Originally launched in 2008 as a reaction to a string of super-peaty releases from other distilleries, Octomore pushed the concept of smoky whisky to another level, proving that Bruichladdich could turn its hand to almost any type of whisky.

When maltsters produce peated malt, they often make a batch as smoky as possible and then mix it with other barley to create a mixture with the level of smokiness required. Octomore started out from a simple question: “What if we don’t mix that smoky barley with anything else?”

As such, peating levels in the barley vary – from 80ppm to a massive 309ppm so far – which has led to a tradition of yearly releases, each from different batches and showing the wide range of flavours that can be found in super-smoky malt.

For this session, we’ll be joined by Adam Hannett, head distiller at Bruichladdich since 2015, to share the story behind the whisky. We’ll be tasting recent and archive bottlings, including a legendary example peated to 309 ppm, and look to what the future might hold.

If you’re a peat fiend, this is your chance to sit down with the whisky that has pushed the idea of smokiness to the limit.