While we wait to deliver our opinion on the special release for the Ardbeg day, we stay on Islay (we have many, way too many, samples of peated malts and we have to focus there…) to taste a Bowmore “Tempest”, a 10 years aged in ex-bourbon first-fill casks. This is the second batch, bottled in 2010. The color is a vivid gold.
N: the smokiness is deep, all there, but it’s not overwhelming. The imprint of the barrels is an evident fruity side with lots of vanilla (yellow fruit, almost tropics at times; apricot). Light salty notes. We’re positively impressed by a gentle mineral note (let’s say olive oil?), which offers angles to a very sweet nose. Clove. Zuppa inglese (Italian dessert).
P: immediate smoky notes. Very fruity (peach, apricot, citrus hints, perhaps lemon) and floral (sweet violet?). A lot of oak influence (tons of vanilla, at times bit too sweet). Cocoa bean here and there; curious notes of propolis.
F: extremely sweet, not too long.
Our friend Davide would say, this whisky is a bit “puttanone” (Italian – English dictionary needed): the sweet soul winks a bit too much (the oak have too much to say on the distillate to the point where it gets bit boring), the smokiness remains soft in the background; luckily, we must say, there are some interesting “angles” (mineral hints on the nose and a tiny bit of bitterness at the palate). Besides this, we must confess one of our defects: we really don’t fall in love deeply with these Bowmore… In our opinion it’s anyway good: 85/100 here you can find the review of Serge, here the one of Karen.
Recommended soundtrack: The Police – Syncronicity II.
