Bowmore 20yo 1989-2010 51% Whisky Fair Limburg
I must admit I've never been to Limburg, but I think I'll take the trip in not too long, I just have to visit Fettercairn Distillery first. This one comes from a bourbon hogshead, Smells vanilla, peppery, pistachio, red onions. The taste is sweet, vanilla again and soft notes of iron, with lots of peat. Lacking the usual coastal character that's evident in most recent bottlings besides the enigma. Chorizo with green peppercorn and burnt grease.
A good peaty Islay malt, but not much more than that: 6
Bowmore 30yo 43% OB Seadragon
Bowmore from the good old days, I believe this one was distilled prior to the slippery slope the distillery went into in the 80's. I've heard much about black and white Bowmore's but never tried, and considering the prices of today this might be the closest I'll ever get. Very closed, needs some time to open up. Thyme and licorice is the initial scents, a dried tomatoes and herbs. No sign of peat yet. The taste is minty and herbal, no peat evident as I can tell, I'd never guess this was an Islay malt, reminds me somewhat of the Glenfarclas 21yo.
A bland 30yo, would definitively gain from a higher %abv.: 5.5
Bowmore 10yo 43% OB
Bowmore 10yo is actually from what I experience one of hardest OB Bowmore's to come across, at least that's massively produced. I wonder why..? Pretty dark compared to the Ledaig, the 12yo Caol Ila and 10yo Ardbeg. Coloured, some older content or including some sherry-matured Bowmore? Smells very tame, not much going on here, some restrained peat and some burnt matches. The taste is a strange combination of bitter, grassy peatiness and sweet toffee. A drying finish. Although it's not as peat as I'd imagine at this age it's definitely something else.
A bizarre Bowmore in a good way: 6
Bowmore 27yo 1982-2009 50.6% Duncan Taylor The Octave
A single octave bottling I presume. This is the oldest Bowmore I've come across, partly due to the fact that I cannot afford old ones like the White and Black ones and so on and partly that Bowmore is one of the whiskies I've tried most of as well as one of the whiskies least likely to impress me to a point above 7.5 points. Maybe this will? Smells coastal, sea salt, ocean winds when on deck, fishnets left to dry, after a while appears some smoke too. The taste peppery with notes of restrained peat and some rope(?). This was a bitter disppointment on the palate. The aftertaste is short and the peat is barely recognizable.
Starting promising but turns out dull: 3.5
Bowmore 26yo 53.4% Master of Malt
I don't remember ever trying such an old Bowmore, so this could be interesting. The standard Bowmore nose that gives some peat but not much else. But the taste is something different, meaty, roasted, sweet, dark grapes, grapefruit. The aftertaste is straight and peppery, but not too much, a real leap up from where other bourbon-matured Bowmores has taken me.
Bowmore shows a new side of itself: 7.5
Bowmore 7yo 2002-2009 46% Murray McDavid
Last time I tried a Bowmore under 10yo I believe it was a 3yo privately bottled at a wine shop in Hamburg, or it was the, said to be 5yo, Legend, far from my favourites. This one comes from the range of Murray McDavid of which I've tried many a good Bourbon casked malt before. This one anyway is pretty dark so I guess it could be sherry-matured? Smells very good, robust, huge, sweet, smells much older than its age. Actually chosen by my GF. The taste has got all the wonderful sweet aromas of the Enigma, but it's much more sophisticated, the peat just skimms the milk if I can say so, and the peppery, salty coastal character is right there with it. Green tea, herbal, seaweed, oily, lemony, minty, there's a little bit of everything in this little monster. If it weren't an IB I'd guess there would be some really old vintages mixed in this one as well. The aftertaste got hints of chili, sage and thyme.
A young dram that shows Bowmore's recent progress: 8
Bowmore 21yo 43% OB
The oldest widely available standard Bowmore. Bowmore is one of the distilleries where I don't care much for the standards but very often enjoy alternative OB's like the Tempest, Enigma and so on. Especially the 12yo can be horrible, but let's not be too judgemental. It smells peaty, smoky, salty, dry rock, cigar smoke. The taste is really sweet and peppery, like ginger bread. Wonderful flavours of sour leaves, estragon and moscatel wine. I would never expect a Bowmore to be like this, but I'm not complaining, not at all. The aftertaste isn't peaty at all, actually there's a big lack of peat, but there's so much else going on that I don't mind at all.
A different Bowmore: 8
Bowmore 14yo 1995-2009 56.7% Malts of Scotland cask#113 btl.1/192
Now a cask strength from Malts of Scotland, Bowmore is probably my most reviewed malt, but some I could really do without. I hope this is one of the better. It smells sweet, honey, barbeque sauce and strong smokiness. The taste is sweet, sherried, smoky, oloroso and peaty dryness. This one does much better without water. The aftertaste is long and drying, it puts me a but off as it overpowers both the peat and the nice sweet sherried initial taste.
A fine version of Bowmore, slightly ruined by the finish: 7
Bowmore 10yo 2000-2010 58.7% Malts of Scotland cask:800266 btl.x/219
I love the Bowmmore 10yo Tempest, maybe this is another coastal one, similar to other CS from the whore of Islay. The taste is amazing, vanilla, spicy, peppery, fruity, it's got it all so far. The taste is extremely salty. Very coastal, like some of the older bourbon-matured Bowmores, and once again, Tempest. With water it gets more spirity, I do like the alternative finishes better, like the Darkest for instance. But I really think it's similar to the "Vaults"-version. Not my first choice by any means.
Not my favourite by far, but it's a bit exciting: 4.5
Bowmore 12yo 40% OB Enigma
Well, after a kind of dissimal Glen Ord, I'm gonna try a 40%abv Bowmore before continuing the CS trip. The nose is full of sherry, sweet oloroso sherry, sun dried tomatoes and black olives. A bit salty, like the mariner? The taste is what I expected, a peaty, smoky, peppery sherry malt. Does the flavours combine well? No, unfortunately, although it's good, I think it would be better without the peat. Maybe I'm a bit incompiten of this one as it's tried right after a CS malt. But anyway, it's not bad in any sense.
A somewhat missmatch: 5.5
Bowmore NAS 56% OB Vaults
A cask strength Bowmore, I suspect bottled at about 10 years of age as the abv is almost equal to the one of the excellent 10yo "Tempest". Huge flavours on the nose, much bigger than the Tempest, massive smoke, stearic, burnt wood. The taste gives me pepper, smoke, pepper, smoke, sugar, pepper and then some smoke. It lacks much of the finesse that I found in the Tempest, it makes somewhat up for it with the powerful smokiness. I'm not a peathead myself, but I guess many of the Islay-lovers out there wouls appreciate this.
Lacks complexity, but has a nice peatiness: 6
Bowmore 7yo 2002-2009 46% Berry Bros cask# 20139/20140
A young Berry Bros at 46% and only 7yo means it's pretty well dilluted. I don't know what the peat level is but it's at least 18ppm and approximately 35ppm. That said, peat shows more in the younger the whiskies, but this one is very smooth. The taste is creamy, vanilla, honey and a bit floral. The aftertaste is peppery, flinty and peaty. This is an easy Bowmore, with some mineral notes and a very pleasant and undemanding easy sweetness. Clear bourbon influence but not overwhelming.
A great young Bowmore: 6.5
Largiemeanoch 17yo 51.9% Arthur J. Bell
This one is a Bowmore actually, but I don't know why it's called largiemeanoch. It's probably an old bottling from the 70s or 80s. It could be a cask strength, I'm not sure, let's taste. A perfect nose, honey, cream, freshly roasted nuts, and some wonderful peaty notes. The taste is quite peppery, but not in a bad way, black pepper and clear coastal notes of squid. Unfortunately the taste doesn't follow up the nose, but it's still a very good malt. The aftertaste is peaty, grassy, ginger and very concentrated.
A nice old Bowmore: 6.5
Bowmore 10yo 1999-2009 56.3% OB Tempest "Batch 1"
Some distilleries are now putting batch numbers on their bottles, why? I have no idea, other that one can perhaps distinguish some differences between batches. But them differences could come from the casks as well I guess. Anyway, here's the notes. It's the firmest smell from Bowmore yet, and there's been some firm ones. And the peat really works miracles in this one. It burns throughout the entire evening, and with some added maritime notes of salt, fish eggs and oysters, it's an instant classic, and one to end a perfect night with.
For me, the best Bowmore yet: 9
Bowmore 17yo 43% OB
I don't know any distillery that have so many different aged OB's as Bowmore, or maybe HP has... This one smells strong and peppery, very in sync with the flavours that the distillery is known for. The taste is salty, rustic, very nice, the peppery taste is tamed well and all the good maritime characters of Bowmore is revealed. The aftertaste is of sushi, dried cod and shrimp eggs. Try this!!!
I love it, by far my favourite Bowmore: 8
Bowmore 16yo 1972-1998 43% The Prestonfield
Sherrymatured Bowmore often becomes a struggle between two tastes for me, the sherry and the peaty. This smells very much of peat, pepper and sherry, but for a change it is actually very balanced. The peat is short at first, then the sherry takes over, no interfering with each other. On the palate it is unfortunately a bit dry, strong notes of sherry and some pepper, second to none smoke. With an aftertaste of baking soda.
A well incorporated cask, not much else: 5.5
Bowmore 15yo 43% OB Darkest
This one is not as dark as one may suggest from the name. It's matured in sherry casks, with a sweet smell of anis, syrup and butterscotch. A very oily and fat malt. It has a smoother taste than most Bowmores I've tried, but on the finish it gives me the o'so familiar notions of bitterness and burnt rubber. Not my malt of choice, but I guess The fine employees at Bowmore recognizes if there's a market.
If we take the coastal character from Bowmore, what's left?: 3
Bowmore NAS 40% OB Legend
En Bowmore diluted down to a 40%? Hard to guess what could be the idea behind this. Smells like a Bowmore, stearic, salt, smoke and burnt rubber. Very easy on the palate, maybe due to it's young age, kind of sweet at first, then it becomes salty, cured sheep meat that's been lying around to long and gone dry. Very long.
The finish saves it: 5.5
Bowmore 12yo 1992-2004 43% Signatory Vintage
A totally blank whisky, no colour at all on this one. Looks like a newmake. Smells and tastes strong and powerful, dried fish and strong mints, a bit coastal. It's unusually fragrant for a bowmore, sweet lavendel, sugar, cashewnuts and eggcream. The finish is very harsh and it's hard to locate the peat among all the bad alcoholic flavours.
A blend of the best and worst of Bowmore: 6
Bowmore 13yo 46% Cadenhead's
One of the Dumpy's from Cadenhead's, this is said by many to be a very runderrated serie. Strong smell, almost hard to process. The taste on the other hand is pretty calm for an Islay malt, camphor candy, strong tea, dried coriander, with a strong aftertaste which pretty much consists of horeseradish notes. A nice and recognizeable Bowmore.
Tender Islaymalt: 5
Bowmore 18yo 43% OB
Smoky, as usual from Bowmore, cigarish. Easier on the tastebuds than most of the young editions, but still with the taste of black pepper very present. It can take a drop of water or two, develops a taste that reminds me of dark rumfilled chocolate, pretty phenolic. Very dry finish.
Seems to have reached it's peak a while back: 3
Bowmore 15yo 43% OB Mariner
This one is called Mariner, so I guess it's a dram with coastal influences. Anyway, it smells of sushi, smoked salmon and salt, very maritime indeed. Wonderful taste of seasalt as well as some beetroot, turnips, salty skin after a dip in the sea, mild smoky tones. This is actually much less smoky than most Bowmores I've come across, but with even more aromas. In my opinion definately a style they should do more of.
Some ocean and then some more: 7
Bowmore 3yo 43% OB
Another one that's bought in a cask-sized bottle, and rebottled in smaller portions in a store, again is the nose a bit underdeveloped, and reminds me of antibacterial handwash. The taste is surprisingly sweet, with pepper and ammonia in the finish. The peat seems to not meet it's potential at such a young age, and it comes of a bit bland.
Perhaps a 6-year old would have done the trick: 4
Bowmore 12yo 40% OB
As most Islay whiskies Bowmore comes with a smoky peated flavour, almost like gasoline, very spirity. The taste is first of all sweet, candylike from start, but only for a magic moment, before the peat and smoke overwhelmes me once again. Leaves me with a smoked and oaky finish.
Smoke, smoke and even more smoke: 2
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