Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 17.2 Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 17.2 Single Malt Scotch Whisky is the fruit-driven half of Bruichladdich's 17th Octomore release, aimed at drinkers who want the series' trademark peat intensity pushed toward dark fruit and Port-cask richness rather than straight bourbon-oak sweetness.

Process & Profile

Distilled in 2020 from 100% Scottish mainland Concerto barley malted to 81 parts per million phenol, 17.2 spent four years in second-fill French oak that previously held Californian red wine and briefly bourbon, then finished about a year in first-fill Port barriques — a cask sequence Bruichladdich says has never been used in an Octomore release before. It's bottled at 59.5% ABV (119 proof), non-chill filtered, matured entirely on Islay for five years. Bruichladdich itself was mothballed by owner Whyte and Mackay in 1994 and sat dark for six years until wine merchant Mark Reynier led a buyout in 2001, reopening it around its original Victorian equipment — gravity-fed mash tuns and stills still run by hand, with no computers on the production floor. That same team rebuilt Islay's barley farming from near-zero; around twenty island farms now grow grain exclusively for the distillery, supplying more than half of what it uses each year.

On the nose, roasted chestnut and caramelized citrus peel open first, followed by red apple, ripe blackberry, and a thread of peat smoke underneath.

On the palate, blackberry crumble and dark bramble fruit take over, backed by cracked pepper, char, and a barbecue-like smokiness that the Port cask keeps from turning purely sweet.

The finish burns down slowly into peat embers and black pepper, with a plummy Port sweetness that lingers well after the smoke has faded.

Within the 17 series, 17.2 shares its base spirit — same Concerto barley, same 81 PPM — with 17.1, but where 17.1 stays in first-fill bourbon barrels and reads like vanilla custard and Scottish tablet, 17.2's second-fill French oak and Port finish pull it toward dark fruit and embers instead. It's also less extreme than 17.3, which moves to Islay-grown barley at 132 PPM; 17.2 makes the series' case that cask choice, not just peat level, can redraw an Octomore's entire character.

Serve it neat in a Glencairn glass to let the Port fruit open up, alongside dark chocolate or a well-marbled steak off the grill.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this whisky?
It's the second release in Bruichladdich's 17th Octomore series, a super-heavily peated Islay single malt finished in Port wine casks.

What are the specs?
59.5% ABV (119 proof), 81 PPM, distilled from Scottish mainland Concerto barley, bottled in a 700mL format.

What does it taste like?
Roasted chestnut and blackberry on the nose, dark bramble fruit and peppery smoke on the palate, finishing on peat embers and lingering Port sweetness.

How should you enjoy it?
Neat in a Glencairn glass, ideally alongside dark chocolate or grilled red meat.

Why is this release notable?
It matures in a cask combination — second-fill French oak finished in first-fill Port barriques — that Bruichladdich has never used in an Octomore release before.