Bowmore
Fact Sheet
Founded: 1779
Current owner: Suntory (Morrison Bowmore)
Stills: 2 wash, 2 spirit
Capacity: 2 million litres per year
Location: Bowmore, Isle of Islay
Website: www.bowmore.com
Notable Facts: Bowmore is the oldest distillery on Islay.
Report of my visit to Bowmore Distillery
Bottlings
May 19, 2013
A wonderful combination of peat and sherry. It is dry but not too woody and feels older than it actually is. – Rating: 91/100
May 15, 2013
The nose and the first seconds on the palate are really nice but the flavours quickly fade away into a nondescript peaty sweetness. – Rating: 80/100
April 16, 2013
A rather typical and Bow-moreish dram that is a bit on the peatier side. Especially the palate is quite complex. – Rating: 88/100
March 18, 2013
Some aspects of the palate and especially the nose are truly fantastic, but underneath there is a slight watery feeling that makes me cut a few points. – Rating: 91/100
February 17, 2013
Rich fruity sherry flavours enter a fruitful symbisois with the trademark Bowmore mild peat. Essentially this is a cask strength version of the Darkest. – Rating: 87/100
January 30, 2013
A slight herbalness joins dry peat in this Bowmore that also shows nicely balanced fruity notes. – Rating: 85/100
September 30, 2012
You need a bit of water to lure the fruity flavours out of their hideout, it is not a typical exponent of this distillery, but a solid one nevertheless. – Rating: 84/100
August 3, 2012
The palate is almost on par with the fantastic nose, a very richly flavoured dram with strong fruity and spicy notes. – Rating: 88/100
May 19, 2012
It reminds me a bit of the Bowmore Darkest, but the youthful freshness makes this dram even more delightful. – Rating: 89/100
December 12, 2011
This rather typical Bowmore has only a slight sherry influence, probably from a refill cask. All flavour elements are very well balanced and make it a highly anjoyable malt. – Rating: 88/100
September 3, 2011
Without water this is a very untypical and somewhat strange Bowmore. But add a spash or two and it will transfrom into a nice albeit somewhat spicy dram. – Rating: 82/100
July 31, 2011
Quite a dry dram, but very complex and extremely enjoyable. It is very smooth neat, there is not really a need to add much water. – Rating: 88/100
April 3, 2011
A typical young Bowmore with a mix of fruit and smoke. It is rather smooth but also quite rich in taste at the same time. – Rating: 85/100
February 25, 2011
A very fine fruity Bowmore with a lot of flavours to discover. The wood influence after the long maturation time is only very gentle. – Rating: 87/100
January 29, 2011
Despite its pale colour this malt is pretty complex but also rather gentle. A few drops of water release even more flavours. Unusually “clean” for a Bowmore. – Rating: 83/100
September 25, 2010
A finish well done and not too overpowering. The fruity notes of the famous Pomerol mix quite well with the suprisingly strong peatiness of the Bowmore malt. – Rating: 83/100
August 14, 2010
At a higher botttling strength this unusual bourbon cask Bowmore could really excel. At 40% it can only be described as decent. What a pity. – Rating: 81/100
May 29, 2010
The character is not unlike the 15yo Darkest, but I think the 18yo lacks some of the richness without offering much in return. Especially the finish is a bit on the weak side. – Score: 82/100
April 15, 2010
Very rich in many different flavours, not a peat-in-your-face malt. Suprisingly smooth, maybe a even bit too much. I think it would deserve a bit more punch. – Score: 85/100
March 31, 2010
It’s a very nice whisky, but it does not really remind me of a tempest. Although it is quite peaty for a Bowmore I think its character is more breezy than stormy, even without water. The fruitiest of all peat monsters. – Score: 86/100
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December 20, 2012
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October 31, 2012
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October 29, 2012
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October 3, 2012
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September 22, 2012
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September 18, 2012
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May 17, 2012
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May 5, 2012
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October 10, 2011
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June 13, 2011
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February 4, 2011
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January 23, 2011
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October 21, 2010
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