Jim McEwan Signature Collection; 8.3 Octomore 10-year old 1st fill Bourbon barrel

Jim McEwan Signature Collection; 8.3 Octomore 10-year old 1st fill Bourbon barrel

Octomore 8.3

Distilled on 28th March 2013 this whisky spent its whole 10-year life maturing in cask #1871, maturation taking place in a 1st fill Bourbon barrel from an unknown American distillery. The malt for this is recorded as being peated to a whopping 107ppm!

Another classic McEwan creation this Octomore does not disappoint. As Bruce commented from our initial cask sample ‘it is like no other Octomore we have ever tasted – in an excellent way!’. The peat is forward, of course, but it comes across in a much more unusual smoky taste palate than the usual. Has to be tried to be understood.

Bottled in January 2024 as Release 8.3 of the Jim McEwan Signature Collection, like all bottlings within the collection, it was bottled un-chill filtered, with no added colour and at natural cask strength of 62.4% (Jim would have it no other way!), it yielded only 224 bottles.

Tasting notes from Jim McEwan MBE

Colour - Mellow Yellow

Body – It’s a full-on Islay character at its best, matured a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean.

Aromas - It’s a peat lovers spirit. The smoke, the oak and the sweetness of malt extract plus the full-term maturation on the coast of Heaven – Islay - delivers a truly unique aromatic experience that can only come from Islay maturation.

Palate - It’s that true Islay flavour, the charred oak, the smoke from the ancient peat bogs, the sweet spiciness from the bourbon-soaked staves, the Islay matured casks absorbing all the character of a Hebridean Island. The most important factor is that it’s distilled by a team of Islanders who have learned from their forefathers. No computers, no colouring, matured in the finest ex-bourbon barrel and the skills of the team at the distillery and the bottling operators. A true team effort we are privileged to have in a bottle, or better a glass in front of us.

Enjoy!!