Octomore 7.3 Whisky Review!

Another Islay barley Octomore! This one isn't sporting the massive ppm numbers of the epic 6.3 and the 8.3 that has finally started appearing in Australia. But it does have a different maturation regimen going for it, and let's be honest, an Octomore is never going to be a dull thing!

If my semi-educated guesswork is correct then this was actually the first Octomore, the super-heavily peated whisky from Bruichladdich Distillery, that was released under the reign of current master distiller Adam Hannett after he took the reigns from the legendary Jim McEwan. Adam's doing a cracking job from where I'm sitting, and let's not forget that he has been responsible for the magnificent Octomore OBA and the aforementioned Octomore 8.3, and plenty of other magnificent 'laddies and Port Charlottes. Loving your work Adam!

What we have here is a 5-year old Octomore, distilled from barley that was grown on James Brown's Octomore farm (where Octomore distillery once stood), down the road from the distillery on Islay. That Islay barley was then sent to Baird's Maltings in Inverness, where it was peated to a very high (by normal standards, but not by Octomore standards!) 169 ppm phenols. Once back on Islay the malt was slowly mashed, fermented and double-distilled, and the resulting new make spirit was then filled into both ex-bourbon casks and ex-Ribera del Duero Spanish red wine casks.

Ribera del Duero is a wine-producing region of Northern Spain, and as is the usual modus operandi with wine-matured Bruichladdich we don't know the exact wine or grape variety that the casks previously held, or the exact vineyard, but since it's the most commonly produced "varietal" in the region we can safely assume that it was Tempranillo. Bruichladdich love their wine casks and they certainly also know how to use them, and those wine casks do seem to be finding their way into more and more 'laddie releases. I did spot some Rivesaltes (red wine from the south of France) casks during my visit that were playing house with some Islay barley Octomore, so I think we can expect to see more deliciousness in the near future!

While 169 ppm doesn't sound like a huge number compared to 208 (in 7.1 & 7.2), 258 (in 6.3) or now 309 (in 8.3, the new king), it's important to remember that the numbers don't tell the full story. There are so many variables and other factors involved that determine the level of peat and/or smoke that we detect in a whisky that the ppm measurement of the malted barley (prior to mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturation) doesn't directly correlate. But even if it did, that's over three times the ppm level found in the closest rival Ileachs, so rest assured that there's plenty of peat in them thar bottles! Octomore 7.3 was bottled at 63%, which is slightly reduced from cask strength, and of course is non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. Let's get to it!

Octomore 7.3 Islay Barley, 5 years old, 63%. Bruichladdich Distillery, Islay, Scotland.
Distilled from Islay barley peated to 169 ppm, matured full-term in both ex-bourbon and ex-Ribera del Duero Spanish red wine casks (possibly Tempranillo). Non-chill filtered, natural colour.

Colour: Full gold.

Nose: Dusty farmyards, sweet smoked fatty bacon (sugar-glazed), iodine, dried sweet strawberries, a little seaweed. Salted butter and sandy beaches. A little nippy as well (alcohol nip), tickles the nose hairs, but it's a fantastic nose on this dram.

Texture: Medium weight, oily & warming. A little hot though.

Taste: Big, hot and richly flavoured. Almost like a cordial concentrate. A surprisingly subtle / integrated earthy peat, chilli flakes, cinnamon sugar, and more sweet glazed smoked bacon. There's a little heat here too, but it's not unpleasant by any means.

Finish: Medium length. Hot & spicy, then more strawberries in icing sugar, some herbal wood smoke, more hot chilli flakes and a little iodine. A few dusty apples show up for a second, then hot chilli chocolate, and a little burnt American BBQ pork. Some band-aids show up right at the end.

Score: 3.5 out of 5.

Notes: It's quite a hot one, but the sheer concentration of flavour does make up for it. Loving those flavours too, although there's not a lot of peat to be found which is surprising. It's probably the most medicinal Octomore I've had as well, especially on the nose, which is interesting. In fact the nose is definitely the highlight of the dram for me, although the palate follows suit. The finish does fall over a little bit though, mostly because of the alcohol heat which does overstay its welcome a little, and I suspect also kills off a lot of the flavour that would've shown up in the finish otherwise. That heat is more present here than I've found in any Octomore previously, even those bottled at (slightly) higher strength and the same age. While unexpected, and probably a challenge for those not used to it, it's not unpleasant to my palate by any means.

So 7.3 doesn't quite have the magic of the other Islay barley Octomores, the magnificent 6.3 and the new peaty beast that is 8.3, but it does offer a different experience, and it's still a very enjoyable Octomore. Like they all are of course! If you're a fan of these drams, you'll want to have this one on the shelf. It's still quite easy to find, at least in Australia, and it's definitely lasted a lot longer than its predecessor did. What's left of the 7.3 is likely to be left in the shadows when the 8.3 finally lands with those massive figures printed on it, but if you're an Octo-head you'll of course want to have both. But hey, you can never have enough Octomore!

Cheers!