Description
The Octomore 13.1 is a super heavily peated 5-year-old made from Scottish barley and matured in 1st-fill ex-Bourbon American oak casks. Distilled in 2016 from a 2015 harvest of 100% Scottish grown Concerto barley. Bottled at 59.2% with a PPM of 137.3. Differentiating this .1 from previous releases in the series, Head Distiller, Adam Hannett, recasked the spirit in 2021 into fresh 1st-fill ex-bourbon American oak casks. This resulted in additional flavours of dark toffee, coconut and vanilla. A favourite amongst those at Bruichladdich teams as it resembles the richness and quality of the 7.1
Syrupy apricot and ripe pear along with malty vanilla notes of barley flour and creme brulee, honey and tablet. The American oak brings coconut, almonds and charred oak. The peat smoke is delicate, but powerful and, along with the charred oak, brings out boot polish, leather and earthy notes on the nose
A viscous texture across the palate, the feeling is of densely smoked grain which comes through like smoked granola with honeyed fruit. A second sip brings the opportunity to decipher the complexity on the palate, with smoked apricot jam, barley flour, peat embers and burnt heather balanced with gooseberry citrus and sweet Turkish delight.
On the finish the sweetness fades and an earthy, mossy note remains on the palate wrapped in dry heathery peat smoke. Salty-citrus and floral notes of geranium and rose come through calmly to round off another wonderful expression of the Octomore paradox.
