First we started seeing extreme beers, 100+ IBU (international bittering units) and then Mikkeller is coming out with 1000 IBU beer...
Now extreme scotches---
The most heavily peated scotch --
Peating Levels
The peating levels of the Islay whiskies vary considerably, and have a clear relationship to the smokiness of the finished product. Here are the peating levels of the malt used by all 7 Islay distilleries, measured in phenols parts-per-million
Octomore: 131 PPM
Ardbeg: 54ppm
Laphroaig: 40-43ppm
Lagavulin: 35-40ppm
Caol Ila: 30-35ppm
Bowmore: 20-25ppm
Bruichladdich: 3-4ppm
Bunnahabhain: 1-2ppm
Laphroaig: 40-43ppm
Lagavulin: 35-40ppm
Caol Ila: 30-35ppm
Bowmore: 20-25ppm
Bruichladdich: 3-4ppm
Bunnahabhain: 1-2ppm
info from Drinks with Nathan
Very limited
Octomore Scotch....$169.99 / bottle
Edition 01.1
Aged 5 years
PPM - 131
Available online also
The story of Octomore:
"Octomore is a farm, near Port Charlotte, two miles from the Bruichladdich distillery. It is also the name of a truly exceptional new malt the worlds most heavily peated whisky ever.
The name Octomore is derived from the division of an old Islay estate into eight agricultural units or workable eighths. In this case the ‘Large Eighth’. The Eighth of the Mill (Octovullin) is near Bridgend.
There was a distillery on the farm (now used as a holiday cottage) founded in 1816 by George Montgomery, who had it until 1840 and it finally closed down in 1852. A gentleman called Thomas Pattison was also involved. Yet in Alfred Barnard’s famous book written at the end of the nineteenth century there was no reference to it.
The farm now belongs to James Brown, Godfather of Octomore and man of many talents (none of which includes being a soul singer) but lighthouse and holiday house keeper, farmer, piper and part- time policeman.
It is here that our invigorating spring is found which supplies the water we use for reducing the strength of the Bruichladdich bottlings from cask strength to 46%.
The spring also supplied water for the village of Port Charlotte in the olden days, and even after connection to the mains system, older folk would continue to trudge up the hill to collect their water. The rock here, at The Rhinns (this part of Islay), through which the water percolates, are the oldest in Scotland (bar Lewis) and the oldest on which any distillery in Scotland is built. Bizarrely, if it was not for the Caledonian Orogeny (500 million years ago), Bruichladdich and Port Charlotte would be part of the Arequipa coast of Peru – the Rhinns got left behind!
Port Charlotte, the moderately peated version (40 ppm) of Bruichladdich, produced in homage to the original Bruichladdich of 1881, was distilled for the first time in May 2001. Following the success of Port Charlotte, we thought the world needed to see the maximum phenolic content that could be achieved. What would Bruichladdich’s tall-necked stills make of this – the most heavily peated malt ever? Only one Maltings was able to rise to the challenge, and one load of this very peaty malt was delivered for distillation. Originally we hoped it would be 60ppm, then it was rumoured to be 70ppm – but we were amazed to discover after analysis, that it was a staggering 80.5 parts per million! Rather fitting too, bearing in mind the name we had already chosen for it.
This most heavily peated version of Bruichladdich was born on Thursday 16th October 2002 and was christened Octomore, in memory of the long forgotten distillery.
And what have we created? The tall, narrow-necked stills at Bruichladdich produce a remarkably sophisticated, elegant and floral spirit. They have not, and indeed could not, produce a spirit of the style of Ardbeg, Lagavulin or Laphroaig, or more importantly, the medicinal flavours associated with these Southern Islay heavyweights. Instead the stills have produced the most exceptional Islay hybrid – an extraordinarily heavily peated Islay nose with an incredibly refined spirit. And no medicinal flavours. A tidal wave of a dram, with a satin mouthfeel - after several years of Islay maturation we believe this will be in a class of its own.
Octomore now accounts for roughly 12% of whisky distilled annually.
Only 200 casks have been laid down. These are not for sale as new fillings even though we have experienced an unparalleled level of interest from wealthy private individuals and other distillers. We are going to mature Octomore in Warehouse Five until Jim decides that it is ready to be bottled, which we anticipate being in no less than eight years time, to sell in a limited number of selected specialist retail shops. There is no question that demand will far exceed our limited supply, as every whisky connoisseur and enthusiast will want to taste it. To avoid disappointing too many of our friends, we have decided to offer some of this precious stock for sale now, like with Bordeaux wines, as ‘futures’.
The first 800 cases, actually distilled on the 16th October 2002, will be reserved for those who have purchased their case as ‘futures’.
Now for all you whisky connoisseur's here is the actual readings as per Dr Jennifer Newton M.I.F.S.T of Tatlock and Thomson Scientific Services." -- Bruichladdich
"Octomore is a farm, near Port Charlotte, two miles from the Bruichladdich distillery. It is also the name of a truly exceptional new malt the worlds most heavily peated whisky ever.
The name Octomore is derived from the division of an old Islay estate into eight agricultural units or workable eighths. In this case the ‘Large Eighth’. The Eighth of the Mill (Octovullin) is near Bridgend.
There was a distillery on the farm (now used as a holiday cottage) founded in 1816 by George Montgomery, who had it until 1840 and it finally closed down in 1852. A gentleman called Thomas Pattison was also involved. Yet in Alfred Barnard’s famous book written at the end of the nineteenth century there was no reference to it.
The farm now belongs to James Brown, Godfather of Octomore and man of many talents (none of which includes being a soul singer) but lighthouse and holiday house keeper, farmer, piper and part- time policeman.
It is here that our invigorating spring is found which supplies the water we use for reducing the strength of the Bruichladdich bottlings from cask strength to 46%.
The spring also supplied water for the village of Port Charlotte in the olden days, and even after connection to the mains system, older folk would continue to trudge up the hill to collect their water. The rock here, at The Rhinns (this part of Islay), through which the water percolates, are the oldest in Scotland (bar Lewis) and the oldest on which any distillery in Scotland is built. Bizarrely, if it was not for the Caledonian Orogeny (500 million years ago), Bruichladdich and Port Charlotte would be part of the Arequipa coast of Peru – the Rhinns got left behind!
Port Charlotte, the moderately peated version (40 ppm) of Bruichladdich, produced in homage to the original Bruichladdich of 1881, was distilled for the first time in May 2001. Following the success of Port Charlotte, we thought the world needed to see the maximum phenolic content that could be achieved. What would Bruichladdich’s tall-necked stills make of this – the most heavily peated malt ever? Only one Maltings was able to rise to the challenge, and one load of this very peaty malt was delivered for distillation. Originally we hoped it would be 60ppm, then it was rumoured to be 70ppm – but we were amazed to discover after analysis, that it was a staggering 80.5 parts per million! Rather fitting too, bearing in mind the name we had already chosen for it.
This most heavily peated version of Bruichladdich was born on Thursday 16th October 2002 and was christened Octomore, in memory of the long forgotten distillery.
And what have we created? The tall, narrow-necked stills at Bruichladdich produce a remarkably sophisticated, elegant and floral spirit. They have not, and indeed could not, produce a spirit of the style of Ardbeg, Lagavulin or Laphroaig, or more importantly, the medicinal flavours associated with these Southern Islay heavyweights. Instead the stills have produced the most exceptional Islay hybrid – an extraordinarily heavily peated Islay nose with an incredibly refined spirit. And no medicinal flavours. A tidal wave of a dram, with a satin mouthfeel - after several years of Islay maturation we believe this will be in a class of its own.
Octomore now accounts for roughly 12% of whisky distilled annually.
Only 200 casks have been laid down. These are not for sale as new fillings even though we have experienced an unparalleled level of interest from wealthy private individuals and other distillers. We are going to mature Octomore in Warehouse Five until Jim decides that it is ready to be bottled, which we anticipate being in no less than eight years time, to sell in a limited number of selected specialist retail shops. There is no question that demand will far exceed our limited supply, as every whisky connoisseur and enthusiast will want to taste it. To avoid disappointing too many of our friends, we have decided to offer some of this precious stock for sale now, like with Bordeaux wines, as ‘futures’.
The first 800 cases, actually distilled on the 16th October 2002, will be reserved for those who have purchased their case as ‘futures’.
Now for all you whisky connoisseur's here is the actual readings as per Dr Jennifer Newton M.I.F.S.T of Tatlock and Thomson Scientific Services." -- Bruichladdich
No comments:
Post a Comment