whisky review 151 - Bowmore Tempest 10yo (1st Batch)

10yo
55.3%vol:
... and where Bowmore should be at , ... fresh, peaty, fruity, ginger, orange rind, zesty, and wafts of smoke with vanilla-oak.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• scotch
• whisky
• whiskey
• Bowmore
• reviews
• ralfystuff

[splice42]

Ralfy, if you have the opportunity and can find a bottle around, I'd be interested to hear what you think of the Bowmore Laimrig (15yo with the last 5 years spent in sherry casks). I found it quite nice, and I do believe it's natural colour, un-chillfiltered and at cask strength. I generally go for the sherried scotches and was a bit iffy on an Islay (never really loved them), but this bottle just fits for me.

[ralfystuff]

@splice42

I will look out for this one !

[iGamerMGMR]

@ralfystuff Hello from Canada, I am also interested in your take on the Bowmore Laimrig. The first batch was limited to 4500 bottles and had a strength of 50.3%, I have a bottle of the second batch of which 15000 bottles were made, it is Non Chill Filtered, Natural Cask Strength of 54.4% & I believe has no colour added.15 Years old with the last 5 years spent in sherry casks. Serge Valentin gave the first batch a score of 90. Might be difficult for you to get your hands on a bottle Ralfy.

[ralfystuff]

@iGamerMGMR

I will look out for this one.

[Timvanhelsdingen]

Hey there Ralphy! I've got a question. I got a friend a bowmore giftpack for his birthday last week, en he decided we should taste it together. In it were the 12, 15 and 18 year old. Was nice tasting. But I got a little question. The 12 year old had a lot of peat and smoke on the nose, which was much more subtle in the 15 and 18yo. Any idea what causes this? Does being in the cask for longer pull out some of the peat/smoke smell? I wonder...

[ralfystuff]

@Timvanhelsdingen

Usually (though not always) the peat-intensity of new made spirit steadily becomes less intense over time in cask maturation as the phenol chemical group responsible for peat-flavour break down chemically and get supressed by the flavour compounds provided by the maturation cask till eventually there is very little peat-intensity at all.

[emilskilis]

I'm baffled as to why whisky producers would put caramel in their cask strength whiskies (if we disregard the possibility that they're trying to hide something). I doubt that people who know nothing (or next to nothing) about whisky would be willing to take the risk and buy a whisky bottled at 50+ percent. Those who do, on the other hand, seldom approve of caramel in their whisky.

[christophermolloy]

If you're partial to a 12-year old bottling of west-coast Islay malts, then why not review the Bowmore 12-year old? It is very budget friendly, and a great representation of this style IMO; it's also one of my favorites. All the best.

[ralfystuff]

@foreveracowgurl86

E150a is brown dye to make a whisky look better ! It does not help the flavour, German's care about this, Britain does not unfortunately.

[Polyfusia]

I take it you're not a fan of Bowmore 12 year old. Bowmore is certainly overhyped and deserves a reputation as a "tourist whisky". I have never tried any of their offerings. Here in Canada a bottle of Ardbeg 10 year old is $100 a bottle, Laphroaig 10 year old is $80 and Lagavulin 12 year old is $115. Our dollar is worth about the same if not more than the US dollar normally, for a point of reference. Bowmore 12 year old is on sale for $45 this week, and I'm going to buy a bottle. Fingers crossed

[peakCRACKERS]

Bowmore 12 yo was like johny walker red with a silk hat . 100% gross. Just horable!

iodine with a hint of burnt paint.

[swingray62]

Just finished the Bowmore 12y ((40pct) not the Enigma). Must say it`s one of my favourites now. Love the kind of chocolate/toffee sweetness going into light smoke/peat.

Same way of tasting as the Bruichladdich Waves, first fruity then going into a nice smoke/peat taste.

Personally I like these kind of whisky`s above the Ardberg or Laphroaig`s.

Thanks for the review!