Bruichladdich Octomore 14.2

On September 5, 2023, the Bruichladdich distillery announced version 14 of the Octomore series. There are usually three minor versions (e.g. 14.1, 14.2) released as part of the major version (e.g. 14) for Octomore. There are standards set for each minor version that is part of the major version release. For the Octomore 14.2, the .2 minor version signifies that this whisky was distilled from 100% Scottish barley and matured in European oak. The .1 minor version is also distilled from 100% Scottish barley, but it is instead matured in American oak casks. The .3 minor version means the whisky was distilled from 100% Islay barley grown on the Octomore farm on Islay. The .3 minor version typically combines American and European oak for the whisky maturation.

The Octomore 14.2 was matured for 5 years in Oloroso sherry and Amarone wine casks. While the casks used for this whisky maturation are sweet, it comes in with a phenol level of 128.9 parts per million (PPM) and a 57.7% ABV. These explosive numbers are why this whisky is dubbed the Impossible Equation. It is a shorter maturation, with a high ABV, bold flavors, and a phenol level that is more than double that of typical Islay whiskies. There is no reason all these whisky characteristics should come together to create something wonderful like they do, but the Octomore is always highly sought after and loved by many.

I discussed the Octomore series more in depth in my review on Bruichladdich’s Rock’ndaal 01.2, so give that a read for more details on PPM and how other releases of Octomore compare to this release. Despite the heavier PPM, high ABV, and shorter maturation, I have had really nice Octomore releases that are very smooth and not nearly as smoky as would be expected. That said, I have had Octomore releases that were difficult to drink due to how smoky they were.

I have never had the .2 minor version release before, so I am excited to try the European oak version Octomore. When I visited Bruichladdich in April 2023, I was able to try Octomore whiskies matured in Sauternes casks, which were really fantastic. I hope this sweeter version of Octomore is close to the flavors of those whiskies I tried during the tasting.

The Basics

Aged: 5 years

Bottles available: Unknown

Casks: Oloroso sherry, Amarone wine

ABV: 57.7%

Color: Dark amber

Nose: Butterscotch, caramel, vanilla, salt, wood

Cost: $219.84 (shipping was $62)

Purchased at: Bruichladdich website

Taste

The first sip gives flavors of cherry and butterscotch. Those flavors are followed by a warm, peaty finish with some light cinnamon flavor. In the end, you are left with a taste of warm cherries. From a mouthfeel perspective, the whisky is not particularly heavy or oily. There isn’t a strong alcohol burn taste despite the higher ABV.

While you definitely get a nice uptick in smoky flavor, it is not overwhelming like this year’s Lagavulin Feis Ile release. The smoky flavor leads to more of a warm feeling than a taste of campfire or burnt rubber. It’s a very pleasant peaty finish in my opinion.

Neat or With Water

After adding water to this whisky, I noticed you get less sweet and smoky flavors from this whisky. The flavors of butterscotch and smoke are still present, but they don’t taste quite as smooth with water. I would recommend drinking this whisky neat.

Summary

Accessibility: I was very happy to see that Bruichladdich made its Octomore releases available through their website, and that they ship to the United States. All the versions of Octomore are still for sale through the Bruichladdich website, so I would recommend starting there if you are considering buying a bottle.

Price: Since I bought this whisky directly through Bruichladdich, I feel like the price I paid is about as good as it gets at the moment. Shipping to the United States certainly makes buying this whisky much more costly though. I also purchased the Octomore 14.3, so it helped cut down on shipping costs a little.

Quality: Rarely do I like scotch whisky matured primarily in bourbon versus sweeter casks, but I think I prefer the 13.1 Octomore I had to the 14.2 Octomore. The sweeter sherry and Amarone cask flavors do not really stand out in this whisky. Maybe this is due to the shorter maturation time. However, I do appreciate the heavier presence of peat in this whisky. Octomore 14.2 provides a nice long finish that leaves you warm and appreciating what you just drank. I think it would be better with stronger sweet flavors, but it is still a really nice dram that is hard not to appreciate.

Score: 8/10 (See our scoring system explanation)

This whisky is further proof that the Impossible Equation is an accurate moniker for the Octomore series. This whisky is incredibly smooth and has a great peaty finish. I was hoping for more interesting flavors in this whiksy from the sherry and wine casks used though. In the future, I might stick with the .1 minor version instead of the .2 minor version of Octomore.

For $200 plus dollars, it does feel like a good deal for a nicer bottle of whisky. While I do not think I would get another bottle of the 14.2, I do appreciate the Octomore whisky series. It’s always fun to see how turning up every whisky metric a bit higher comes out, and I believe Octomore delivers a nice result.