Octomore 10.3 6 Years (2013/2019)
Statistically, Octomore is all about the degree of peatiness. Despite its young age, however, we have an incredibly complex whisky in the glass.Why 10.3? There is a simple system behind the numbering. The 10 stands for the series, the 3 for a specific characteristic. In this case, it is the maturation in exclusively ex-American oak barrels. In the 10.3 we have a peat content of 114PPM (phenol parts per million).
The panel
Mean 87.0 · spread 4
Value for money 0/5
- Distillery
- Bruichladdich
- Type
- Single Malt
- Region
- Isle of Islay
- Country
- Scotland
- Age
- 6 years
- Strength
- 61.3% ABV
- Character
- peaty
Tasting
Nose
"For such a smoky one, it smells bright and fresh. Not like an Ardbeg ashtray." was Sascha's first comment.Instead of the dark smoke, we have spring-like notes of lemon balm. We also smell freshly roasted coffee and boiled custard. Peat smoke is also present, of course.
Palate
What kind of sugar is that? We think of a very sugary cake with a massive layer of fondant. Somehow also peat smoke, but damn sweet. A variety of flavours were hiding underneath. On the one hand we have a salty marimality, on the other hand a slightly lemony-limey sourness. Very, very exciting.
Finish
Really warming and "ultra long" we have smoked ham, rubber, spices, and iodine-like notes in the finish. For half an hour!
Verdicts
Marcel
Who would have thought that a six-years whisky could be so multi-layered and enjoyable? Octomore 10.3 surprises with its sweet peat note and ultra-long finish – a genuine tasting experience that’s a lot of fun, even if the price is quite steep.
Sascha
The Octomore 10.3 impresses with a remarkable balance between intense peatiness and complex sweetness, showing astonishing depth despite its youth. The structured variety of aromas and the long finish make it a technically impressive smoky whisky, whose price reflects its exclusivity.
What it is worth
We do not yet hold bottle-level auction results — that sits behind Whisky Hunter’s authenticated feed. What follows is the market for Bruichladdich as a whole, which sets the weather for this bottling without pricing it.
Latest mean bid £207 across 668 lots · 2024-08