Bruichladdich Octomore 13.1

“Peat For Peat’s Sake” (Money For God’s Sake) 

Whisky Review # 1080

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Islay

Brand: Bruichladdich Octomore 13.1 (137.3 PPM)

Series: The Impossible Equation 

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Bottled: 15-03-2022

Age: 5 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 59.2% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: Around US$ 160-200 (January 2026)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Too expensive for such a Young Single Malt

Buying Advice: 👍 Positive if you're into Young, heavily Peated Islay Whisky and money is not an issue.

Colour:

Pale Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

The Alcohol is strong so avoid to nose in the middle of your glass. Peat and Smoke are quite dominant and all the related Aromas are there. The Nose reveals Sweet, Salty and Sour notes. I get a minor Plastic off-note in the background. The nose is typical of a Young heavily peated Single Malt from Islay. Not bad but perhaps a bit one-dimensional.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Fudge, Vanilla, Bonfire Smoke and Wet Peat, Soot, Tar, Straw mixed with Cow Manure, Meat, Bacon and Fish on the BBQ sprinkled with Herbs and Lemon, Mixed Nuts, Charred Wood, Chocolate, Polished Leather, Blue Cheese, Pepper, Ginger and Cloves.    

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Ashes, Asphalt, Wax, Iodine, Damp Cellar, slightly Sour Yellow Plums and Grapefruit, Green Apple, Grilled Pineapple, Apricot Jam, Wet Rocks, Licorice, Mint, Menthol and Plastic. A hint of Coconut Milk.  

Palate:

The Alcohol is more noticeable on the Palate but I do like the pleasant rather Oily mouthfeel of this Octomore. Peat and Smoke continue to dominate on the Palate. You will find a mix of Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Burnt and Salty notes. Not bad if you're into this type of Whisky.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Salted Fudge, Vanilla, Campfire Smoke, Wet Peat, Ashes, Soot, Tar, Asphalt, Iodine, Hospital, Meat, Bacon and Fish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon and Herbs, Polished Leather, Toasted Pineapple, Charred Oak, Nuts and Nutshells, Pepper, Cloves, Mint, Licorice and Nutmeg.   

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Burnt Grass and Straw, Wax, Orange-flavored Chocolate, Butter -Biscuits, Green Apple, Apricot Jam, Wet Rocks & Sand, Forest Floor, slightly Sour Yellow Plums & Grapefruit, Blue Cheese, Aniseed, Menthol, Cinnamon and Ginger. A hint of Plastic.  

Finish:

Middle-Long & Bitter Sweet. The Bitterness increases towards the Dry end. I get a distinct Hospital feeling at this point. The Finish is without a doubt a bit of a let-down after the pleasant mouthfeel. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Campfire Smoke, Wet Peat, Ashes, Soot, Tar, Hospital, Iodine, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Wax, Meat and Fish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon and Herbs, slightly Sour berries such as Gooseberry & Strawberry, Charred Oak, Burnt Straw, Nuts and Nutshells, Blue Cheese, Green Apple, Licorice, Pepper, Ginger, Aniseed, Cinnamon and hints of Plastic and Mirabelle Plum Eau de Vie. The Alcohol is slightly more noticeable  now as well.  

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that helps to calm down the Alcohol on the Nose. I also get extra Malt and some canned Peaches now. Less Hospital on the Palate but a bit of Metal in the Finish. Please try it out both ways in order to finds out what is best for you.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 8 - Finish: 6.5 

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: 

Good except for the Finish.

Conclusion:

Bruichladdich was founded in 1881 by Barnett Harvey. During its history it was mothballed various times, the last time in 1998. In 2012 the Islay distillery was bought by Remy Cointreau (France). Since, Bruichladdich is showing a healthy growth again. The distillery produces 3 types of Single Malt, i.e. the unpeated Bruichladdich & the heavily peated Port Charlotte & Octomore. The basic core range includes the Classic Laddie, the 18, the 30 and Port Charlotte 10 & 18. The annual production currently amounts to around 1 million litres. About 10% of that is Octomore. Octomore stand for "The Big Eighth". This is a medieval division of common ground.

I have tasted a lot of different Octomores so far down the road. The Ex-Bourbon cask matured ones are probably the closest to what the makers had in mind when they started the series. Young, heavily peated straight to the point Young Islay. The 13.1 is a good example of this. Personally however I preferred those that were finished in a second cask, especially Ex-Sauternes. Those casks give that bit of extra Aroma and Flavor and provide balance with Peat and Smoke. If you like pure and young Peat and Smoke from Islay you can safely buy the 13.1 if money is not an issue. If money is an issue however I would advise you to have a look at the Kilchoman distillery.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                    January 16, 2026

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2014