Bruichladdich: single malt Scotch whisky from the Rhinns of Islay
Bruichladdich stands on the shore of Loch Indaal on the Rhinns, the western peninsula of Islay. The brothers William, John and Robert Harvey built it in 1881. The distillery fell silent several times over the following century, most recently from 1994. In December 2000 a group of private investors led by Mark Reynier bought it, stripped down the Victorian equipment, restored it and had the stills running again by May 2001. Jim McEwan, who had spent his career at Bowmore, came in as master distiller.
Rémy Cointreau has owned Bruichladdich since 2012, and in 2020 it became one of the first Scotch whisky distilleries to gain B Corp certification. One principle runs through every bottling: the barley is exclusively Scottish, and since 2004 part of it has been grown on Islay itself.
Unpeated Bruichladdich: Classic Laddie, Islay Barley and Bere Barley
Most Islay malts are built around peat smoke. The whisky sold under the Bruichladdich name is unpeated, and the focus is on barley: variety, farm and harvest year are meant to show in the glass.
- The Classic Laddie and Classic Laddie Scottish Barley are the house signature: round and fresh, with honey, citrus and a touch of sea salt.
- Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2013 was distilled from barley grown on the island.
- Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2012 uses bere, one of the oldest barley varieties grown in Scotland, for a spicier, fuller malt.
- Bruichladdich Organic 2011 is made from organically grown barley.
- Black Art 11.1 is a limited edition where cask maturation takes the lead and the exact recipe is deliberately kept secret.
Port Charlotte: heavily peated Islay whisky from Bruichladdich
Port Charlotte remembers the Lochindaal distillery in the village of the same name, just south of Bruichladdich, which closed in 1929. The barley is peated to around 40 ppm phenols, and the tall, narrow stills give a smoke that is more refined than brutal: heather, wood fire and salty sea air over sweet malt. Port Charlotte 10 YO is the core bottling, at 50 percent ABV. Port Charlotte Islay Barley shows the same smoke with island barley. The Cask Exploration releases Port Charlotte PMC (matured in Pomerol wine casks) and Port Charlotte SYC (Syrah casks) add red fruit and spice to the peat.
Octomore: the most heavily peated single malt whisky
Octomore takes its name from a farm on the hill above Port Charlotte, where whisky was distilled in the nineteenth century. Mark Reynier and Jim McEwan created the brand in 2002, and the first release came out in 2008. Its barley is peated many times harder than Port Charlotte's, often far beyond 100 ppm, and Octomore is widely billed as the most heavily peated single malt in the world.
Each series comes in several variants: the number before the point is the series, the number after it the variant. In series 16, Octomore 16.1 is matured in bourbon barrels, Octomore 16.2 shows the influence of wine casks, and Octomore 16.3 is distilled from barley grown in Church Field on Octomore Farm. You will also find Octomore 15.1 and Octomore 14.2 here.
If you love smoky island whisky, compare Bruichladdich with its neighbour Laphroaig whisky from Islay or with Talisker from the Isle of Skye. The full range sits under Scotch whisky, in everything from Scotland and in our whisky collection.
Frequently asked questions about Bruichladdich whisky
Is Bruichladdich peated?
It depends on the range. Bottlings under the Bruichladdich name, such as The Classic Laddie, are unpeated. Port Charlotte is heavily peated, and Octomore is the smokiest whisky the distillery makes.
What do the numbers on Octomore mean?
The first number is the series, the second the variant. Octomore 16.3 is the third variant of the sixteenth series, distilled from Islay barley.
What is the difference between Port Charlotte and Octomore?
Both are distilled at Bruichladdich. Port Charlotte is peated to around 40 ppm, while Octomore uses far more heavily peated barley and is the most extreme whisky the house makes.
Who owns Bruichladdich?
The distillery has belonged to Rémy Cointreau since 2012.