Bruichladdich Octomore 08.4

The fourth, and final, release in Adam Hannett’s Octomore Eights “Masterclass” series. Back to 8 years old after 8.3’s 5 years, and peated to a respectable but not Earth-shattering 170ppm. Distilled from 100% Scottish barley from a 2008 harvest, all 12,000 bottles were filled at 58.7% with no added colouring, and no chill-filtration. This is Bruichladdich’s 2nd “virgin oak” release of Octomore, after the 7.4; although calling it “virgin oak” is perhaps stretching the principles of the idea. They’re not wrong – as in none of the barrels have held anything other than whisky in them, but only 20% of the spirit was aged in barrels that had never held spirit in them before. The other 80% of the spirit was aged first in ex-Bourbon barrels, before being re-casked into French oak barrels that had held Octomore 7.4 in them. As far as I am aware, a cask is technically virgin if it has never held anything other than whisky – so these barrels were 1st-fill virgin oak, and 2nd-fill virgin oak.