BRUICHLADDICH OCTOMORE SERIES 16
ISLAY, SCOTLAND
Since launching in 2008, the Octomore series has made defying conventional whisky wisdom its personal mission … and boy, have they succeeded spectacularly. While conventional distilling orthodoxy insists that anything over 30 parts per million (PPM) of phenols qualifies as "heavily peated," Bruichladdich's mad scientists decided that was merely a starting suggestion. The 16th edition, their latest, starts at a brain-melting 101.4 PPM and rockets up to 189.5 PPM — numbers that will stupefy even the most hardened Islay devotee.
The 15th edition received enthusiastic coverage in Robb Report, Forbes, Men's Journal, VinePair, and Maxim, and we fully expect the whisky press to again reach for the superlatives for the latest installment in the series.
Head distiller Adam Hannett puts it perfectly: these whiskies shouldn't work on paper. Based purely on their peat levels, they ought to be one-dimensional disasters with no depth. Instead, thanks to his team’s obsessive attention to barley quality and masterful cask management, these phenolic beasts have been transformed into something not just intense, but complex, and (dare we say it?) nuanced.
In all 3, the peat is integrated so seamlessly that the drinking experience becomes less about oily intensity and smoke and more about dimensionality and depth.
And each one tells its own story:
* The 16.1 (101.4 PPM; 118.6 proof) showcases Scottish Mainland Concerto barley aged in first-fill bourbon barrels, delivering salted caramel, honeyed melon, and chocolate, along with wave after wave of earthy minerality.
* The 16.2 maintains the same 101.4 PPM foundation but explores an entirely different trajectory through maturation in Oloroso, Bordeaux, Madeira, and Moscatel casks; here, caramelized sugar and roasted nuts dip and dance with dried fruits, as a sweet campfire smoke rises in the background and (as you keep drinking) the 116.2 proof begins to kick in.
* The 16.3 represents the series' most ambitious statement at 189.5 PPM, using 100% Islay-grown barley from Octomore Farm itself and aged in bourbon, Sauternes, and Pedro Ximénez casks. At an almost-staggering 123.2 proof, it never lets up, and we didn’t want it to. We also loved the distinctive earthiness and maritime salinity.
We can't wait for you to taste these for yourself. For fans of the Octomore series, of course, this is a no-brainer of a buy, but this offer is not just for hardened loyalists.
These are phenomenal whiskies, from a team that refuses to be satisfied with good enough, and that keeps pushing into genuinely uncharted territory.
As any good artist or scientist can tell you, the most interesting discoveries happen when you're brave enough to ignore conventional wisdom.
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Winter 2025. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. The price reflected on your order form is subject to change after the order is placed in the event of a change in tariffs or taxes that are imposed by the U.S. government, or in the case of currency fluctuations of 10% or greater. Offer only valid in AZ, CA, CO, FL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MN, MO, NJ, NV, TX, & WI. This offer will expire on Sunday, September 14, 2025.