Octomore 14 Series Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 21 February 2024. Whisky #4 Nose: A surprisingly soft nose for an Octomore with intrusive wine aromas overtaking the core cereal and citrus presence, and even overshadowing the peat-reek. The wine is almost reminiscent of port or PX sherry and has a dried fruit quality that is a bit odd. Not unpleasant, but … odd. There’s a grape marc or rosewater presence, too. Dilution dials back the red wine notes and lets the cereal through but also reveals a whiff of gunpowder (sulphur!) and cold ash. Palate: Very winey on the arrival – grotesquely so. Amarone wine all over the place, masking everything relating to the distillate. This has way too much cask character for my liking. Adding water develops cardboard notes along with some hard spices initially, with an amplification of the smoke notes and some sweetness later. Finish: Medium/Long. Red berries, red wine trailing into mud. Hmm, this is probably my least favourite Octomore. The “.2” expressions have always been inconsistent and this one is just a mess. I have had had some pleasant “.2”s but generally it’s the bourbon cask expressions or the Islay barley “.3” experiments that capture my attention. I’m giving this the lowest rating I’ve ever given to an Octomore, and I think I’m being a bit too generous. It is still just barely identifiable as Octomore, but it’s a close thing and in a blind tasting I would likely not recognise it at all. Give this one a miss. “Above Average (just)” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)