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Here we take a look at two of the latest Octomore’s to hit the shelves - the 11.1 and 11.3 with the 8.2 as a bonus for my patrons. Over the years I’ve really enjoyed this line from Bruichladdich. And while some are better than others, if you enjoy peated whiskies, you need at least 1 in your rotation. The 11.1 has spent just 5 years in contact with fresh “first fill” American Oak. Distilled in 2014 from the 2013 harvest of 100% Scottish barley, it was aged in either Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, or Jack Daniels barrels for the full 5 years before being vatted and bottled at 59.4% with a PPM count of 139.6. It was limited to 30,000 bottles and retails for around $185. The 11.3 Octomore “Islay Barley” is just that. It only uses Islay barley grown each year by friend and farmer James Brown, on Octomore farm itself. Situated just two miles from the distillery, this specific 2013 harvest was raised in Irene’s field, where only 28 acres were planted that year. It is harvested, malted and distilled separately, even from their other Islay barley harvests, in order to become a single field, single vintage single malt. The 11.3 was also aged 5 years in either Jim Beam, Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill or Jack Daniels barrels before being vatted and bottled at 61.7% abv. It does have a higher PPM count at 194, but there were only 18,000 bottles of it at a retail price of around $225-$250. Just for grins, my Patron members will also get a quick comparison of the travel retail exclusive “Masterclass 8.2” at the end of their add-free video. I’ve never reviewed it and I’m curious how the 3 types of wine casks (in 100% European Oak) influenced this 8-year-old “Scottish Barley” Octomore distillate. Details and link to become a Patron are below. For reference, here’s what the different ending numbers mean (the ones before the decimal are the release number). .1 editions are distilled from 100% Scottish barley. In recent years they have been primarily aged only in ex-American oak, in varying percentages of different ex-bourbon and ex-Tennessee whiskey casks. They are the backbone of each new series as they demonstrate the raw character of the clean Octomore spirit balanced with the neutral American oak casks. .2 editions are distilled from 100% Scottish barley, as per their .1 counterpart. Crucially, they are differentiated by a European oak maturation. Think along the lines of ex-Amarone, ex-Sauternes, ex-Austrian sweet wines and the like. Each edition has a different composition of casks, and the decision lies in the fate of the head distiller. .3 editions are distilled from 100% Islay barley. They are single estate, single vintage bottlings from barley grown on friend and farmer James Brown’s land. Octomore farm lies around two miles south of Bruichladdich Distillery, with the name for the series originating from the farm, where the Montgomery’s once distilled. These whiskies are generally matured in a mixture of ex-American and ex-European oak, subject to change for each edition. .4 editions introduce the influence of the tannic, spicey, brutishness of Virgin Oak and was introduced in edition 07.4. Both Octomore 07.4 and 08.4 were influenced, but not matured full-term, in fresh oak casks. Occasionally, they replace the .4 edition in the series with something unique, like the Octomore 10-year-old. My current YouTube goal is to release a new video every 2 weeks (on Thursdays)! I will be using my Patreon channel as a launch platform, so if you want to get at least a 2-week head start on seeing the review and hunting bottles, join us at www.patreon.com/liquorhound. Of course, my Patrons also get all the reviews add-free, access to the private review library, are able to message me directly, and when I find special things, I tend to just toss them into the Patreon winds. Regardless of where you’re watching, I want to thank all of my viewers! It’s that combination of my Patrons and the YouTube ad views that have allowed me to keep my independence and self-purchase the bottles I review. By doing so, I hope you feel safe in knowing you’re getting my 100% unbiased and honest opinions. As of April 2021, my current bottle count is over 2,500. I am a Certified Specialist of Spirits and have also been accredited by the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT). I've been actively collecting for more than two decades and what started as a small basic home bar has transformed (with the help and understanding of my wonderful wife) into this collection and career. Speaking of my career, stay tuned for the summer launch of the new “Saints Alley” project that I’m working on. Given my knowledge and high standards, you know I’m working hard with my team to give you some amazing releases! Thanks for watching and remember to please drink responsibly. Cheers!
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