bourbon barrels. The idea is to strip away as many distractions as possible to taste the spirit in its purest form.

The ".2” expression reroutes the spirit through more unusual casks. Over the years this slot has become the playground for the distillery with  different European oak types, fortified wine casks, or unexpected combinations to show how far you can stretch the Octomore spirit in a different direction.

The “.3” bottling is where Bruichladdich leans hardest into terroir. Almost every .3 release is built around single-origin barley grown on Islay itself, in particular on the brand’s namesake Octomore Farm just up the hill from the distillery. Not only is the barley local; even the water used to reduce the whisky for bottling is drawn from a spring on the farm. If .1 is the technical control, .3 is the philosophical one: what happens when you build an Octomore that is as “of this place” as you can possibly make it.

Finally, the “.4” release is the distillery-exclusive that shifts the lens again by using virgin oak to show how fresh, highly active wood can collide with an already intense spirit.

All of this brings us to the newest chapter: Octomore Series 16. In keeping with tradition, Octomore 16.1 “The Reference” is the baseline ex-bourbon expression. It is made from Scottish mainland Concerto barley malted to 101.4 ppm, matured for five years entirely in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, and bottled at 59.3% ABV.

Octomore 16.2 “Cask Aced” takes the same underlying distillate but barrels it in a never-before-seen combination of Oloroso and Bordeaux casks before being finished in Madeira and Portuguese Moscatel. It is bottled at 58.1% ABV.

Octomore 16.3 “Islay Barley, Octomore Farm” is the series’ ultra-high-provenance statement. The barley comes exclusively from Church Field on Octomore Farm, just above the village of Port Charlotte. It is malted to a huge 189.5 ppm, then matured for five years in a combination of bourbon, Sauternes and Pedro Ximénez casks before being bottled at 61.6% ABV.

Octomore Series 16’s line-up is now available through Cellarbration in Singapore (except for the Octomore 16.4 which must be purchased from the distillery).

Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Octomore 16.1 Single Malt, 100% Scottish Mainland Concerto Barley, 101.4 ppm, 59.3% ABV

Tasting Notes

Nose: A gentle rise of smoke in a rounded, almost cushiony texture, a soft sweetness of maltose syrup, and there is a bright, lifted edge from apple juice. Some honey and light elderflowers with a bitter citrus edge of lemon peel. A light mineral grip appears from the slate tone along with a slightly salty coastal character. Overall it sits as a very cohesive and well integrated nose, smokiness never overwhelms the gentler malt and fruit tones.

Palate: Opens with a warm prickle of the black pepper, followed by a dense, aromatic wave of extinguished campfire with a firm dark chocolate bitterness. Some smoked lemon peels and pith with accents of dried herbal tones. It gets sweeter and meltier towards the mid palate, joined by a mellow richness from caramel, vanilla and soft ripe apples. Then a citric zestiness comes in to sharpen the palate. It’s balanced between sweet orchard fruits, citrus and a herbal-campfire edge, slightly dry ashiness and dark chocolate bitterness but deeply aromatic.

Finish: Long, with lingering brightness from citrus zest and a steady glow of warm spices. Honey, continued dark chocolate bitterness, now with toasted coconut flakes. The campfire smoke stretches with a long tail across the throat. A mild acridity of tar and burning tyres sits far in the background while the smoke continues to trail for a long time.

My Thoughts:

This feels like a go to kind of dram for anyone who enjoys peat that is bold but nonetheless balanced and accessible. The campfire smoke is initially very big and prominent, but the whisky quickly conveys clean and defined orchard fruit and citrus tones than the ppm number suggests, before more vanilla, malt sweetness and a hint of coastal salinity comes through. I found it very expressive and flavourful, and the way the chocolate, citrus and warm spice elements play against the smoke gives the whisky more dimension than just the heavy phenols.

I should mention this feels a lot more drinkable than its ABV and ppm levels would imply. It’s firm, smoky, but ultimately well-balanced and easy to return to without being a peathead.

Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Octomore 16.2 Single Malt, 101.4 ppm, 58.1% ABV

Tasting Notes

Nose: Opens with immediate rounded fullness that feels more layered than the 16.1, carrying a gentle savoury edge that reminds me of fino sherry-like saltiness with a smooth almost waxy richness of weightier olive oil tones. A light vegetal depth then settles in before a softer sweetness develops from caramel apples. As it opens, fruit shifts toward a rounder appley tone, building some faint nuttiness of brazil nuts and macadamia. With more time, the wood starts to show more clearly as an aromatic and polished oak presence. Then deeper sherried warmth that feels sweet and coastal at once, with baking spices, more light oak varnish-like polish leading into a final gentle potpourri florals, red and dark berries (raspberry and blackberry compotes).

Palate: Opens with a smooth, rounded weight that comes from the oak. Concentrated sweetness of caramel-coated apples shifting into a thicker and darker form of caramelised fruits and poached pears. It gets more mature, oxidative depths with a touch of rancio, bringing with it a dry structure that clearly comes from aromatic European oak, before some fine, powdery bitterness of cocoa powder and espresso. A steady smoky edge stays present in the background, not forceful but gently coating the palate with an ashy dryness. It’s got a friendly rounded texture and slightly denser weight than the 16.1, with layers of caramelised sugar, bittersweet fortified wine tones and stewed fruits coming together in a way that adds weight without drowning out any component.

Finish: Lingering brown sugar with gentle embers that keep the final moments dry rather than sweet, followed by a muted earthiness of crunchy dry autumn leaves. The smoke remains persistent but soft, and the darker fruit and oak tones slowly fade without any sharp edges.

Thoughts

There’s a lot more happening at the same time, and the way the European oak and fortified wine layers interact makes the structure feel deeper, more aromatic with a touch more funkiness on the nose. The exotic fruit tones, the darker florals and the sherried elements sit comfortably next to the peat rather than competing with it, and the overall profile feels rounder and more intricate than the 16.1.

The whisky evolves steadily in the glass, shifting from savoury tones to fruit and polished oak, and finally into leaning seamlessly into darker bittersweet cocoa and espresso. It is a version of Octomore that leans into richness and oak-driven character without losing the clarity of the smoke or fruit.

Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Octomore 16.3 Single Malt, Octomore Farm Malt, 189.5 ppm, 61.6% ABV

Tasting Notes

Nose: Firm cereal grain-led depth right from the start, presenting an almost toasted heaviness that comes from the rich raw malt character along with a rounded musky warmth, gradually shifting into a faint melony softness. Deeper fruit tones build from the apricots, while a sharper aromatic lift comes from the smoked orange peels. A bright freshness then settles in from the apple slices, which lightens the earlier grain weight. An earthy grounding develops through the middle, and a faint horse fur animalic edge emerges with a brett-like note. There is also a subtle sarsaparilla root-like depth that sits amid the earthiness. The smoke itself feels soft and dry, creating a rather gentle frame, and this sits comfortably alongside the plusher orchard fruit and honey apple tones. As the nose continues to open, we get a cooling bite at the back from a minty edge, and a light peppery prickle.

Palate: The first impression is a lovely velvety, almost oily texture that clings across the tongue, it's a slow-moving texture that lets the flavours open gradually and seamlessly. A mellow sweetness spreads from the combination of honey and salted caramel, and there is a faint solvent like lift that feels more like the lightest trace of wood polish. This richer texture softens the transition into the heavier char grilled smoke, which then begins to rise slowly through the mid palate. The smoke becomes more structured as spice builds toward the finish with a clear sense of power.

Finish: Continued spices with a dry, heathery weight that carries the smoke forward, paired with a steady salty tone that keeps the finish tight and firm. A deep warmth spreads across the throat, it's very warm but never tipping into heat. A darker oak-driven bitterness appears like burnt coffee and grainier char from the burnt toast. There's a slightly acrid edge right at the end that's perhaps burning tyres.

Thoughts

My favourite of the trio! This feels like a whisky built to express very good quality maltiness. The richness of the texture makes the entire experience smoother and more gradual than the higher ppm number might imply. The clear cereally character on the nose gives it a very distinct identity early on, and the fruit, earth and smoke elements sit together in a way that feels very grounded and integrated.

I found the finish especially pleasant, with a warmth that expands without ever feeling overbearing, and the combination of heather, salt and char makes the closing moments feel very complete. The complexity comes not from heavy cask influence but from the interaction of malt, fruit, smoke and texture, and the unexpected minty and musky tones add nuance that sets this apart from the 16.1 and 16.2.

@CharsiuCharlie