A very clean, elegant Bowmore with a naked beauty that shows its Islay roots. You’ll find fresh brine and seaweed on a bed of honeyed malt and soft vanilla cream. Subtle berries, citrus, and melon fruit add a complex fruit dimension. Fresh, appetizing finish. Nicely done! (Exclusive to The Party Source.)

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2006)

There’s a fascinating journey taking place here. The nose takes you indoors; caramelized tropical fruits, coffee cake, a spent fire in the grate, and just the merest whiff of the waves hitting the beach. The palate, however, places you squarely aboard a yacht under sail: salt spray, deck and engine oil, worn leather upholstery. It seems way more mature than 12 years. The intensity is lost with water, but you gain more smoke. A great bottling.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2013)

Matured in first-fill sherry casks, here we have Bowmore at its ballsiest, with massively bold notes of prune, dried fig, salted treacle, toffee, shoe leather, rose petal, and savory maritime edges that glance toward Marmite, all of which are infiltrated by clouds of smoke. The palate has retained sweetness, mixing black cherry, pipe tobacco, and cloves. Powerful and seriously impressive with fantastic balance that retains Bowmore identity, adds richness, ups the peatiness, and leaves you under Satan’s spell.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2013)

The fruit (orange marmalade, tangerine, fresh pineapple) is nearly as dominant as the leafy smoke. Sweet notes of nutty caramel, honeyed barley, toffee, and nougat round out the palate. Ginger, cinnamon, telicherry pepper, tobacco, and ash play a supporting role. Lingering fruity, smoky finish. For those who like sherried Islay whiskies.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2011)

This Bowmore has been finished in sherry casks, but without allowing the exuberance of the cask to overwhelm the dram. Instead, there’s concentrated stone fruits, lifted smoke, dried mint, dark chocolate, bitter orange peels, and some smoke. There’s a teasing hint on the tongue of tropical fruits, then a deepening mix of plump dried figs and sultana. Long, layered, with the smoke seamlessly involved, adding accents rather than fogging up proceedings. (Whisky Shop chain only) £70

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2014)

A lovely example of a mature, sherried Bowmore. Its rich flavors evolve on the palate and are nicely balanced. Lush fruit, juicy oak, damp peat, and kiln smoke are peppered with cinnamon, raisins, dates, and cocoa. Warming, soothing finish. Not quite Black Bowmore, but a delicious whisky nonetheless.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2006)

Darkest now has an age statement of 15 years old. This new release is an improvement from the original Darkest, both of which are succulently sherried. It is fuller in flavor and more visceral, in both the nose and palate. These differences are subtle, but positive. Notes of lush fruit, raisin, pot-still rum, and Heath bars. Citrus and wood spices emerge, along with burning peat embers that linger on the finish. Nicely done.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2007)

Rich amber. A slight agricultural note to start, and although sweet and soft, also a little indistinct. This is a palate whisky, with plenty of integrated smoke, rich fruitcake, and, as its name suggests, plenty of chocolate. It fades quickly when neat. Water, surprisingly, rectifies this: the nose opens to show complex dark depths, while the palate is lengthened and given extra aromatic lift. Rich and rather lovely. £85

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Summer 2015)

Amber-gold color. Exotic tropical fruit aromas (citrus, melon, coconut), with interwoven notes of almonds, pear, honey, and subtle peat smoke. Light to medium in body, and very delicate in nature. On the palate, the whisky begins sweet (especially honey), followed by a basket of exotic fruit and nuts similar to its aroma, becoming drier and distantly smoky on the finish. This Bowmore Fino Cask, a whisky which has aged very well indeed, is the first of three limited edition 1964 vintage Bowmore whiskies to be released over the next year. The two to follow in 2003 have been aged in bourbon oak and oloros sherry casks.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2003)

Copper color with shades of ruby. Intriguing aromas of sweet plum, grapes, citrus, peat smoke, seaweed, and brine. Full-bodied and somewhat viscous. Flavors of ripe fruit (plums, grapes, citrus), followed by a burst of more traditional Bowmore flavors (peat smoke, brine, seaweed), finishing with lingering notes of prunes, dates, baker’s chocolate, and licorice. While there is no age statement, this whisky was aged for 12 years in bourbon barrels, followed by an additional 18 months in ruby port casks. I believe it is the first distillery bottling to marry port with the traditional flavors of an Islay whisky. Because of this, it is best to keep an open mind when trying this whisky, perhaps even having more than one go at it before rendering a verdict. I suspect the more you try Voyage, the more you will like.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2001)

Amber with orange and ruby hues. Aromas of Islay peat smoke, wine fruit, and background floral and spice notes. Flavors reveal more of what the aroma suggests-peat smoke, fruit, and floral/spice notes-with a balancing oak and subtle sea salt and seaweed. The peat smoke particularly comes in on the finish, lest one forgets where Bowmore hails from. There is no age statement on the label, but this whisky has been aged for 12 years in traditional bourbon and sherry barrels, and then finished off for 18 months in Bordeaux (Claret) wine casks. The wine fruit certainly is evident and, like the Glenmorangie Claret Wood Finish offered a year or so ago, will appeal to those with an open mind and willingness to accept new flavors in whisky. Purists will say it detracts from the distillery's character. I believe it's the first smoky whisky that attempts to marry these flavors with claret fruitiness. 480 bottles for U.S. 12,000 bottles for Travel Retail.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2000)

Amber color. Aromas of peat smoke (but more subdued than many Bowmore whiskies in their teens), toasted oak, citrus fruit, vanilla, and a hint of the sea. Its flavors are similar, which express themselves in a very mature manner-oak flavors are more dominant than other components. Still, there is an emerging brine freshness that keeps the whisky from becoming tired and dull. Good, lengthy finish.
Style: Islay single malt Scotch whisky. Availability: only 244 bottles total.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2001)

Antique gold color. Aromas of peat smoke, damp earth, exotic pepper, vanilla, and fruit. Medium body. A great balance of flavors, with a lovely Islay character. The whisky begins sweet up front, ultimately turning pleasingly dry towards the finish. In between you'll enjoy flavors of peat smoke, vanilla, spicy pepper, and delicately honeyed malt, with just a hint of the sea. What I like most about this whisky is its impeccable balance-between youth and maturity, sweetness and dryness-with just the right amount of peat smoke to declare its Islay roots without smothering its other flavors.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2002)

A very solid and sound Bowmore with saline notes, some dried hot pepper, and masses of menthol, which give a buzzy, nose-cleaning effect. The smoke gently glides along throughout. The palate is quite thick and shows sweetness and a slow release of soft fruit, with a tingle of salt. The smoke slowly increases until it concentrates on the back palate, giving an effect like burning pine logs on the beach. Becomes nicely funky in time. Recommended.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2015)

The first Tempest to be imported to the U.S. Aged exclusively in first-fill bourbon casks. With the bourbon cask, and relatively young age, you can really feel all the Islay love. Bracing, with plenty of sea character, along with honeyed vanilla, citrus, floral notes (especially lavender), rumbling peat smoke, tobacco, and resinous oak on the finish. A bit steep in price for a 10 year old, but very dynamic.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2011)

Port Cask is the third and final release in Bowmore’s Vintner’s Trilogy. It was matured for 13 years in bourbon barrels, then 14 years in port pipes. Woodsmoke and blackcurrant on the mildly medicinal nose, with developing sea salt and vanilla fudge. Smoky dried fruit on the palate, with a hint of brine. Old oak, antiseptic, and black pepper in the finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2018)

A sweet start, then a sudden blast of fresh, menthol-like toothpaste (pleasant) before it dips into slightly decaying soft fruits (again, nice), a mashy note, then violet-accented smoke. Water adds some elegance and weight. This sweetness continues on the palate, where there’s toffee, raisin, ripe fruits, and slow-burning peatiness, fully integrated and ember-like on the back palate. The finish is all hot peppered mackerel. Recommended. (U.S. only)

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2014)

It’s only right that the first single malt scotch given a period of time (3 years in this case) in Japanese oak (mizunara) casks is from Beam Suntory-owned Bowmore. It’s a fascinating mix of the vanilla, spice, and incense notes of mizunara and Bowmore’s distillery characteristics. You get rich peat, black pepper, apricot, and peach all playing alongside each other. The palate is clean and lighter than the nose suggests, with a fresh zestiness before the smoke leans back in.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2015)