Bowmore 18 Year Old

Bowmore distillery is located on Islay, on the South Eastern shore of Loch Indaal, and is said to have been founded in 1779. Today the distillery is owned by Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd, a holding company owned by the Japanese drinks giant Suntory. The 18-year old expression was introduced in 2007, at the time replacing the 17-year old, and has been a part of the Bowmore core range ever since.

The nose is rather sweet, with a lot of caramel and honey flavours and accompanied by some chocolate. Very soft smoke lingers in the background, alongside some light notes of sherry.

The palate is medium-bodied, sweet and peppery. It is lightly fruity, with prunes and lemons taking center stage. Similarly to the nose chocolate flavours make an appearance.

The finish is of medium length, with soft smoke, orange and caramel flavours intermingling. Towards the end this was getting drier and drier.

A number of people told me that this needed time to open up. Well, I did take my time but still this single malt never quite got to me. It is not badly balanced, nor is it badly made, it is just… bland. Neither any rough edges, nor the elegance that one would have expected from an 18-year old. In short: boring.

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