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Islay Water

Tankers of  spring water from the well at Octomore were filled by pump for shipment to the mainland for  use in the bottling of the new Bruichladdich bottlings due out at the end of August. Bruichladdich is now to be released at 46% Vol instead of the standard 40%. To reduce the whisky from the cask strength to 46% we have decided to use Islay Spring Water – the only whisky to do so.

The water from this spring, on James Brown’s farm at Octomore, gurgles to the surface no more than two metres from the fast flowing, dark, peaty - coloured water of the burn, but yet is fantastically clear and cold.  The water has percolated through the rocks to emerge from where the older and harder Gneissose Syenite and the softer medium grained Arkose grey/green sandstone sheer.

For many years this spring  supplied the water for the village of  Port Charlotte before the mains water supply was connected. And even then, some of the older folk would still prefer to climb up the glen to get their water from the well.