Octomore 13.2 offers an alternative maturation to the structural brilliance delivered by its 13.1 counterparts. In an indulgent point of difference, the five-year-old spirit has spent its entire maturing life in Oloroso butts from Fernando de Castilla, Spain.
Following a similar path to the Octomore 13.1, this 13.2 edition is also distilled from 100% Scottish Mainland barley and has been malted to the same 137.3PPM. However, the entire maturation in first fill Oloroso sherry butts from Jerez, Spain, offers a unique opportunity to compare the two spirits - with the sherry influence beautifully complementing the smoke and vibrancy of the single malt.
Using the same batch of super-heavily peated barley for both the 13.1 and 13.2 provides a fascinating insight in to the influence different cask types have on our Octomore spirit, with the maritime tang of Islay maturation complemented by nut, orange and dried fruit notes of the Oloroso sherry.
At Fernando de Castilla, the Jerez based bodega these casks hail from, these casks have previously held sherry that is crafted under the same guiding principles inherent to Bruichladdich Distillery – with quality, the craft of the maker, and exceptional flavour in mind.
Speaking of their importance on this particular Octomore single malt, Head Distiller Adam Hannett notes, “There’s a beautiful influence from the full-term maturation in these first fill Oloroso sherry butts. They’ve matured in the dunnage warehouses in the village of Port Charlotte, and the combination of cask and a slow and cold maturation has really accentuated the salty tang of the spirit.”
