Bowmore 15 years old

Bowmore 15 yo

43%

15 years old

Aged 12 years in ex-Bourbon casks and 3 more years in Sherry Oloroso casks

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Bowmore, born in 1779, is Islay’s oldest distillery. Like many distilleries, it changed hands a couple of times since its creation and closed in 1940 up to 1943. The « fun fact » about its closing (which is pretty common amongst Scottish distilleries) is that it closed so the RAF could use as a base. As nothing is short of spectacular with Bowmore, it was also the first distillery Queen Elizabeth visited, in 1980, and was presented with a special cask sold to help local charities.

Bowmore has a long standing reputation amongst its aficionados ; the use of mainly ex-Bourbon casks with some extra maturation in ex-Sherry and the use of a bit of Islay’s famous peat is well apreciated by fans.

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Color : red leather.
Nose : light peat mixed with thicker smoke. Dark chocolate and raisins, fortified wines.
Palate : At first glance a smoke well present with peat in the background. Figs and caramel. The texture is a bit too tiny.
Final : very short in the esophagus, longer in the mouth. Peat and smoke are present. The texture sensation in the mouth is more watery now.

Comments : a fairly uniform whisky, not unpleasant but a bit flat. The flavours are pretty good, but there is no evolution or anything very special. I must say I really try to be excited about Bowmore, but up to now, it just doesn’t work for me. Not that it’s bad or anything, I just don’t have any chills down my spine !