Bruichladdich sits on the shores of Loch Indaal on Islay, founded in 1881 and revived in 2001 with a mission to make thought‑provoking whisky rooted in place and provenance. The distillery uses exclusively Scottish barley, embraces traditional hands‑on production, and champions transparency and sustainability, earning B‑Corp certification in 2020.

Launched in 2008, Octomore is Bruichladdich’s annual experiment in pushing whisky to extremes. Towering peat levels, near‑cask‑strength bottling, and only five years old, yet surprisingly elegant. The distillery calls it “The Impossible Equation”: too young, too strong, too peaty… and yet it works.

Octomore 16.1 is the foundation of this year’s series. A pure expression of the spirit, matured entirely in first‑fill bourbon barrels. Despite its formidable peat level, it opens with surprising delicacy: salted caramel, honeyed melon, apricot, and soft coconut, wrapped in gentle smoke and earthy minerality. It’s the cleanest, brightest benchmark for comparing the other two whiskies.

700mL | 59.3%ABV