Octomore 14.3

Octomore 14 Series Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 21 February 2024. Whisky #5 Nose: Honey (beeswax?), wine, barley grist, vanilla and rich earthy peat smoke. A dense floral quality (apple blossom?) but there is also a hint of sulphur in the background. Palate: Big, honeyed peat on the arrival veering towards a meaty barbecue type of smoke. Sweet beef jerky. Creamy and buttery in texture and flavour like porridge with butter and salt. Caramel-coated apple and salt-water taffy. It’s a big sweet palate but the sweetness is moderated by salt, pepper and a strong umami presence that gives it heft and authority sufficient to balance the sweetness. Finish: Long. Soft but dry (?) and trailing into savory smoke, brine and diesel oil. This was my favourite whisky of the evening until I tasted the 14.4 which is in a whole different league. This has the sweetness of the 14.2 but here the wine influence is under control and does not overshadow the distillate, which is rich, oily and huge in profile. It also reacts very well to water, the aromas fading just a pinch but the palate gains integration, complexity and accessibility without losing any impact. It's a fine example of a contemporary Octomore and even though it is significantly more expensive than the ".1" and ".2" expressions it it worth the extra cost. “Very Good : 85/100 (4 stars)

First Fill Spirits

Minimal burn but lingers on the palette the way smoke clings to clothing after a bonfire. Evokes: hot texas BBQ and thick wood fire smoke.