
Bowmore seems to be the overlooked middle child of Islay. A lot of people hate them, seemingly for no reason. I get that most of their core expressions are bottled at a low abv. While that’s disappointing I enjoy most of their offerings nonetheless. There’s a time and place for everything. I should note that my bottle did not say “Darkest” on it, so I’m not entirely sure if this is the same whisky as the one released under that label.
Tasting Notes
- Nose (undiluted): gentle smoke, peat, and a little iodine. There’s more seaweed here than in the 12 year. With a little rest in the glass, there’s some dark fruit (raisins, dates, figs) but the sherry profile doesnt dominate in any way.
- Palate: very tame arrival, but there is some oiliness to it, a bit of smoke, cinnamon, and some faint berries (blackberries and raspberries) appear. Interesting.
- Finish: things get interesting here. The smoke reappears along with the iodine-laced peat, followed by what I can only describe as a big hit of beef jerky. That’s a good thing, in my humble opinion. As the jerky fades, the signature “citrus and sugar cookies” note I get from Bowmore appears and lingers longer than I would have expected.
I enjoyed this Bowmore far more than I thought I would. While it’s not a Cask Strength offering, there’s more than enough complexity going on for me to believe that I’ll be purchasing this one again.
You don't need to bring them back. Just store them in safe locations for us to "find" in the future present.
@Nozinan Definitely not. But there seems to be a growing contingent of people (not necessarily on this site) who will say (read the following in a thick Scots accent) “If it’s nae Cask Strength, it’s CRAAAAPPPP!!” and I don’t think that’s a fair position to take. Yes, all things being equal a higher abv is preferable but economic considerations come into play as well. I paid about $100 for this whisky, if I recall correctly, and that’s a pretty good price for a 15 year old single malt in Ontario. Bumping it up to 48% abv would undoubtedly put the price up.