The whisky community subsequently demanded ever-increasing PPM levels, and the distillery gladly accepted the challenge, reaching an incredible 309 PPM, the highest phenol content ever measured in malted barley. However, Adam questioned whether this should also be the future direction of Octomore. He believed that the Octomore casks still remaining in the warehouse, dating from a time when ever-increasing phenol levels weren't a concern, were just waiting for the right moment to surprise the world with their unique character. Adam had to wait until the whisky world was ready for a completely new kind of Octomore. An Octomore that no longer had to be the most peated whisky in the world to be an original Octomore. And that moment is now.
Many already suspected that the true secret behind the cult brand Octomore wasn't the phenol content, but rather the surprises nature was able to unleash in each batch from the combination of malted barley and peat. Phenol content was always an exciting, but unfortunately completely unpredictable, component, let alone manipulable. Therefore, the race for ever more ppm had to come to an end. In keeping with the Bruichladdich philosophy of constantly questioning things anew to surprise the world with new creations.
Therefore, the fundamental focus for Octomore is being realigned – from the most peated to the most complex, layered and expressive single malt in the world.
The tenth edition stands for taste, diversity, and human intuition. Number games take a back seat. No more five-year age statements, blind phenol obsession, and the expectation of breaking the next PPM barrier with each edition. In the tenth edition, origin and craftsmanship set the tone, giving the whisky, in its purest form, the centre stage. Certainly, the new edition will initially shock many die-hard phenol aficionados and possibly fundamentally question their view of Octomore. But that's typical Octomore.
Progressive Hebridean Distillers produces complex and breath-taking bottlings from the Isle of Islay, from light to medium-bodied, from fresh to salty, right up to the peatiest whisky in the world. Bruichladdich was founded in 1881 by brothers Robert William and John Gourlay Harvey on the Isle of Islay. Unlike most distilleries that grew from converted farmhouses, Bruichladdich was designed and built as a distillery from the outset. The operation was one of the most modern distilleries in existence, and much of the original equipment is still in use today. There was no production between 1929 and 1937, and there were several changes of ownership until it was completely renovated in 2000, when Master Distiller Jim McEwan took over. His successor, Adam Hannett, has been Head Distiller since 2015.
Bruichladdich malts are neither chill-filtered nor coloured. It is also the only distillery on the island of Islay that bottles its own malts. The use of fresh spring water is a hallmark of the fruitiness of these malts.
