Octomore Series 16: Bruichladdich’s Bold Islay Whisky

Four experimental Islay single malts with bold peat levels, global cask exploration, and single-estate barley

Release dates, ABV/PPM, cask regimes, and tasting notes at a glance

Introduction & Overview. Bruichladdich Distillery has launched its latest Octomore Series 16—a quartet of Islay single malt whisky releases that challenge assumptions about age, peat, and near cask-strength bottling. Available from 2 September 2025 (16.1, 16.2, 16.3) via bruichladdich.com and specialist retailers, with 16.4 following 4 November 2025, the series spans €159.99–€220.00. Octomore’s signature profile leans away from Islay’s classic “medicinal” style toward a dry campfire smoke, delivering high phenols with surprising finesse. “Octomore exists to provoke and challenge,” says Adam Hannett, Master Blender. “On paper it shouldn’t work—too young, too strong, too peaty—hence the ‘impossible equation.’ Yet every release continues to surprise with depth, campfire smoke, and an incredible flavour profile.”

Design & Presentation / Maturation & Flavor Profile. Series 16 spotlights transparency and provenance across four distinct builds.

Octomore 16.1 “The Reference” is distilled from 100% Scottish Mainland Concerto barley, malted to 101.4 PPM, aged 5 years entirely in first-fill bourbon and bottled at 59.3% ABV.

Octomore 16.2 “Cask Aced” uses the same distillate (5 years; 58.1% ABV) and pioneers a first-time Octomore cask sequence: maturation in Oloroso and Bordeaux, then a final year split across Madeira and Portuguese Moscatel for layered richness.

Octomore 16.3 “Octomore Farm Islay Barley” is single-estate to its core—barley grown exclusively on the Church Field of Octomore Farm on Islay, malted to 189.5 PPM, aged 5 years in a triad of bourbon, Sauternes, and Pedro Ximénez casks, and bottled at 61.6% ABV. Rounding out the series, 16.4 (e-commerce only) marries French virgin oak with heavily peated Islay barley (189.5 PPM) at 62.6% ABV, promising roasted oak, coffee bean, dark chocolate, and sweet smoke.

Every Octomore is conceived, distilled, matured, and bottled on Islay, non-chill filtered, naturally coloured, and brought to strength with Octomore spring water. “Islay-grown barley adds a whole new dimension,” notes Hannett. “Whisky should convey a sense of place—the earthy, grain-led notes of 16.3 speak clearly of its island origin.”

Tasting Notes.

• Octomore 16.1 (Bourbon, 59.3% ABV, 101.4 PPM) — Salted caramel, honeyed melon and apricot; then chocolate and coconut over a gentle wave of earthy minerality and lingering campfire smoke.

• Octomore 16.2 (Oloroso/Bordeaux → Madeira/Moscatel, 58.1% ABV, 101.4 PPM) — Caramelised sugar, roasted nuts, and dried fruits, all wrapped in sweet smoke; a new cask combination for Octomore underscores ongoing innovation.

• Octomore 16.3 (Islay Barley, 61.6% ABV, 189.5 PPM) — Honeyed malt, roasted grain, and a distinctive earthiness, with subtle floral tones, salinity, and delicate smoke.

Conclusion

With experimental peat levels, global cask diversity, and a single-estate Islay barley statement, Octomore Series 16 reaffirms Bruichladdich’s boundary-pushing philosophy in whisky. For collectors, enthusiasts, and industry professionals seeking limited edition single malt with clear provenance—and tasting notes that evolve with air or a drop of water—this quartet offers a definitive snapshot of Octomore’s provocative craft in 2025.