Bruichladdich – Octomore 14.3 (70cl, 61.4%)

Octomore 14.3 is a heavily peated Islay single malt from Bruichladdich, peated to 214.2 ppm and bottled at 61.4% in a 70cl bottle. Head Distiller Adam Hannett chose its casks: first fill ex-American whiskey casks combined with second fill wine casks, over five years of maturation. The spirit was distilled in 2017 from 100% Islay Concerto barley of the 2016 harvest, grown on Octomore Farm two miles from the distillery, and bottled in 2023. The nose offers sweet mash, biscuit, peat smoke, apricot, peach, honeyed pears and candied lemon peel. On the palate, soft oak gives way to smouldering peat, with gorse and honeysuckle. The finish is malty and earthy, with barley sugar, caramel and vanilla.