Bowmore 15 Year Old - Darkest

Tried this a Highland Stillhouse the other day. It was very underwhelming. Delicious and sweet but quite lacking in sophistication when compared with the other three glasses I ordered (see my comments on those; they were all based on reviews here as of late). I certainly enjoyed the Dark, but it was nothing to write home about. Eell, all be, I seem to be writing about it anyhow! Go figure!

I still am relatively new to scotch and this was my first Islay so i may have overrated. But I do enjoy it. I like the sweet smoke but my wife REALLY hates this drink. I will have to try some more peat drams. Must likely as I grow in experience this rating will evolve as well. But the next bottle I am opening is the Nadurra Cask strength. Any recommendations for a great but inexpensive Islay malt? I do really enjoy the smoke and peat.

For a gentle introduction, try Ardbeg Galileo. It's not a particularly stellar Ardbeg, but it kind of took the place of the Beist, which was better, but alas, is hard to find now. Galileo is a bit spendy, but it's a nice mellow introduction to the real meaty peaty goodness that is Islay. It definitely has more teeth than Dark. Some of the older Bowmores can be nice, but they are even more spendy. If you're on a budget, try Talisker mixed with Caol Ila. It's really freakin' good! Those two bottles will last a while! 1500ml!

Thanks! Talisker is on my "want" list. The others I haven't seen in this area. Road trip time!