In his book, Raw Spirit, Ian Banks writes , "If you can't find a Bowmore to fall in love with, you may have to consider very seriously the possibility that you're wasting your money drinking whisky at all." True words that any whisky apprentice should remember.


I've tasted the Bowmore 12 yo, and I immediately fell in love with it. It was my first Islay whisky I tasted, and it opened the wonderfull world of peat for me. So it has earned a firm place in my favorite top 3 of all whiskies. Time to find out more about Bowmore, so I took the 15yo with me.


Color : deep amber brown.
Smell : like a strong caramel desert with hints of raisins and dark chocolate. Smell indicates an oily taste.
Taste : quite different from the smell, I must say. No oily but quite watery texture. Lovely taste of peat, not too brute but quite gentle. Black berries and after that, the caramel toffee taste pops up again.


Verdict : impressive as usual with Bowmore. However, quite a strong caramel taste - a bit too much for me.