Bowmore 18 Year

The Glenmorangie Signet just blew my mind and I was worried it had reset the whole scale and I was going to have to rethink all my ratings. So I went to my shelf for something I had enjoyed recently to see if it was still good and naturally grabbed the Bowmore 18. Yep, still fantastic. Show’s over. Everything else I liked is still good.

Deep and dark, smooth and bold. It embodies everything about Islay, only it’s MORE. Heavy smoke obviously. Sophisticated like an old money aristocrat who knows his public gaffes are endearing.

This got me into Islay drams. If this didn’t exist I probably wouldn’t have started enjoying peaty whiskies. Damp wood on the initial nose like a cabin just soaked up misty rain in a forest. Not kidding. Sherry appears in the distance with mellow smoke. The fruitiness is also there, maybe some orange and honey as well. A favorite of mine. 99/100

Smooth start to finish. A bit smokey but mild peat