In 2002, Bruichladdich's master distiller Jim McEwan decided he wanted to create the peatiest whisky in the world, adding Octomore to its range range of unpeated (Bruichladdich) and very peated (Port Charlotte) whiskies. In addition to its extraordinary phenol content, Octomore is also characterized by an innovative approach to the blending and ageing of these spirits.

Octomore 7.3 was distilled in 2010. The barley was harvested the year before from a field known as Lorgba, on an Islay farm owned by James Brown. The malt is peated to 169 ppm. The whisky was matured in a Ribera del Duero cask, a Spanish wine produced in Castile and León.