The Octomore Distillery is known for producing the most heavily peated whisky in the world. The distillery was founded in 2002 on the Scottish island of Islay and is a subsidiary of the Bruichladdich Distillery. The name Octomore comes from a nearby farm that operated its own licensed distillery in the 19th century.
Octomore is famous for its extreme peat levels, measured in phenol parts per million (ppm). The first batch was peated at 80 ppm, but later releases reached levels up to 258 ppm. The highest ever recorded level is 309 ppm. Despite these high peat levels, Octomore offers surprisingly complex flavor profiles with maritime, fruity, floral, and vanilla notes.
Octomore whiskies are typically bottled young, mostly at the age of five years, as this is considered the optimal maturation period to fully showcase the intense peat aromas. Popular releases include Octomore 14.1, 14.2, and 14.3, each aged in different types of casks and bottled with varying peat levels.
Production of Octomore takes place in the narrow-necked stills of the Bruichladdich Distillery, with only about 150,000 liters of Octomore produced annually. Each batch is bottled at natural cask strength, further intensifying the flavors. Distillation is carried out in small batches, and the entire system is flushed after each production to remove phenol residues.
Octomore is known not only for its strong peat aromas but also for its innovation and use of various cask types. For example, Octomore 14.2 is partially aged in Oloroso Hogsheads and Amarone casks, adding additional depth and complexity.
The history of Octomore is closely tied to the history of the Bruichladdich Distillery. After Bruichladdich was taken over by independent bottlers in 2000, Octomore was introduced to meet the demand for heavily peated whiskies. Since then, Octomore has achieved cult status among whisky enthusiasts and is celebrated worldwide for its exceptional and intense flavors.
