Clean Bowmore and a slightly unwashed Bowmore
Some stories are as great as the hardships that had to be overcome in them. This certainly rings true for Bowmore Distillery, which had some kind of a dark age in the 1980s, a time when whisky was made that was barely good enough to wash your dishes with. In any case, the stuff tasted like washing liquid. Even though the floral, soapy style might be making a comeback, I believe most of us whisky lovers prefer their Bowmore like it is today. And in short: that is just magnificent. Bowmore has upped the game, while at the same time not attempting to compete with the heavy peaty hitters like the Kildalton trio or the more rural style of Bruichladdich and Kilchoman. Bowmore = Bowmore, and that means they embrace a (tropical) fruit character that nobody does better. Let’s see if we can find these elements in the samples that we selected to celebrate Bowmore Day 2026 on LPA!
Bowmore Tempest, 10 years old, bottled at 55,3 % abv
First things first: Small Batch Release No. 1. The batch consists of 12.000 bottles of 10 years old Bowmore matured on first fill bourbon barrels. Released around 2009.
Upon Sipping: Beautiful and bright Bowmore, as we have gotten used to it by now. But in 2009 there was still a sigh of relief when you had this in the glass. Gone were the days of a French whore walking by, heavily perfumed, to the point of making you nauseous. I do not know why the French nationality was chosen, nor this profession, but FWP was a thing back in the day to describe Bowmore smells. LPA is a sex positive blog, and we acknowledge the importance of sex workers. Anyway, onwards. A hint of tropical fruits is unmissable on the nose, and the absence of a stronger peat signature is remarkable. Nice pineapple juice and hints of mango and kumquat. The taste is not less fruity, I am just amazed how juicy and vibrant this stuff is. This reminds me of the cask sample I tasted here. A batch works well too, we notice. With water, we pick up more salt and medicinal notes, which makes this a proper Islay experience now. There is even the slightest hint of something soapy, but it works in favour of the fruit notes.
Word to the Wise: A comment I read on Whiskybase, posted in 2013, predicts this will be a cult whisky in 10 to 20 years. I suppose the time is now. Go get yourself stocked on this stuff.
Score: 90 points.
Bowmore 1996 – 25 years old, The Distiller’s Anthology 01, bottled at 50,2 % abv
First things first: This Bowmore matured for 25 years in first fill oloroso sherry casks. Only 3516 bottles were produced.
Upon Sipping: This is immediately less clean compared to the Tempest, with a dirtier, gritty note influenced by the sherry. The peat is more pronounced because of that. Still, a pleasant fruitiness lingers in there too. A quick sip reveals a silky soft mouthfeel, that is ruled by the peated element as well, with dark chocolates and rustic tones. With the addition of a small drop of water, this Bowmore Distiller’s Anthology turns rather meaty. I miss the tropical fruit of longer aged Bowmore expressions, this could almost cosplay as a lightweight Lagavulin! On the tongue, more chocolate after a while, and the peat is incredibly balanced within the whole scheme of things.
Word to the Wise: Maybe this Bowmore suffers from comparison to the incredibly clean Bowmore Tempest (tasted in the same session), but somehow the dirty character is not what I associate with this beloved Islay malt anymore. Good stuff, I just missed some tropicality.
Score: 89 points.