Tastes

Octomore Series 15 Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney. November 13, 2024. Whisky #5 Nose: The immediate impression is of a hot, spirity nose with an irrepressible character. This persists for a while but once the initial alcohol vapours dissipate and you can get into the nose the full beauty of the aromas is revealed. The peat is like old leather upholstery, a distant asphalt country road and the faint aroma of fragrant Turkish tobacco. Behind this are dark fruits, raspberry jam, hessian rope, marmalade, roasted nuts, malt extract and vanilla. The nose also loves water (see below). Palate: The arrival is gradual with a modest, sweet entry that is very cereal and nut focused. This sweetness transitions to a drying character with the same cereal and nut flavours gaining greater texture and definition. Over time the palate becomes almost gritty, like nutty cookie dough. Cashew butter, licorice, raspberry jubes and manuka honey appear as it develops. At the same time there is the development of considerable peat smoke. It starts off mild and demure but gradually spreads throughout the mouth gaining presence and yet remaining surprisingly delicate. The chewy cereal flavours have excellent weight and the mouth-feel is richly oily and full-bodied. Finish: Medium/Long. Dry and smoky with cereal notes fading to bittersweet coffee. 307.2ppm sounds like a monstrous amount but in reality it barely registers, particularly when the whisky is neat. Reduction does increase the smoke presence dramatically but that’s true for any high-alcohol peated whisky, and this whisky can certainly take a lot of water without any loss of balance or presence. Like the peat smoke, the interesting cereal flavours on the palate also increase as the whisky is reduced. The nose is a slow-burn experience as the alcohol has to burn off and it also needs time in the glass to unfurl. I was nosing this all through the tasting and after 90 minutes it was still developing. Adding water did absolutely no harm – in fact this whisky adores a dash of water with no plastic or rubbery notes emerging at all. The whisky I had tasted immediately before this one was the 15.2 expression. I was still so seduced by its beautiful wine-cask influenced profile and its uncanny ability to contain its alcohol presence that initially I decided this 15.3 expression was my second favourite whisky of the evening. This whisky seemed hot and difficult to penetrate at first, but then with time to explore both I realised just how elegant this expression really is and decided that it was my favourite. Even at the relatively high price I would highly recommend this whisky. It’s in the same league as the old 5.1 expression and almost equal to the 10 year old 2nd Edition. “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

Octomore Series 15 Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney. November 13, 2024. Whisky #4 Nose: Dried fruit (raisins, figs, cranberries), cherry jam, sweet tropical fruit salad in syrup, mead, sauternes. The smoke note is deeper than on the 15.1 expression, with softer and more rounded qualities. It is still gentle Octomore smoke but more asphalt than bonfire and it contributes a warming harmony to the nose. There is also no evidence whatsoever of the 57.9%abv alcohol content – it is superbly contained and you can inhale the aromas deeply. Palate: Very sweet and chewy with creamy vanilla, nectarines, golden peaches, dried figs, and toffee. There are cereal notes but they are more like buttery croissant or cherry Danish than cereal flakes and they have a succulent, juicy quality. The mild peat smoke on the palate mainly shows up in the development and there is a very good, subtle note of oak. Finish: Medium/Long. The fruit and soft cereal grains segue into a sweet wine aftertaste with a curtain of mild smoke and a faint tingle of spice. This is a very good Octomore, as long as you like your expression with a strong wine cask influence (which I do). Considering the array of diverse casks used it is amazing that they all work together seamlessly to present a unified warm presence. Perhaps it’s because all the casks were European oak that it worked. Whatever the reason the result is marvelous. The alcohol is contained very well on both nose and palate and I swear you would never imagine you were tasting a whisky with an alcohol content in the high 50s. However the whisky also responds very well to reduction, water simply lowering the intensity of aroma and flavour while maintaining balance. Rubbery or plastic notes never emerge and the profile remains sweet and warm. This is one of my favourite recent Octomores and if it had been available for purchase at the tasting I would have bought a bottle. Recommended. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)

Octomore Series 15 Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney. November 13, 2024. Whisky #3 Nose: Vanilla, a little hay and honey, lots of sweet floral aromas, grilled pineapple, red berries. It’s a spirity nose with the alcohol strength brazenly displayed. A good dash of water is required to reach the point where the “alcohol nip” is dispelled but with watering some faint plastic notes are also revealed. Palate: Sweet chilli, honeyed cereal flakes, soft sweet ash. Tropical fruits in the development together with vanilla cream and lime pie. Adding water develops both white pepper and lemon oil flavours and a greater volume of smoke is apparent. It also makes the palate simultaneously spritzier and oliler. Although this palate is a little tight the texture is good. Finish: Medium. Fruit, vanilla and ash. We tasted this immediately after a pour of the 14.1 expression from last year and there was a definite similarity between the two whiskies. Both have a crisp, sweet character with a pleasingly open profile, and although this expression was tighter it seemed to me more elegant. This is very much Octomore with no embellishment and it stands up well to scrutiny. For many folks this is the way they prefer their Octomore but personally I find it just a fraction austere. Beautiful, but aloof. There is an alcohol prickle on the nose and you need to reduce the whisky to nose it deeply. Water develops ginger and a touch of white pepper on the palate and this extends into the finish. It also brings a little sourness to the finish and as much as I appreciated the reduced form I think the balance was better when neat. I’m giving this the same rating I gave the 14.1 expression this time round. They have a lot in common but if I had to choose between the two I’d take this one. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Octomore Series 15 Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney. November 13, 2024. Whisky #1 Nose: Sweet confected fruity aromas, bubblegum gelato, nectarine, peach, vanilla, frangipani. The nose does not open with time in the glass and neither is it improved by water. Palate: An orchard, citrus fruit and cereal arrival with emerging sweet notes of tropical fruit, honey, sultanas, vanilla and milk chocolate. Dried fruit and wood spices appear as it develops but there is also an unusual soapy-floral note. The texture is full but not oily. Finish: Medium. Woody, herbal and mineral. There is the faintest touch of brine in the aftertaste. Water builds ginger and a touch of white pepper on the palate and this persists into the aftertaste. Reduction also introduces a sour note on the finish and it is not a positive effect. I felt this malt was more delicate than it seemed at first and it fell apart once watered. It’s a pleasant whisky but in my opinion not one of the best Black Art expressions, and not worth the asking price. It is warm, inviting and very easy to enjoy but at this price point I expect a whisky to be complex and offer me something to explore at length. While this is a good malt it is also somewhat monotonous. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose: Sweet red berries, sultanas, raisins. The alcohol is well contained and the nose has a warm and inviting character. With subsequent nosing I got petrichor and distant sea-spray but it’s a more mineralic nose than maritime. Some nutmeg and cloves and a hint of good (but not old) oak. The nose continued to improve as I let this sit with sandalwood emerging. Adding water makes the nose relax and soften but it loses the coastal quality. Palate: Sweet arrival with toffee and honey. Berries, sweet spices and herbs in the development. Again there is that mineralic quality on the palate with pebble beaches brought to mind but once more it’s not quite maritime. There is an almost-bitter quality like marmalade, some chocolate and young, soft tannins. The texture is slightly syrupy. Finish: Medium/Long. Savory/sweet (hmm, is that just the definition of umami?) berries and spices. This was a very agreeable, youngish NAS Bunnahabhain that delivered more than I initially expected. The nose in particular developed very well with some pleasantly mature and sweet wood notes balanced by firm mineralic/maritime aromas. The palate was pleasant from the first taste but over time it acquired some proper depth and complexity. There is a faint smoky quality but it’s not noticed on the nose, only on the palate and in the finish, and then only after several tastes. Water works very well with this whisky, the nose becoming like an old favourite sweater, comforting and restful. The palate becomes very soft and the berry notes increase along with some vanilla and caramel, and the palate eventually segues seamlessly into the aftertaste. There is a hint of sourness in the final flavours but it does not unhinge the profile. I think they used good casks for this young NAS and as a result it punches above its weight. I guess it is debatable whether equally good ex-sherry hogsheads would have produced a better result than the red wine casks, and it all comes down to whether you enjoy red-wine cask finishing at all. Come to think of it, this distillate in ex-sherry casks would be Stiùireadair, I betcha. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose: Stewed apple and mustard (!), grilled peaches, pineapple, menthol and white grape vinegar. With time there are buttery aromas of warm bread and vanilla, but there is a lot of blanketing white wine present. Over time it does relax and become more mellow. A dash of water makes the nose softer and more expansive. Palate: Sweet cereal with a little ginger and chili in the arrival. Croissants, black coffee and grapefruit in the development. The texture is good, but not outstanding, and the mouthfeel is spritzy with a drying quality. Water improves the palate by tempering the spices and elevating sweetness to give balance, and it also makes the texture creamy. Finish: Medium. Spicy cereals fading to tart grapes and gooseberries, with a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste. As with the nose and palate, the finish is softened and much improved by reduction. The nose on this is better than it sounds, but it does tend more towards the interesting side of things than the enticing, and much the same is true for the palate. I thought it was brittle and almost acetic when neat but a dash of water removed that and improved the whisky in many ways. Definitely water this one. I like the core range Original expression from Cape Byron a lot … I think it’s a genuine over-achiever and quiet hero in our local whisky scene, and the Chardonnay Cask expression they released a while back was even better. This expression does not impress me quite as much as it feels like the buttery tropical fruit character that is Cape Byron’s trademark profile has been overpowered by the ex-viognier casks. Viognier is a dry white and these particular casks imparted a flinty, hard edge to the distillate that is almost fizzy and sour at times. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Above Average” : 81/100 (3 stars)

Nose: Grassy and grainy (hay, cut grass, green vegetables, crushed dandelions) with a lot of fresh-sawn wood. There’s a fruity note but it’s more like tinned apple slices than fresh apples and also an odd perfume-like note that I finally realized was vanilla trying to punch through a lot of cabbage water and yeasty bread dough. Water has little effect on the nose. Palate: Solventy-sweet arrival with aggressively sharp white pepper and a sweet grassy flavour. The texture is oily but as it develops the pepper builds to cancel the texture. Dandelions, sawdust and raw white flour. Again, water does virtually nothing to the palate. Finish: Medium/Short. Grassy cereal fading to weak black tea and a slightly sour aftertaste. This is very young whisky and while I don’t criticize a whisky just for being young (there are plenty of excellent 3-5 year old drams around) this one smells and tastes like it is barely out of the cradle even though it is apparently 4 years old. The fact that reduction has almost zero effect on it also says a lot about how young this is. There is a lot of potential here but this whisky needs way more time to rest and gain some maturity. I had the feeling that the distillate was fat and oily but the casks were ferociously raw and overpowering it. Nc’nean has received a lot of positive comments and to their credit they are serious about sustainability and artisan quality, but I think the distillery is being hyped a bit too much and that never does any good. Tasted from a 30ml sample, I’ll come back to their whisky in about 12 years and see what it's like when it has grown up. “Average” : 79/100 (2.75 stars)

Nose: Apples, pears, apricot, peach, pineapple, musk sweets, honeycomb, milk chocolate, vanilla nougat with cherries and almonds. There are also deep honeyed floral notes wafting around in the glass. It’s a very fresh-fruit nose with spice and floral accents. However it’s the addition of a little water that really unfurls the aromas with buttery baked bananas and crème brûlée showing up. Palate: The arrival is drying and woody, then opening to a little spice (cinnamon). The development brings orange, weak coffee and some oak tannins. The texture is creamy. Reduction improves the palate as much as it did the nose, the whisky retaining its neat balance but gaining a soft blanketing warmth that perseveres. Finish: Medium. Nutty, herbal and spicy fading to grapefruit. Water softens the finish and adds welcome barley-sugar sweetness to balance the grapefruit. A very enjoyable whisky that is both warm and comforting but also curiously refreshing. Tasted neat, the nose is a whole fruit-shop of aromas and the palate is a spicy treat, but it’s only when it is reduced just a touch that this whisky displays its elegance. The old Nàdurra 16 year olds that were botted at around 55%abv or more were excellent whiskies, and while this Travel Retail 48%abv First-Fill expression captures some of their profile there is a depth of character that only 16 years of maturation can bring, and I miss it in this dram. The 16 year old has not been produced since 2014 and although there are cask strength editions of Nàdurra First-Fill Selection available it’s worth keeping an eye on the auctions in case a 16 year old comes up. It would be well worth the extra expense. Tasted from a 30ml sample “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose: Light cereals, honey, fresh-cut grass, orange juice and orange zest. There is a little hint of vanilla but it’s fleeting and the main sensation is of a spritzy, crisp nose. When nosed neat there is an obvious alcohol nip but a dash of water clears that away and the nose gains a buttery note. Palate: Ginger and orange with Szechuan pepper and a pinch of hot cinnamon. Lots of zingy oak tannins and unripe fruit. The texture is creamy but masked by the spicy crispness. The palate is immediate and does not show much progression, which is to be expected from a blend (even a good one). Finish: Medium/Long. Zesty spices that recede to sourdough bread with an afterthought of bitter citrus oil. I’m feeling that 21 years was probably too much oak contact for this spirit, particularly the grain whisky component. Instead of mature softness it has a rock hard tannic personality and I’m not convinced that bottling it at 50%abv was a good idea. Lower alcohol content would have allowed it to speak more calmly, instead of shouting from start to finish, and it's hard to create the necessary poise by just adding water at tasting time. The other Black Bull blends I’ve tasted have displayed stewed fruits and fortified wine whereas this has crisp, tannic, almost astringent ex-bourbon cask traits. It’s interesting to taste but a bit one dimensional and it’s not a whisky I’d buy or recommend. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Average” : 79/100 (2.75 stars)

Nose: Sweet grapes, white stone-fruit, lemon drops, green olive brine, mild peat smoke. There is a machine oil note, wet oily wool and a suggestion of a peat bog as you squelch through it on a rainy day. Adding a dash of water adds depth to the nose without changing the profile. Palate: Sweet, salty and smoky on the arrival in the classic Ardbeg manner with pears, barley sugar and honey on display, but this is a delicate, gentle dram with an initially diaphanous texture. As it develops it veers towards dryness, becomes briny (almost tequila-like for a moment!), more citric and the texture gains body, becoming silky. Reduction with a dash of water brings out more barley sugar but does not turn the palate sour or rubbery, as can often be the case with peated whiskies. Finish: Medium/Long. Salty, smoked citrus-fruit with some pepper. There is a dash of eucalyptus oil and a little bitterness in the aftertaste. This bitterness disappears when the whisky is reduced. Very easy to drink and quite mild in comparison to other peated whiskies, this could arguably be summed up as the subtle and pretty face of Ardbeg. It is definitely youthful but contrary to my expectation the peating level seems quite low. It is not bombastic or raw, which some young peaters can be, but instead it is contained and controlled. I was unsure what reducing it would do but fear not, it is capable of taking water with ease. It does not lose anything but becomes more gentle, soft and sweeter. I like this young Ardbeg a lot. For all its youth it’s quite charming and it would be a very good choice to pour for yourself and a novice to whom you are introducing peated whiskies. As for the name "Wee Beastie" it's an in-joke for sure. This is not at all a monstrous creature, it’s a cute little beastie like Robbie Burns' wee mouse, or the otters that are sometimes seen near the distillery. Tasted from a 30ml sample “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)