Bowmore definitely has its ardent fans. I’m not one of them though.
I must admit that I struggle with this distillery, as something in the profile doesn’t rub me the right way. It’s not to say that I don’t recognize the quality of the whisky they produce, of course I do. Especially since Rachel Barrie took the helm at Morrison-Bowmore. This is a question of personal taste more than anything else. There have been, of course, expressions I liked, and have said so (like the Devil’s Cask), and this one is actually one of them, despite being two faced and very different when swirled in the glass and when left stationary.
Photo Credit: spirituosen-und-zigarren.de
Wemyss Malts 1988 Bowmore “Cacao-Geyser”, Sherry Butt, Yield 737 Bottles (46% ABV, NCF, NC)
Appearance: Tawny, very slow legs.
Nose: When agitated in glass, you get strong sherry notes, with cinnamon and some cooked clove, balsamic vinegar, dried fruit (dried apricot leather) and very little peat, if any. When left to rest in the glass, the Bowmore takes over with its signature peat, notes of tropical fruit, burnt rubber and some trampled green vegetation. The nose on this dram toys with the drinker
Palate: Mouthfeel is very thick and viscous, sweet down the tongue with a fizzy peatiness, which then takes over the tongue. The sherry is very palatable, with some papaya and guava and sweetish wood spice and some bittersweet chocolate.
Linger: Metallic sweetness on tongue, dryness on inside of the cheeks, some peat left behind in the back of the throat – a little like after a cigar. The linger is medium, although longer in the throat.
Conclusion
If you like Bowmore, you’ll find this dram to be outstanding. If you’re not a big Bowmore fan, you might still like this dram very much, as the sherry cask really does wonders to this expression.