Table Of Contents

The Details

Rating 93
Style
Whiskey
Produced In Scotland
ABV 57.7%
Availability Limited
Price $260.00 
Reviewed By
Review Updated 2023-12-18

Octomore 14.2 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Since its initial release in 2008, Bruichladdich Distillery’s Octomore series has built a worldwide fan base by nature of being arguably the world’s most heavily peated Scotch. And by at least one measure, these annual releases often vie for that title. Scotch is often considered “heavily peated” if the measure of phenols in the dried malt are 30 or greater parts per million; Octomore’s recent releases generally well exceed 100 PPM. (Of course, there are many factors at play that influence perceived flavor after the malting process, so it’s an imperfect measure of peat’s impact on flavor.)

The 2023 Octomore series is no exception, with two releases (14.1 and 14.2) coming in at 128.9 ppm, and 14.3 boasting a whopping 214.2 ppm.

Today, we’re looking at Octomore 14.2, a five year Islay Scotch bottled at 115.4 proof. It’s made from the same grain — Scottish grown Concerto barley — as 14.1 and bottled at the same age. While 14.1 is aged in ex-American whiskey barrels, 14.2 is aged in a mix of wine and sherry casks. The exact breakdown is below:

  • 4 years in Oloroso (40 percent)
  • 4 years in Amarone first fill (16 percent)
  • 4 years in Amarone second fill (44 percent)

The whisky then spent its final year in Pauillac wine casks.

Let’s see how Octomore 14.2 stacks up.

Octomore 14.2 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky review.

Octomore 14.2 Price and Availability

Octomore is an annual release certainly coveted by fans of heavily peated Scotch, and though it’s a young whisky, its niche appeal commands a significant MSRP at $260. The good news is it’s fairly widely available on the American market, and it’s also common to find it at suggested retail pricing (or even a touch below depending on sales and promotions). However, it’s not readily distributed in each and every state, so some restrictions may apply here.

Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

An inviting peat-plus-fruit combo kicks things off on the nose: ripe red cherries, caramelized apples, dates, and apricots buoyed by a heavy but welcoming smoky peat. Less pronounced but still detectable are leather, petroleum jelly, and stretched rubber band, notes that might raise newbie eyebrows while thrilling veteran Islay lovers. This is Octomore, after all.

More time in the glass brings sweetness, with smoked butterscotch and chili pepper nearly intertwined in that they hit at almost exactly the same time and potency. It’s an interesting progression from smoky/fruity to sweet/spicy that rewards a patient patient nose; I found myself contemplating the scents so long I nearly forgot to start drinking.

Taste

There’s an immediate acidity on the palate like strong black coffee, which quickly melts into sweeter and sweeter elements as the whisky moves back on the tongue. Coffee transitions to cocoa, with pepper, brown sugar, toasted walnut, and another unique blend of fruits: prunes, figs, and ripe pears.

The coupling of pepper and brown sugar, combined with spicy oak influence, is reminiscent of mesquite-smoked brisket (liberally basted in a sweet sauce, of course). Octomore 14.2 achieves progressively more balance as the palate acclimates to the influence of peat, which creates a perception of increasingly complex brown sugar, oak, fruit, and spice flavors.

Toward the back of the palate, this Islay Scotch is hardly the peat monster it presented on the nose. Instead, we’re left with a whisky that beckons additional sips for a noteworthy combo of sweet and savory, with the intentionally heavy smoke almost (but never truly) becoming and afterthought.

Finish

Octomore 14.2 presents with a syrupy, lip-smacking finish that dips — bringing fleeting panic it might be “short” — only for that smoke influence to rise from the proverbial ashes and linger at the back and top of the mouth. There are also aftershocks of fruit, leaning more tart than on the palate.

Rating

93/100

Recap

Each year’s Octomore series is best experienced as a full lineup (though that’s certainly an expensive proposition for most consumers). Comparing 14.1 and 14.2 side-by-side is especially fun, exemplifying the differences imparted by various casks. But 14.2 takes the lead here, with both increased depth and complexity of flavor, along with remarkable balance given the peat’s intensity. Even factoring in 14.3, it’s my personal favorite of this year’s lineup, and a great example of how intensely peated Scotch can still carry a wide variety of other notes.

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93
POINTS
Octomore 14.2 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Since its initial release in 2008, Bruichladdich Distillery’s Octomore series has built a worldwide fan base by nature of being arguably the world’s most heavily peated Scotch. And by at least one measure, these annual releases often vie for that title. Scotch is often considered “heavily peated” if the measure of phenols in the dried malt are 30 or greater parts per million; Octomore’s recent releases generally well exceed 100 PPM. (Of course, there are many factors at play that influence perceived flavor after the malting process, so it’s an imperfect measure of peat’s impact on flavor.) The 2023 Octomore series is no exception, with two releases (14.1 and 14.2) coming in at 128.9 ppm, and 14.3 boasting a whopping 214.2 ppm. Today, we’re looking at Octomore 14.2, a five year Islay Scotch bottled at 115.4 proof. It’s made from the same grain — Scottish grown Concerto barley — as 14.1 and bottled at the same age. While 14.1 is aged in ex-American whiskey barrels, 14.2 is aged in a mix of wine and sherry casks. The exact breakdown is below:
  • 4 years in Oloroso (40 percent)
  • 4 years in Amarone first fill (16 percent)
  • 4 years in Amarone second fill (44 percent)
The whisky then spent its final year in Pauillac wine casks. Let’s see how Octomore 14.2 stacks up. Octomore 14.2 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky review.

Octomore 14.2 Price and Availability

Octomore is an annual release certainly coveted by fans of heavily peated Scotch, and though it’s a young whisky, its niche appeal commands a significant MSRP at $260. The good news is it’s fairly widely available on the American market, and it’s also common to find it at suggested retail pricing (or even a touch below depending on sales and promotions). However, it’s not readily distributed in each and every state, so some restrictions may apply here.

Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

An inviting peat-plus-fruit combo kicks things off on the nose: ripe red cherries, caramelized apples, dates, and apricots buoyed by a heavy but welcoming smoky peat. Less pronounced but still detectable are leather, petroleum jelly, and stretched rubber band, notes that might raise newbie eyebrows while thrilling veteran Islay lovers. This is Octomore, after all. More time in the glass brings sweetness, with smoked butterscotch and chili pepper nearly intertwined in that they hit at almost exactly the same time and potency. It’s an interesting progression from smoky/fruity to sweet/spicy that rewards a patient patient nose; I found myself contemplating the scents so long I nearly forgot to start drinking.

Taste

There’s an immediate acidity on the palate like strong black coffee, which quickly melts into sweeter and sweeter elements as the whisky moves back on the tongue. Coffee transitions to cocoa, with pepper, brown sugar, toasted walnut, and another unique blend of fruits: prunes, figs, and ripe pears. The coupling of pepper and brown sugar, combined with spicy oak influence, is reminiscent of mesquite-smoked brisket (liberally basted in a sweet sauce, of course). Octomore 14.2 achieves progressively more balance as the palate acclimates to the influence of peat, which creates a perception of increasingly complex brown sugar, oak, fruit, and spice flavors. Toward the back of the palate, this Islay Scotch is hardly the peat monster it presented on the nose. Instead, we’re left with a whisky that beckons additional sips for a noteworthy combo of sweet and savory, with the intentionally heavy smoke almost (but never truly) becoming and afterthought.

Finish

Octomore 14.2 presents with a syrupy, lip-smacking finish that dips — bringing fleeting panic it might be “short” — only for that smoke influence to rise from the proverbial ashes and linger at the back and top of the mouth. There are also aftershocks of fruit, leaning more tart than on the palate.

Rating

93/100

Recap

Each year’s Octomore series is best experienced as a full lineup (though that’s certainly an expensive proposition for most consumers). Comparing 14.1 and 14.2 side-by-side is especially fun, exemplifying the differences imparted by various casks. But 14.2 takes the lead here, with both increased depth and complexity of flavor, along with remarkable balance given the peat’s intensity. Even factoring in 14.3, it’s my personal favorite of this year’s lineup, and a great example of how intensely peated Scotch can still carry a wide variety of other notes.

Reviewed On: 12-19-2023
93
POINTS
Octomore 14.2 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Since its initial release in 2008, Bruichladdich Distillery’s Octomore series has built a worldwide fan base by nature of being arguably the world’s most heavily peated Scotch. And by at least one measure, these annual releases often vie for that title. Scotch is often considered “heavily peated” if the measure of phenols in the dried malt are 30 or greater parts per million; Octomore’s recent releases generally well exceed 100 PPM. (Of course, there are many factors at play that influence perceived flavor after the malting process, so it’s an imperfect measure of peat’s impact on flavor.) The 2023 Octomore series is no exception, with two releases (14.1 and 14.2) coming in at 128.9 ppm, and 14.3 boasting a whopping 214.2 ppm. Today, we’re looking at Octomore 14.2, a five year Islay Scotch bottled at 115.4 proof. It’s made from the same grain — Scottish grown Concerto barley — as 14.1 and bottled at the same age. While 14.1 is aged in ex-American whiskey barrels, 14.2 is aged in a mix of wine and sherry casks. The exact breakdown is below:
  • 4 years in Oloroso (40 percent)
  • 4 years in Amarone first fill (16 percent)
  • 4 years in Amarone second fill (44 percent)
The whisky then spent its final year in Pauillac wine casks. Let’s see how Octomore 14.2 stacks up. Octomore 14.2 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky review.

Octomore 14.2 Price and Availability

Octomore is an annual release certainly coveted by fans of heavily peated Scotch, and though it’s a young whisky, its niche appeal commands a significant MSRP at $260. The good news is it’s fairly widely available on the American market, and it’s also common to find it at suggested retail pricing (or even a touch below depending on sales and promotions). However, it’s not readily distributed in each and every state, so some restrictions may apply here.

Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

An inviting peat-plus-fruit combo kicks things off on the nose: ripe red cherries, caramelized apples, dates, and apricots buoyed by a heavy but welcoming smoky peat. Less pronounced but still detectable are leather, petroleum jelly, and stretched rubber band, notes that might raise newbie eyebrows while thrilling veteran Islay lovers. This is Octomore, after all. More time in the glass brings sweetness, with smoked butterscotch and chili pepper nearly intertwined in that they hit at almost exactly the same time and potency. It’s an interesting progression from smoky/fruity to sweet/spicy that rewards a patient patient nose; I found myself contemplating the scents so long I nearly forgot to start drinking.

Taste

There’s an immediate acidity on the palate like strong black coffee, which quickly melts into sweeter and sweeter elements as the whisky moves back on the tongue. Coffee transitions to cocoa, with pepper, brown sugar, toasted walnut, and another unique blend of fruits: prunes, figs, and ripe pears. The coupling of pepper and brown sugar, combined with spicy oak influence, is reminiscent of mesquite-smoked brisket (liberally basted in a sweet sauce, of course). Octomore 14.2 achieves progressively more balance as the palate acclimates to the influence of peat, which creates a perception of increasingly complex brown sugar, oak, fruit, and spice flavors. Toward the back of the palate, this Islay Scotch is hardly the peat monster it presented on the nose. Instead, we’re left with a whisky that beckons additional sips for a noteworthy combo of sweet and savory, with the intentionally heavy smoke almost (but never truly) becoming and afterthought.

Finish

Octomore 14.2 presents with a syrupy, lip-smacking finish that dips — bringing fleeting panic it might be “short” — only for that smoke influence to rise from the proverbial ashes and linger at the back and top of the mouth. There are also aftershocks of fruit, leaning more tart than on the palate.

Rating

93/100

Recap

Each year’s Octomore series is best experienced as a full lineup (though that’s certainly an expensive proposition for most consumers). Comparing 14.1 and 14.2 side-by-side is especially fun, exemplifying the differences imparted by various casks. But 14.2 takes the lead here, with both increased depth and complexity of flavor, along with remarkable balance given the peat’s intensity. Even factoring in 14.3, it’s my personal favorite of this year’s lineup, and a great example of how intensely peated Scotch can still carry a wide variety of other notes.

Reviewed On: 12-19-2023