Octomore Edition 13.1 5 Year Old | The Impossible Equation

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 59.2%

The first bottling in the Octomore 13 series released in autumn 2022, Octomore 13.1 is a 5-year-old single malt distilled in 2016 using malted barley peated to an extraordinary 137.3ppm and bottled at a potent 59.2%.

The '.1' releases in each Octomore series are intended as the baseline Octomores, meaning that they are generally only matured in American oak casks. This Octomore 13.1 was matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks and was re-racked into fresh first-fill ex-bourbon casks in 2021 to give the spirit an extra burst character before bottling.

Attributes 

Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Character: Synonyms with the classic Octomore .1 style. Hidden peat smoke allows the floral, malty spirit and the sweet American oak to combine in perfect harmony, before dry, earthy smoke sweeps across the palate.

Colour: Golden Hebridean sands.

Nose: Initial impressions are of sweet nutty smoke, loaded with barley sugar and ripe fruit. Syrupy apricot and ripe pear along with malty vanilla notes of barley flour and Crème Brulee, honey and tablet. The American oak brings coconut, almonds and charred oak. The peat smoke is delicate but powerful and, along with the charred oak, brings out boot polish, leather and earthy notes.

Palate: A viscous texture across the palate, the feeling is of densely smoked grain which comes through like smoked granola with honeyed fruit. A second sip brings the opportunity to decipher the complexity on the palate, with smoked apricot jam, barley flour, peat embers and burnt heather balanced with gooseberry citrus and sweet Turkish delight. Oak chips, sugared almonds and chocolate-limes with spicy aniseed comes toward the finish. A drop of water intensifies the smoke and brings out the minerality of the whisky.

Finish: On the finish the sweetness fades and an earthy, mossy note remains on the palate wrapped in dry heathery peat smoke. Salty-citrus and floral notes of geranium and rose come through calmly to round off another wonderful expression of the Octomore paradox.