Bruichladdich Distillery Unveils Octomore Series 16

The latest single malt Scotch whisky series features experimental peating levels, cask exploration and a single estate expression from barley grown on Octomore Farm, Islay.

NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2025 – Bruichladdich Distillery has today, September 2, launched its highly anticipated annual Octomore series. Octomore is a ground-breaking Islay single malt brand which continues to confound the whisky industry year upon year. The 16 series is a powerful lineup featuring sky-high PPMs, traceable barley and a unique selection of fine casks from all over the globe.

Considered by the distillery to be "The Impossible Equation," Octomore is designed to push the boundaries of whisky-making, challenging consumer's ideas about age, peating levels and near cask-strength ABV.

"Octomore exists to provoke and challenge," says Bruichladdich Distillery Master Blender, Adam Hannett, "something that is on paper so polarising, it shouldn't really work – it's too young, too strong and too peaty - hence 'The Impossible Equation.' But with each new Octomore expression, the spirit continues to surprise and delight with its depth, its campfire smoke and its incredible flavour profile."

There are three expressions in Series 16, each layered, complex and ever-changing – evolving further when left to breathe or through adding a drop of water.

The start of the Octomore journey, 16.1 provides the reference point for this series' unorthodox experimentation. 16.1 is crafted using 100% Scottish Mainland Concerto Barley, malted to 101.4 PPM and aged in cask for five years, with an ABV of 59.3%. This elegant liquid is matured in first fill bourbon barrels, bringing intense peat smoke with surprising delicacy. Salted caramel, honeyed melon and apricot are followed by chocolate and coconut, accompanied by a soft wave of earthy minerality and lingering smoke. Octomore 16.1 is priced at $204.99.

Octomore 16.2 invites you further on the journey, providing an irresistible comparison to 16.1. This expression uses the same distillate as the 16.1, has been aged in cask for five years and bottled at 58.1% ABV. The 16.2 has been housed in a fine selection of Oloroso and Bordeaux casks before being finished in Madeira and Portuguese Moscatel for a rich and complex flavour.  Caramelized sugar, roasted nuts, and dried fruits abound, enveloped in sweet smoke. This is the first time this combination of casks has been used in an Octomore expression, demonstrating Adam's ability to constantly innovate: "We have an unparallelled selection of casks available to us and it's important to continue to experiment and push boundaries." Octomore 16.2 is priced at $244.99.

Octomore 16.3 is a showcase of single farm, single field and whisky-making. The archetypal Octomore liquid is produced in its entirety from barley from Octomore Farm.  Continuing the Series 16 odyssey, this ultrahigh-provenance single malt whisky explores the influence of barley grown exclusively in Church Field on Octomore Farm, Islay. A symphony of honeyed malt, toasted grain and a distinctive earthiness meets delicate threads of smoke and salinity. 16.3 has been aged five years full term in Bourbon, Sauternes and Pedro Ximénez casks with the Islay barley malted to 189.5 PPM and bottled at 61.6% ABV. Octomore 16.3 is priced at $279.99. "The locally grown and harvested Islay barley takes the spirit in another direction," continues Hannett. "For me, whisky should evoke a sense of place, and the earthy, cereal-forward notes of Octomore 16.3 speak of its island origins."

Each Octomore single malt Scotch whisky has been conceived, distilled, matured, and bottled on Islay. The spirit is un-chill filtered, contains no added color and has been brought to strength using Octomore Spring water from Islay.

Octomore Series 16, including 16.1, 16.2 and 16.3, is available to purchase online at https://us.bruichladdich.com/collections/octomore and in specialist whisky retailers as of September 2, 2025. Prices for the Octomore Series 16 start from $204.99.