Kategoriarkiv: Bowmore

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 10 YO – Tempest I

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ABV: 55.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a layer of honey, vanilla and sweet liquorice. Underneath lies a mix of tropical fruits, lemon and a mild leathery peat. It’s malty and round in the middle and the whole thing comes through as warm and welcoming. There’s a mixed spices note coming through towards the edges as well. With time in the glass the vanilla and honey sweetness grows bigger. This is a great nose which makes a good introduction to the rest of the journey.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweetness up front and the peatiness sitting in the back together with a lemon note. The peat is now a mix of leather and campfire smoke. It’s a lot more powerful and rich compared to the nose but a bit less sweet and a bit more mineraly. There’s a nice and mellow bitter note in the background and a sprinkle of seasalt too, which adds another dimension to the otherwise dessert-like character.

Finish: A big burst of mixed tropical fruits spread across the palate. The spicyness is rather consistant through the transition and so is the peatiness. It still feels very warm and approachable. The campfire smoke side of the peat soon start to take over and mix with the now detectable oakiness and the tropical fruits. This creates an extremely nice and fruity background note with a nice and mellow vanilla oakiness within. This set-up stays for a long and absolutely amazing finish. This is a fantastic whisky through and through.

Additional information
This whisky comes from the first batch of six in the Tempest series. It was aged in first fill ex-bourbon barrels. 12000 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 15 YO

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is a big bowl of assorted fruits with a baseline of tobacco, leather and smoke from a hot, burning campfire. There are tropical fruits, red berries and darker notes with ripe plums and raisins. The sweetness comes as white chocolate and vanilla surrounding the fruits. This is extremely pleasant and well balanced on the nose.

Mouth: Lemon sour approach with the leather and tobacco notes up front. It comes with some spicyness and a tiny amount of coffee bitterness. The ripe plums together with the tropical fruits are pushing forwards together with a speck of dust tagging along. It’s not as sweet as the nose would suggest. The oak can be noticed in the background. It’s not dry nor astringent, but brings the bitter tone to the mix. There’s also a salty caramel note laying as a thin layer on top of everything.

Finish: The darker sherry notes move forward together with the now refined tobacco notes. The tropical fruitiness comes as a wave rolling through together with some spicyness just before the oak finish takes over. The oak comes with espresso and the chocolate has now switched from white to dark. It’s a long finish which rewards the flavour seeker. All the fruitiness can be found over and over again all the way to the end.

Additional information
This Bowmore is supposed to be the same as the ”15 YO – Darkest”. It’s matured for 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels and finished for 3 years in Oloroso sherry casks.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore No.1

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Sample in queue. Tasting notes pending.

See the queue here.

(Old Scribbles)

Nose: Thin nose, peaty medicinal note, sweetness, brine, citrus, butterscotch. Young and cheap, missing the Bowmore characteristic tropical fruits.

Mouth: Butterscotch, metallic note, burnt hay, bitter oak, spicy. No fruits.

Finish: Bitter oak, citrus fruit, spices linger. Hint of campfire smoke in the end.

Additional information
This expression was released in 2017 and was a replacement for the Bowmore Small Batch. It’s aged in first fill american ex-bourbon barrels.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 15 YO – Golden & Elegant

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first, there’s a sour lemon note and a gentle smoke coming from a hot, burning campfire. After a few whiffs it changes slighty towards leather and tobacco and the lemons become a big bowl of tropical fruits. There’s ripe mangos, pineapple and peaches accompanied by honey, a hint of menthol and vanilla. It’s very pleasant on the nose.

Mouth: It’s sweet and sour with honey, lemons and fresh tropical fruits. The leather and tobacco notes represent the peat and resides around the edges. The oak is there, but it’s not overpowering or bitter. It shows a little astringency after a few sips.

Finish: A big burst of the tropical fruitiness together with a peppermint spicyness. The peat notes are still present and create a nice backdrop. The tropical fruits stays all the way to the end together with a pleasant oakiness. A ”funky” note shows up somewhere in the middle of the finish. There’s some hazelnuts coming through as a dusty, nutty note at the tail end.

Additional information
This is a part of Bowmore’s travel retail exclusive range that was released in 2017. It’s aged in first fill american ex-bourbon barrels.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 12 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is mixed fruits and mellow peat. At first there’s a mix of dried tropical fruits and ripe grapes occupying most of the space in the center. The outer layer consists of vanilla and a muted leathery peat with a hint of tobacco. There is a honey sweetness somewhere in the middle, but it’s not a perticularly sweet nose over all. With time, the dried fruits become fresher and liquorice comes up on the edge of the glass. There’s not much else to it. It’s a nice, but low impact nose.

Mouth: The leather and tobacco peatiness is first to come through, and it’s way more pronounced than on the nose. After a few seconds the whole thing becomes a tiny bit dusty and slowly the tropical fruits arrive. There are some ripe plums and raisins in there and there is a green grape note coming through from the back. It still has a very low impact, but it has a lot more to offer now. The oakiness comes through from behind and a touch of sea salt can be found in the back together with some black liquorice.

Finish: At first, there’s a big gap with no taste what so ever. After a second or two, the fruitiness start to emerge again. It’s now very bright and fruity and there’s a pineapple note which slowly transforms into the oakiness. It’s a slightly dusty oak. It never really takes over and the fruits follow along through the entire finish. The leather and tobacco notes are pushed way back into the background. This is a nice dram with great flavours, but it’s a bit uneventful and never really takes off.

Additional information
Bowmore does not disclose the cask types used in their 12 YO, but it’s bulk seem to be american ex-bourbon oak barrels, and possibly some european ex-sherry casks. This is part of the standard core range.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 10 YO – Dark & Intense

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and sweet. At first there’s a thick layer of dark fruits, mostly liqueur-soaked raisins and plums, together with honey and pipe tobacco. After a few seconds the peatiness changes towards leather and a warm campfire smokiness. In the background there is a lemon sourness and a salty note. There is a medicinal side to it as well. This is a very pleasant nose, but lacks a little complexity and depth.

Mouth: It starts out with a few seconds of sweet honey and vanilla before the dark fruits and the peat returns. Now it’s very much a pipe tobacco and leather kind of peat. After a while the fruitiness becomes a bit brighter and starts to move towards assorted tropical fruits. At the same time, a nice black coffee bitterness slowly emerges around the edges.

Finish: The assorted tropical fruits are immidiately the main feature and comes through together with a very characterful oakiness. The coffee note remains on the edges and the peat is now residing in the background. The dark fruits is still in there, but sort of floats around somewhere in between the other flavours. A nice savory note surprisingly pops up when everything else is about to disappear. This is a good whisky and decently priced, but it lacks some intensity, which is quite ironic.

Additional information
This is a travel retail exclusive released in 2017. It’s matured in spanish ex-sherry oak casks and hogsheads.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore Dusk – Bordeaux Wine Casked

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and peat. At first there’s a quite sweet mix of dark fruits and fresh red berries with leather and tobacco notes attached. In the background there are assorted tropical fruits and a lemon sourness. There’s a peppermint layer floating around on top and just underneath some vanilla as well. It’s a powerful nose. The peatiness comes through mostly as the tobacco and leather notes, which are attached to the port notes as well. There’s a campfire smokiness in there too. It seems very stable and the different layers really don’t move or mix. This is a very nice nose, but the whole seems a bit divided.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweetness and an ABV punch before it starts to deliver the other flavours. When it does, there’s a long row of things queueing up. Dried fruits (both dark and yellow), dust, malt, floral notes (mainly violets), lemon, baking and cooking spices are some of the starting notes. It’s not as peaty as on the nose and the tobacco and leather notes are really pushed back at this point. The campfire smokiness can be found on the edges. When it settles the violet notes are very much in focus with the rest of the flavours backing it up. It’s a very pleasant experience at this point.

Finish: The spicyness becomes black pepper and spreads out through the transition. It soon gets pushed away by the floral notes, again with violets up front. It almost feels a bit soapy at this point, which is less than ideal. It does shift towards the darker notes as well as the fresher fruitiness which saves it. It’s a long finish and it takes a while for the oakiness to appear. It’s a slightly dry and dusty oakiness and it feels a bit underwhelming. The peatiness has basically disappeared but there are still campfire smokiness and vanilla notes on the sides. This is a very good whisky. It has a lot of blemishes, but it’s still very drinkable.

Additional information
This whisky was aged 12 years in american and spanish oak and then finished for about 2 years in ex- bordeaux wine claret casks.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 21 YO Château Lagrange French Oak Barriques

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ABV: 48.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet, peaty and fruity. At first there’s a tropical fruitiness in the background, a sweetness in the center and a slightly mineraly tobacco and leather peatiness up front. When it settles it becomes more homogenous and ripe red and black berries are added to the mix. It’s got a nice, dark character and the assorted bright fruits in the back create a nice contrast which still works well. Notes of salt, liquorice and dry soil floats around within and creates a quite complex character. This is an amazing nose with a lot of attention seeking things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out with a very round and sweet dark fruitiness up front. Underneath there are notes of tobacco, leather and campfire smoke which sits together with the brighter fruits and a dash of lemon. It’s very rich and even though it presents a lot of different sensations it still delivers a fantastic and well balanced character. Laid back notes of the age shines through with some dusty book shelves in the center. There’s still a mineraly side to it as well. The red wine notes travels outwards and makes the whole bigger as the seconds goes by.

Finish: The round and dark berry note increases in intensity through the transition together with the minerals and the salty note. It soon reverts to being a nice mix of the peat, the tropical fruits and the sweetness. It takes a good while before any of the flavours subside to give room for the oakiness. It’s a nice and competent oakiness. It feels fresh for its age. There are some hazelnuts coming through in the late finish with gives it a nice send-off. This is an amazing whisky with a character which creates a fantastic balance and richness throughout.

Additional information
This is the second limited release in a series of french oak expressions. The whisky was aged in french ex-red wine barriques for the entire aging period.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 15 YO – The Feis Ile Collection 2018

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ABV: 52.5 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there’s a thick mix of dark raisins, overripe plums, tobacco and leather in the center and assorted tropical fruits in the background. There’s a peatiness spreading out towards the sides and the background and it delivers leather, campfire smoke and some minerality to the mix. There’s a nice balance between all the elements and nothing really takes the spotlight. This creates a whole which is greater than its parts, and all the parts are very good. There’s a sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon floating around as well as a hint of vanilla and walnuts. This is a fantastic nose with a great cohesive profile.

Mouth: It starts out with a mild and dark center with dark chocolate and tobacco. After a few seconds a fruitiness with multiple layers start to come through on the outside. There’s the dark and sweet fruits and berries, yellow tropical fruits and some lemon. There’s also an elusive floral note floating around. There’s a chili spicyness which slowly builds up around the edges which gives it a nice power-up. The peatiness is in there, but even though it’s quite noticable it doesn’t feel protruding and just adds to the mix instead of taking over. It’s still has a leather, woodfire and minerals character. There’s a slight dustiness within as well.

Finish: The dark chocolate and the tobacco are first out once again. After a second or two the whole cycle repeats itself with the mixed fruits on the outside, the peatiness growing in all directions without taking over and the peatiness now seems to intertwine with the darker sherry notes. There’s a toffee note in the center and the floral note is still floating around somewhere within. When everything starts to reside the whole becomes a mix of dark chocolate, tropical fruits and oak. It’s a very mild oakiness which fits the journey nicely since the rest of the journey has been quite busy. This is a fantastic whisky with a lot to offer, both as just a nice dram and as an explorer’s experience.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks. 3000 bottles were released for Feis Ile 2018. The Bottle tried is No. 1280.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 10 YO – The Devil’s Casks Small Batch Release II

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ABV: 56.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there’s a thick and dark layer with raisins, overripe plums, tobacco and dark syryp. There’s a mild menthol layer on top and underneath lies a fresher tropical fruitiness and a drop of lemon. When it settles a peatiness start to emerge from behind. It’s quite subdued and never really breaks through the thick sherry influence. It’s more of a side note which complements the main flavours. There’s a slight minerality to it and there’s a brine note coming through every now and then. This is a great nose which doesn’t change a lot, it just stays the same throughout the journey.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet dark layer in the middle and a quite noticable lemon sourness in the back. Soon the peatiness start to push through together with a tropical fruitiness around the edges. There are still raisins, plums and tobacco and a big bag of mixed dried fruits of all kinds. The balance between the peat, the sherry influence and the Bowmore house-style is amazing at this point. With time the menthol note becomes a spicyness which spreads out nicely over the palate. There’s an espresso bitterness coming through in the back as well.

Finish: The transition reveals some oak and some minerals before the dark fruits and the sweetness return. The peatiness is residing in the back together with the oakiness. With time the flavours switch places and the sherry notes make their way to the back and give room to both the oak and the peat. The tropical fruits and the lemon note return at this point and the middle part of the finish is a pure delight. When it starts to fade the coffee note returns and the oakiness takes over. It’s a nice enough oakiness but it’s not the best part of the otherwise lovely journey. This is a fantastic whisky. It’s not perfect as a whole, but offers so many great things throughout.

Additional information
This is the second release in the Devil’s Casks series. It’s aged in first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 23 YO 1989 – Port Cask Matured

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ABV: 50.8 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet fruits and mild peat. At first there’s a thick layer of sweet dark fruits with a top layer of nail polish remover. It feels a bit subdued at first and it takes time before everything starts to come through. There’s a mild peatiness with a mix of tobacco smoke, brine and a herbs out on the edges and with time in the glass there are notes of dark chocolate, lavender and some assorted nuts arriving in the center as well. There’s a lemon sourness in the back. This is a nice nose with a lot of small flavours swirling around.

Mouth: It starts out with a mix of tobacco and dark, sweet and sticky fruits. There’s a slightly detectable soapy note in the back together with a mild lemon sourness. With time there’s a hint of vanilla coming through but the sweetness is mostly connected to the fruitiness. It feels quite complex overall with a mix of bitter, sour and sweet sensations. There’s a herbal side as well as a floral, with a lavender note still in there (connected to the soapy note). The peat is sitting around the edges and it’s connected to the whole by the tobacco note. Everything feels slightly dusty.

Finish: There’s a mild and pleasant peppery note which gives a nice power-up in the transition. After it settles the soapy lavender note once again becomes detectable. The fruitiness is brighter now with a mix of dried and tropical fruits as well as the lemon in the back. It still comes through as complex and notes of dark chocolate, walnuts, vanilla, herbs and lavender creates an interesting journey. The oakiness is a bit anonomous even after everything dies down. This is a very good whisky which feels a bit younger than its age. It’s an interesting journey throughout, but the soapy note brings it down a notch.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1989 and bottled in 2013. It was aged in ex-port casks. It’s an unchillfiltered limited release.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore Dawn – Port Casked

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ABV: 51.5 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mix of leathery peat and tobacco. There’s also a thick undefined sweetness. When it starts to settle there’s first a dark fruitiness and then a fresher tropical fruitiness as well. It feels a bit sticky sweet on top but it’s not top heavy. After a while it seems like everything finds it place and it becomes nicely balanced. The sweetness is now vanilla rich and connected to the fruitiness. Dried tropical fruits like pineapple and mango together with blackberries and raisins are now detectable. This is a great nose which improves greatly with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with the peatiness first. It’s still a leather and tobacco peat and it is a very pleasant combination. There’s a mild spicyness hovering above which gives it a nice aura. After a second or two the fruitiness starts to shine through. It’s a dusty mix of lemons and dried dark fruits. There’s also vanilla and a hint of scented soap somewhere in between. The balance found on the nose isn’t really there anymore and the character has slightly shifted. There is a complex note within which seems to be connected to the peat.

Finish: It starts out with the soapy note which isn’t all that great. A bitter and sour lemon peel note builds up in the background while the peat moves out towards the edges. It still carries the mild spicyness along but it doesn’t spike through the transition. Some baking spices floats around and a hint of the tropical fruitiness can be found just when the oakiness starts to break through. The oakiness is very nice and has a lot of character. It’s coming through in a big manner but it unfortunatly carries the soapy note along through the late finish. This is a decent whisky with a great nose.

Additional information
This is an older release from Bowmore. It’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed amount of time and then finished in Ruby Port casks.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore The Devil’s Casks Limited Release III – Double the Devil

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ABV: 56.7 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there’s a mild menthol layer sitting on top of a very homogenous fruity, sweet and peaty base and center. It feels very mild and approachable and there’s a nice array of flavours and complexity. The fruitiness is a mix of dried tropical fruits and darker black and red berries. The sweetness is mainly attached to the fruitiness but there are both honey and vanilla notes to be found. The peat is very much a leather and tobacco peatiness which feels a bit subdued behind the fruitiness but creates a nice frame. The whole feels quite young behind the heavy cask influence. This is a great nose which is nicely balanced between the casks and the house style.

Mouth: It starts out with a peat kick with tobacco, leather and a slightly herbal note. It mainly shows up on top but also on the outside edges. It feels a bit hot and the spicyness is producing an immidiate impact on the palate. The sweetness sits on the outside and the fruitiness and a black coffee note resides in the center. The fruitiness is still tropical and darker fruits and berries all mixed up in one big fruit bowl. Everything do seem to be a bit shallow at this point and it feels like it’s lacking some depth.

Finish: The spicyness continues at the same pace but the darker fruit note with raisins, overripe plums and a splash of coffee takes over and hides the tropical fruits at the start of the finish. It takes a while before the tropical fruitiness once again shows up as well as the sweet vanilla notes. There’s still not a big depth to this whisky. It takes a long time for the oak to be a part of this whisky and when it does, it’s nice enough but way too anonymous. This is a great whisky but it feels a bit rushed. It still produces very nice flavour combinations all in all.

Additional information
This is the last release in the Devil’s Casks series. It’s aged in first fill ex-Oloroso and first fill ex-PX sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 15 YO Laimrig Batch 2

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ABV: 54.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there’s a mix of heavy dark fruits and vanilla. There are raisins and overripe plums mixed with tobacco and spices. It feels very powerful and rich. After a few seconds notes of oak and baking spices break through as well as a tropical fruitiness. It’s quite sweet overall with honey notes nestled within. It slowly changes and gives new subtle notes over time without compromising the initial character. Notes of leather and lemon pops up as well. This is a great nose. It leans heavily towards the oloroso sherry casks without it being top heavy.

Mouth: It starts out with honey and a swift nod to the tropical fruitiness the leather and the tobacco notes before the dark fruitiness takes over. It’s spicy and a bit dusty which fits the heavy character perfectly. There’s a slight bitterness, maybe a black coffee note, in the back as well as vanilla and a drizzle of honey. The oak shines through every once in a while which creates depth together with the tropical fruits which now resides in the back. It’s a very balanced, yet very powerful experience.

Finish: The finish starts with a dusty and complex center with the dark fruitiness now moving out towards the edges of the palate. This leaves room for the leather, tobacco and the tropical fruitiness to shine through. It still has a very rich and powerful character. It stays like this for quite some time before the oakiness finally breaks through. It’s a nice oakiness but it really never gets to shine. The dark fruits never leave its side. This is an amazing whisky. It’s powerful yet balanced and has a nice journey through and through.

Additional information
This whisky is first aged in undisclosed casks and then finished in ex-sherry casks. This was bottled in 2011 and is limited to 15000 bottles. The bottle reviewed is 05033/15000. It’s unchillfiltered.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 12 YO – Enigma

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is ripe fruits and leathery peat. At first there’s a big bucket of raisins, overripe plums and liqueur-soaked berries with a tropical fruitiness peeking through from behind. A toned down peatiness creates a surrounding layer of leather and tobacco. The whole thing is very sweet and it’s like the fruits are coated with a tiny layer of vanilla and icing sugar. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out very mild with a lot of the ripe fruits coming through, but it seems a little fresher than on the nose. Black liquorice start to emerge, and after a few seconds it takes over together with the darker overripe fruits and the raisins. The peatiness is there and it’s still leather and tobacco, but now with a hint of burning wood. It suffers a bit from the low ABV and that hurts the impact.

Finish: At first, vanilla, tropical fruits and red berries arise and expand from the center and out. The peat is still surrounding the edges and it stays there and never becomes the main attraction. The ripe fruitiness then once again takes over, but now with a base of honey. It takes a long time for the oak to show up and there’s a shift in the fruitiness towards the tropical fruits just before it arrives. It’s an anonomous oakiness without character. This could have been a fantastic whisky, but it lacks some power to deliver its best side.

Additional information
This expression was a part of Bowmore’s former travel retail range that was discontinued around 2014. It’s aged in both american ex-bourbon barrels and european ex-sherry casks with a heavy emphasis on the latter.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore Small Batch

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is honey, peat and tropical fruits. At first there’s a big bucket of tropical fruits covered in vanilla and honey. It’s surrounded by a layer of tobacco and worn leather. In the background there’s a lemon sourness and a hint of salty ocean air. With time, a savory peat note comes up somewhere in between the layers. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and salty. The honey note is up front and the tropical fruits have moved to the back of the palate. It takes a second for the peat to show up and now it’s leaning heavily towards the tobacco side. There’s also a medicinal side to it and it comes through together with the saltiness.

Finish: A big burst of menthol and tropical fruitiness fills the mouth. It’s now a clear mango note. The tobacco peatiness and the medicinal notes comes shortly after. It takes a while before the oak appears and when it does, it’s a quite nice oakiness. It’s wet planks and walnuts and it stays a long time before fading. It’s salty all the way through. This is a good, albeit young, version of Bowmore matured in very good casks. It’s not their best, but it offers a lot of flavour even though it’s low strength.

Additional information
This expression was released in 2014. It’s aged in first and second fill american ex-bourbon oak barrels. It was discontinued in 2017 and replaced by Bowmore No.1.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore Legend

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is lemon fresh and fruity. A layer of peat, mostly leather and smoke from a hot campfire, is sitting in between the fruitiness and the sweetness. The fruitiness is mostly lemon and star fruits and the sweetness is a classic mix of honey and vanilla. There is a thin layer of mint sitting on top. This is mild and easy on the nose.

Mouth: Bitterness hits the mouth directly and then it turns to the peaty notes and they are leaning more towards leather now. It’s salty and the fruitiness is still the same as on the nose but with some pinapple and grapefruits added. There’s a small hint of a dry oakiness in the back. The vanilla and honey is nowhere to be found. It’s still very mild.

Finish: A spike of fruitiness passes by and then the mint and peat takes over. The lemon note stays for a long time and surrounds all the other flavours. The oak starts to push through and brings a big bag of tropical fruits with it. The oak itself is dry and a bit muted. The last part of the finish is all about the fruitiness. This is not especially complex and it’s a bit too mild. It’s still a decent dram though.

Additional information
There’s not much information to be found on this bottling. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon oak casks.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore Gold Reef

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is tropical fruits in a leather pouch. It starts out very fruity with pineapples, mangos and a hint of ripe bananas. The leathery peat notes are subtle and sits with some honey and vanilla in the back. There is a savory, quite complex center behind everything else, which gives it a nice depth. This is very pleasant on the nose.

Mouth: A spicy note sort of slingshots in before the whole thing turns very fruity and quite dusty. It really shows some age with some dusty leather-bound books. The tropical fruits are still the main focal point and they are joined by some ripe red apples and lemon zest. It’s salty and got a small note of seashore residing in the back. It’s very mild and easy on the palate, yet still quite rich and with an oily texture. The oak do show up, but it takes quite the patience to find it and when it finally shows up it comes with a bitter note and a piece of milk chocolate.

Finish: A big burst of tropical fruits sets the pace. There’s smoke coming from a warm burning campfirein the back. It also still got a hint of leather. The oak comes slowly and settles down around the tropical fruits. It’s a very nice oakiness with a small bitter note to it. It’s a dusty, slightly astringent oak with notes of chalk, hazelnuts and old grey wooden planks. The salty note is still in there and the fruitiness stays for a long finish.

Additional information
This was released in 2014 as a travel retail exclusive. It’s primarily aged in first fill american ex-bourbon oak barrels. It was discontinued in 2017.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore Black Rock

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there are tropical fruits mixed with raisins and dark chocolate. Honey, vanilla and black liquorice sits in the back and create a nice rich backdrop. A brigther note of red berries with some raspberries sort of comes and goes on top of the dark fruitiness. The peat manifests as a leather note and sits in between the layers of sweetness. The focus lies on the heavy sherry overlay.

Mouth: At first honey, red berries and a slight bitterness turn up. It then slowly changes into black liquorice, vanilla and raisins. There’s a lemon note surrounding the other flavours. The oakiness comes through together with leather and tropical fruits. It’s a nice oakiness with a slight bitterness that sits well with the other flavours.

Finish: A thin note of menthol passes by before moving directly into a big bowl of assorted tropical fruits. The oakiness comes through as well as the darker sherry notes and the leather, but the main focus is all about the pineapples and mangos and a slight hint of grapefruits. There’s a chalk note sitting on top of the oak in the finish and the oak is somewhat dry and bitter with some coffee and hazelnuts. There’s no astringency until after a few sips. This is very good for an entry level NAS travel retail release.

Additional information
Black Rock is the entry level of the travel retail exclusive range released in 2014. It’s primarily aged in ex-sherry casks. It was discontinued in 2017.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 18 YO

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is leather and dark fruits. A mellow peatiness with leather and tobacco notes sits in the middle of a dark fruitiness with overripe plums and raisins. A row of old books and a tropical fruitiness (with a twist of lemon) sit in the background. The contrast between the dirrerences make this a complex nose. All flavours seem integrated and they fit nicely into the whole. The dark fruits become more pronounced over time and they bring a black liquorice sweetness. This is a fantastic nose.

Mouth: It starts out mild yet flavourful. It’s very sweet with the dark fruitiness up front. A lemon note shoots through the dark fruits and, together with a saltiness and the peat, it creates a complex sensation. The old books still sit in the back and after a few seconds the tropical fruitiness return. The peat is now leaning towards tobacco with a hint of burning charcoal. It becomes spicier with time. The oak is not yet present.

Finish: At first, it becomes very dusty and the age is coming through clearly. The darker fruitiness is immidiately toned down to make room for a brighter tropical fruitiness with pineapples as the main flavour. Within this fruitiness the oak slowly emerges. It’s a dry oak with a hint of walnuts and black coffee, but it still got a freshness to it. The bitter notes never really take over, they just seem to add another layer. In the late finish the leather returns. The tropical fruitiness stays in the mouth long after everything else has subsided. This is well made, and a great dram. It is a bit too mild, but still delivers complexity and a lot of flavours.

Additional information
This was added to the core range in 2007. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon oak barrels and ex-sherry casks separatly and then mixed together.