Octomore 13.4 Review – Bruichladdich 2022 Super Heavily Peated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Company: Bruichladdich

Distillery: Bruichladdich Distillery

Region: Bruichladdich, Isle of Islay, Scotland

Aging: 5 Years in American Oak Barrels – First fill ex-American whiskey casks for six months before being transferred into 300-litre American virgin oak casks, which had been subjected to a high toast level

ABV: 61.6% ABV

Proof: 123.2 Proof

Peat Level: 137.3 PPM

Mash Bill: 100% Islay Single Malt – Barley Variety: Concerto

Non-Chill Filtered: Yes

MSRP Price: $150

Octomore 13.4 Tasting Notes

Appearance: Golden Honey

Nose: Peat, smoke, barbequed meats, beef jerky, seared smoked steak, campfire, honey caramel, vanilla, ash, black peppercorn, spices

Palate: Sweet and savory smoke, peat, vanilla, salty, briny, clove, honey, meaty, pepper-seasoned steak or beef jerky, candied fruits, light fruits, citrus, hazelnut, baking spices, seasoning, black peppercorn

Finish: Extremely full finish that is smooth but also leaves you with an extremely oily and buttery mouthfeel – leaves you with both sweet and savory flavors full of smoke, peat, salt, brine, and smoked meats layered with caramelized brown sugar or maple flavor with lingering pepper spice

Is Octomore 13.4 an Approachable Whisky?

Octomore 13.4 is one of the most heavily peated Scotch Whiskies on the market with a whopping 137.3 PPM (Parts Per Million) on the peat scale.

In comparison, Ardbeg’s 10 Year comes in at around 45-55 PPM.

Despite having such a high peat level, the pour is surprisingly smooth and has a very well-balanced finish that doesn’t feel particularly hot despite its high ABV and peat level.

With that being said, this is a whisky for experienced whisky drinkers.

Beginners to peaty Scotch whisky will likely have their taste buds overwhelmed by the immense flavors in this one.

Is Octomore 13.4 Complex?

My bottle of Octomore 13.4 is a distillery exclusive limited edition 2022 release.

It is an extremely complex whisky and has many layers of flavor.

The front and center flavor is most certainly peat and smoke.

Both on the nose and palate, the peat is quite prominent.

But what’s interesting is how savory the peat flavors are in this pour.

There are plenty of peaty Scotches including Laphroaig, Ardbeg, The Big Peat, Lagavulin, and many more… but Octomore is just a completely different flavor profile.

Even compared to other Bruichladdich bottles like Port Charlotte and The Classic Laddie, Octomore 13.4 has more layers of flavors than the others.

Due to the oak influence, I can certainly get a nice level of oak, vanilla, caramel honey sweetness, and a prominent clove note.

In addition, there is a slight bit of a nutty note that reminds me of a hazelnut flavor or almost like the toasted cinnamon pralines you’d get at a fair.

The finish is spectacular and is quite smooth for this being a 61.6% ABV whisky.

Bruichladdich’s Description of this Whisky from their Website

This limited edition Octomore 13.4 began its maturing life in first fill ex-American whiskey casks for six months before being transferred into 300 litre American virgin oak casks, which had been subjected to a high toast level. This high toast level in the cask brings warming and complex toasted oak notes, with layer upon layer of vanilla, toffee and spice.

Always taking a nuanced approach to exploring the Octomore spirit, Adam comments: “These casks are like sister casks to those used in the release of the Octomore 10.4. Both distilled in 2016 from the Scottish Mainland harvest of Concerto barley, the defining difference has been in the type of oak species used, with this particular expression using American virgin oak (Quercus Alba), while the 10.4 used European virgin oak (Quercus Robur).

The difference in flavour demonstrates the evolving suite of compounds found through oak species, the different coopering make-up (cask size) and the time spent in the respective casks.”

What are Octomore 13.4’s strongest attributes/flavors?

Octomore 13.4’s strongest attribute is most certainly the balance between peat and the wide array of flavors this whisky has to offer.

In comparison to other peated whisky, Octomore is just a special breed of whisky that delivers on an entirely different level.

It truly is a treat.

Is Octomore 13.4 a go-to whiskey?

This bottle of Octomore 13.4 took me quite a bit to obtain.

Bruichladdich Scotch Whisky isn’t easy to find in Pennsylvania in general, even though we have been seeing a bit of The Classic Laddie, Port Charlotte, and recently the Islay Barley.

I don’t expect to see Octomore available in my area any time in the next 5 years, so this bottle will be special order for me for quite a while.

That being said, if I could find this more often, I would most definitely drink it all the time.

Is Octomore 13.4 priced accurately to its quality?

This bottle of Octomore 13.4 is a limited edition 2022 release that will be hard to find now but at the $150 price point that I got it, it was absolutely worth the price.

While more expensive than most of the standard peaty Scotches in the US, this bottle does offer a unique flavor profile that is worth the price of entry.

Octomore is extremely popular and sought after for a reason and I am glad to have found myself a bottle to try.

Conclusion for Bruichladdich Octomore 13.4 – Super Heavily Peated – Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Octomore 13.4 is one of the best peated Scotch whiskies I have tasted.

It has a level of depth to it that is on par with all of the Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Ardbeg bottles that I have tasted so far with Laphroaig Lore and Ardbeg Corryvreckan being the closest in comparison.

There is just something special and unique about the Octomore flavor profile that makes it worth every penny.

If you see a bottle of Bruichladdich’s Octomore series, be sure to pick yourself up a bottle.

Let Us Know What You Think

I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.

If you decide to give this bottle a shot, please let me know on social media via Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Thanks for reading and cheers!