Table Of Contents

The Details

Rating 91
Style
Whiskey
Produced In Scotland
ABV 61.3%
Availability Limited
Price $260.00 
Reviewed By
Review Updated 2024-09-26

Octomore 15.3 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Just in time for chilly weather comes the latest Octomore series from Bruichladdich Distillery. The brand’s “super-heavily peated” annual releases regularly bring the calendar year’s peatiest Scotch as measured by phenols in parts per million (PPM). Whisky is often marketed as “heavily peated” if phenol content in dried malt exceeds 30 PPM. This year’s Octomore series starts at 108.2 PPM and exceeds 300 at the top end.

Today, we’re looking at Octomore 15.3, with a stated PPM of — drum roll please — 307.2. From what we know, that makes 15.3 the second most heavily peated whisky to ever receive a wide release, coming behind only Octomore 8.3 at 309 PPM. One of the most fun aspects of the Octomore line is seeing how the high peat content carries over to flavor itself; the experience is very often less of a smoke bomb than might be expected.

Octomore 15.3 is a 5 year old Scotch bottled at 122.6 proof. It’s non-chill filtered with no added coloring. It was distilled in 2018 from barley harvested in 2017, all of which came from the Octomore Farm a couple miles from Bruichladdich Distillery. It was matured across a combination of first-bourbon barrels and Oloroso casks from Spain. The spirit was distilled and matured on Islay for its entire lifecycle.

Let’s see how Octomore 15.3 stacks up!

Octomore 15.3 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Octomore 15.3 Price and Availability

Octomore 15.3 carries a suggested retail price of about $260 for a 700 milliliter bottle. That’s the most expensive expression in this year’s lineup of three bottles, and about in line with last year’s version. Fortunately for American consumers, Octomore is generally widely available at both retail and online, so it’s relatively rare to see it marked up far above that suggested retail pricing.

Octomore 15.3 Review

As with all of VinePair’s whisky reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

Burnt orange peel, pine sap, toasted pine nuts, baked cloves, and dried pineapple kick off the nose. There’s a semi-savory, salty element here as well; combined with the cloves, it’s reminiscent of honey-glazed, spice-studded baked ham. An undercurrent of peat smoke sits just beneath. Almost shockingly, despite this whisky being the second most heavily peated Scotch of all time, the peat aroma stays somewhat secondary to the other scents.

Shaved coconut develops with more time in the glass, and paired with the aforementioned pineapple, the dram noses a bit like a smokey Piña Colada (a noticeable shift from that glazed ham!) Things shift again slightly with more time, with an unmistakable malt component nudging all scents closer to cereal grain, along with sour grape and fermenting barley mash.

I first sampled 15.3 alongside this year’s other Octomore expressions. Despite 15.3 boasting almost triple the peat as measured by PPM (an inexact sensory metric, to be sure), I remember it didn’t smell much smokier, if at all. It’s an impression confirmed on a second visit — and a reminder the listed PPM won’t always dictate the drinker’s experience.

Taste

A first sip brings tart tropical fruit, close to unripe pineapple and kiwi. On a second taste, sugar syrup and caramelized fruit cuts that tartness; it’s a swift transition from unripe pineapple to pineapple upside down cake. Tiny pops of salinity punctuate along the midpalate, bringing along a brief section of salted dark caramel.

For its 122.6 proof, Octomore 15.3 starts out as a relatively soft sipper. That doesn’t last long, however. Ethanol heat builds over time and increasingly toward the back palate, and by the fourth sip, the tongue is coated in a powerful trifecta of fruit, salt, and campfire smoke.

It’s here where peat takes the reins, significantly more dominant compared to the nose. The tropical fruit gets a thick outer layer of char, and the salinity moves toward burnt brisket with a sweet/smoky glaze.

That first sip gave me the impression I would most enjoy Octomore 15.3 neat. As flavors, smoke, and ethanol built, I found myself growing more keen on a little dilution. Sure enough, water helped level out the peaks and valleys, bringing the fruit and peat more in harmony and allowing a delicate, syrupy sweetness to carry more consistently through the entire sipping experience. Don’t be afraid to keep a dropper handy.

Finish

With or without added water, the finish leans back toward sweet. There’s more oak and less fruit here, reminding me of a bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup. The peat is back in line with the nose, punctuating instead of eclipsing other flavors.

Rating

91/100

Recap

Measured by PPM, Octomore 15.3 is likely the second most heavily peated Scotch we know of. But that distinction is almost a disservice to this complex and multifaceted whisky. I was especially captivated by the nose, which showed remarkable restraint and depth when considering the age, proof, and peat content. To me, the sipping experience was very good, if a touch difficult to wrangle at first; a couple drops of water kept the flavors in greater harmony.

Octomore 15.3 brings a lot of flavors to unpack, such that no two folks will experience it exactly the same way. But one thing I feel for certain: though it joins a rare company in ticking over 300 PPM, Octomore 15.3 is much more than a quantified curiosity.

Related Reads

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91
POINTS
Octomore 15.3 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Just in time for chilly weather comes the latest Octomore series from Bruichladdich Distillery. The brand’s “super-heavily peated” annual releases regularly bring the calendar year’s peatiest Scotch as measured by phenols in parts per million (PPM). Whisky is often marketed as “heavily peated” if phenol content in dried malt exceeds 30 PPM. This year’s Octomore series starts at 108.2 PPM and exceeds 300 at the top end. Today, we’re looking at Octomore 15.3, with a stated PPM of — drum roll please — 307.2. From what we know, that makes 15.3 the second most heavily peated whisky to ever receive a wide release, coming behind only Octomore 8.3 at 309 PPM. One of the most fun aspects of the Octomore line is seeing how the high peat content carries over to flavor itself; the experience is very often less of a smoke bomb than might be expected. Octomore 15.3 is a 5 year old Scotch bottled at 122.6 proof. It’s non-chill filtered with no added coloring. It was distilled in 2018 from barley harvested in 2017, all of which came from the Octomore Farm a couple miles from Bruichladdich Distillery. It was matured across a combination of first-bourbon barrels and Oloroso casks from Spain. The spirit was distilled and matured on Islay for its entire lifecycle. Let’s see how Octomore 15.3 stacks up!

Octomore 15.3 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Octomore 15.3 Price and Availability

Octomore 15.3 carries a suggested retail price of about $260 for a 700 milliliter bottle. That’s the most expensive expression in this year’s lineup of three bottles, and about in line with last year’s version. Fortunately for American consumers, Octomore is generally widely available at both retail and online, so it’s relatively rare to see it marked up far above that suggested retail pricing.

Octomore 15.3 Review

As with all of VinePair’s whisky reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

Burnt orange peel, pine sap, toasted pine nuts, baked cloves, and dried pineapple kick off the nose. There’s a semi-savory, salty element here as well; combined with the cloves, it’s reminiscent of honey-glazed, spice-studded baked ham. An undercurrent of peat smoke sits just beneath. Almost shockingly, despite this whisky being the second most heavily peated Scotch of all time, the peat aroma stays somewhat secondary to the other scents. Shaved coconut develops with more time in the glass, and paired with the aforementioned pineapple, the dram noses a bit like a smokey Piña Colada (a noticeable shift from that glazed ham!) Things shift again slightly with more time, with an unmistakable malt component nudging all scents closer to cereal grain, along with sour grape and fermenting barley mash. I first sampled 15.3 alongside this year’s other Octomore expressions. Despite 15.3 boasting almost triple the peat as measured by PPM (an inexact sensory metric, to be sure), I remember it didn’t smell much smokier, if at all. It’s an impression confirmed on a second visit — and a reminder the listed PPM won’t always dictate the drinker’s experience.

Taste

A first sip brings tart tropical fruit, close to unripe pineapple and kiwi. On a second taste, sugar syrup and caramelized fruit cuts that tartness; it’s a swift transition from unripe pineapple to pineapple upside down cake. Tiny pops of salinity punctuate along the midpalate, bringing along a brief section of salted dark caramel. For its 122.6 proof, Octomore 15.3 starts out as a relatively soft sipper. That doesn’t last long, however. Ethanol heat builds over time and increasingly toward the back palate, and by the fourth sip, the tongue is coated in a powerful trifecta of fruit, salt, and campfire smoke. It’s here where peat takes the reins, significantly more dominant compared to the nose. The tropical fruit gets a thick outer layer of char, and the salinity moves toward burnt brisket with a sweet/smoky glaze. That first sip gave me the impression I would most enjoy Octomore 15.3 neat. As flavors, smoke, and ethanol built, I found myself growing more keen on a little dilution. Sure enough, water helped level out the peaks and valleys, bringing the fruit and peat more in harmony and allowing a delicate, syrupy sweetness to carry more consistently through the entire sipping experience. Don’t be afraid to keep a dropper handy.

Finish

With or without added water, the finish leans back toward sweet. There’s more oak and less fruit here, reminding me of a bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup. The peat is back in line with the nose, punctuating instead of eclipsing other flavors.

Rating

91/100

Recap

Measured by PPM, Octomore 15.3 is likely the second most heavily peated Scotch we know of. But that distinction is almost a disservice to this complex and multifaceted whisky. I was especially captivated by the nose, which showed remarkable restraint and depth when considering the age, proof, and peat content. To me, the sipping experience was very good, if a touch difficult to wrangle at first; a couple drops of water kept the flavors in greater harmony. Octomore 15.3 brings a lot of flavors to unpack, such that no two folks will experience it exactly the same way. But one thing I feel for certain: though it joins a rare company in ticking over 300 PPM, Octomore 15.3 is much more than a quantified curiosity.

Reviewed On: 09-27-2024
91
POINTS
Octomore 15.3 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Just in time for chilly weather comes the latest Octomore series from Bruichladdich Distillery. The brand’s “super-heavily peated” annual releases regularly bring the calendar year’s peatiest Scotch as measured by phenols in parts per million (PPM). Whisky is often marketed as “heavily peated” if phenol content in dried malt exceeds 30 PPM. This year’s Octomore series starts at 108.2 PPM and exceeds 300 at the top end. Today, we’re looking at Octomore 15.3, with a stated PPM of — drum roll please — 307.2. From what we know, that makes 15.3 the second most heavily peated whisky to ever receive a wide release, coming behind only Octomore 8.3 at 309 PPM. One of the most fun aspects of the Octomore line is seeing how the high peat content carries over to flavor itself; the experience is very often less of a smoke bomb than might be expected. Octomore 15.3 is a 5 year old Scotch bottled at 122.6 proof. It’s non-chill filtered with no added coloring. It was distilled in 2018 from barley harvested in 2017, all of which came from the Octomore Farm a couple miles from Bruichladdich Distillery. It was matured across a combination of first-bourbon barrels and Oloroso casks from Spain. The spirit was distilled and matured on Islay for its entire lifecycle. Let’s see how Octomore 15.3 stacks up!

Octomore 15.3 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Octomore 15.3 Price and Availability

Octomore 15.3 carries a suggested retail price of about $260 for a 700 milliliter bottle. That’s the most expensive expression in this year’s lineup of three bottles, and about in line with last year’s version. Fortunately for American consumers, Octomore is generally widely available at both retail and online, so it’s relatively rare to see it marked up far above that suggested retail pricing.

Octomore 15.3 Review

As with all of VinePair’s whisky reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

Burnt orange peel, pine sap, toasted pine nuts, baked cloves, and dried pineapple kick off the nose. There’s a semi-savory, salty element here as well; combined with the cloves, it’s reminiscent of honey-glazed, spice-studded baked ham. An undercurrent of peat smoke sits just beneath. Almost shockingly, despite this whisky being the second most heavily peated Scotch of all time, the peat aroma stays somewhat secondary to the other scents. Shaved coconut develops with more time in the glass, and paired with the aforementioned pineapple, the dram noses a bit like a smokey Piña Colada (a noticeable shift from that glazed ham!) Things shift again slightly with more time, with an unmistakable malt component nudging all scents closer to cereal grain, along with sour grape and fermenting barley mash. I first sampled 15.3 alongside this year’s other Octomore expressions. Despite 15.3 boasting almost triple the peat as measured by PPM (an inexact sensory metric, to be sure), I remember it didn’t smell much smokier, if at all. It’s an impression confirmed on a second visit — and a reminder the listed PPM won’t always dictate the drinker’s experience.

Taste

A first sip brings tart tropical fruit, close to unripe pineapple and kiwi. On a second taste, sugar syrup and caramelized fruit cuts that tartness; it’s a swift transition from unripe pineapple to pineapple upside down cake. Tiny pops of salinity punctuate along the midpalate, bringing along a brief section of salted dark caramel. For its 122.6 proof, Octomore 15.3 starts out as a relatively soft sipper. That doesn’t last long, however. Ethanol heat builds over time and increasingly toward the back palate, and by the fourth sip, the tongue is coated in a powerful trifecta of fruit, salt, and campfire smoke. It’s here where peat takes the reins, significantly more dominant compared to the nose. The tropical fruit gets a thick outer layer of char, and the salinity moves toward burnt brisket with a sweet/smoky glaze. That first sip gave me the impression I would most enjoy Octomore 15.3 neat. As flavors, smoke, and ethanol built, I found myself growing more keen on a little dilution. Sure enough, water helped level out the peaks and valleys, bringing the fruit and peat more in harmony and allowing a delicate, syrupy sweetness to carry more consistently through the entire sipping experience. Don’t be afraid to keep a dropper handy.

Finish

With or without added water, the finish leans back toward sweet. There’s more oak and less fruit here, reminding me of a bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup. The peat is back in line with the nose, punctuating instead of eclipsing other flavors.

Rating

91/100

Recap

Measured by PPM, Octomore 15.3 is likely the second most heavily peated Scotch we know of. But that distinction is almost a disservice to this complex and multifaceted whisky. I was especially captivated by the nose, which showed remarkable restraint and depth when considering the age, proof, and peat content. To me, the sipping experience was very good, if a touch difficult to wrangle at first; a couple drops of water kept the flavors in greater harmony. Octomore 15.3 brings a lot of flavors to unpack, such that no two folks will experience it exactly the same way. But one thing I feel for certain: though it joins a rare company in ticking over 300 PPM, Octomore 15.3 is much more than a quantified curiosity.

Reviewed On: 09-27-2024