Octomore 12.1 Ochdamh-mòr 70cl 59.9°

Archive Octomore 12.1 Ochdamh-mòr 70cl 59.9°
Distillery : Bruichladdich / Country : Scotland / Reference: : 24861

The most powerful Single Malt of the new 2021 series from Octomore Ochdamh-mòr, this 12.1 edition presents the most beautiful duality between delicacy and power. A heavy, pure and balanced smoke with a lively, powerful and dynamic whisky, which also leaves room for fruity and floral notes.

Chief distiller Adam Hannett has aged this Octomore 12.1 edition only in old American whiskey casks for 5 years. It is a reference edition with respect to the following numbers .2 and .3. The younger is a whisky, the more impressive is its peat. Octomore 12.1 presents 130.8 PPM*.

The stripped-down maturation profile allows a tasting that highlights the malty notes rich in cereals of this Single Malt made from barley. Vanilla, citrus and fudge culminate in an exceptional challenge from one of the most peaty whiskies in the world.

-Made from 100% Scottish barley (Concerto variety) and Islay spring water.
-2015 vintage made from barley harvested in 2014.
-Non chill-filtered and colouring free at Bruichladdich Distillery.
-12th edition of this series.

*PPM - parts per million - of phenolic compounds, measures the impact of oily peat smoke that settles on germinated barley as it dries. The longer this time, the greater the value of ppm.

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185,50 € tax incl.

soit 265,00 € / litre

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Features
Volume0.7 L
ABV59.9 °
TypeSingle malt
DistilleryBruichladdich
CountryScotland
RegionIslay
Age5 years
MaturationBourbon
PeatHeavily Peated
CharacteristicsCask Strength & Non-Chill Filtered
Reference:24861

The peated whiskies of Islay are 30 to 45 ppm*. The first Octomore 1.1., released in 2007, is peated to 131ppm. And one of the last releases, the 6.3. is peated to 258ppm…


Jim McEwan from the Bruichladdich distillery recalls the philosophy by which the distillery crafted the Port Charlotte and Octomore whiskies: “When I asked Bairds, our Inverness malting house, to produce heavily peated barley, it was only curiosity. Just to see what would happen. I had in mind the taste of slow cold-smoked salmon, and I wanted to apply this to whisky. The barley took 5 days to dry… Then, I never asked to raise the peat level, this simply happened. Just like the waves on the sea, you do not always see the bigger ones rolling.”


A rare fact in Scotland, the Bruichladdich distillery uses an open mash tun. Its onion-shaped stills have a very flat base and a slender body. During distillation, alcohol vapours rise slowly, imparting finesse and elegance to the whisky.


With each release, Octomore has been developing even more depth and peated notes. Donald McKenzie, Octomore manager for the Dugas Company in France, deems that “Octomore is a technical whisky, a heavily peated, oily and powerful challenge but still extremely refined. It is a rare, excessive, exceptional whisky.”


The Octomore versions are classified by two numbers separated by a dot. The first number is the batch, the second one is an indication of the whisk maturation. 1 for 100% Bourbon casks, 2 for various cask types. 3 refers to the use of Islay barley.


*PPM -  phenols parts per million, measuring the influence of the oily smoke peat infusing the germinated barley during the drying process. The longer the exposure, the highest the ppm value is. A well peated Islay whisky reaches a 40-50 ppm. But every whisky still develops its very own character and mouthfeel sensation, depending on the style of each distillery.

Character: vibrant, punchy and lively initially and then opens up to reveal layers of complexity, instilled through slow distillation, careful maturation and cask selection. A dram that rewards those who seek to discover the mysterious, enigmatic whisky that is Octomore.

Colour: light gold.

Nose: opens on zesty citrus freshness and earthy peat smoke. Vanilla sponge cake and barley sugars with rich malt sweetness. Coconut and chocolate, vanilla and caramel follow and as the aromas open further cinder toffee and layers of Peat smoke and honey come to the fore.

Palate: peppery and sweet on the palate, with a texture of warm golden syrup. Honey and peat smoke then fired oak chips and peaty apricot jam open. Another sip brings malted barley sugars and straw, heather flower and a nutty nougat sweetness. A mineral sandy note sits on the palate and brings through a dry phenolic earthy smoke and hints of orange zest and pear drops.

Finish: the finish brings salted caramel with floral and herbal notes. Honeysuckle, primrose and then gentle peat smoke, as ever, the note that drifts on the longest.