Adaminak
Bowmore Small Batch
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
December 6, 2015 (edited August 16, 2017)
Nose is light and faintly floral before turning vegetal with hay and fresh-turned soil. Maybe fresh grass clippings? Just the slightest whiff of peat smoke underlying the whole thing. Understated certainly; almost too much so for my preference. Palate is very smooth with a creaminess bordering on oily. Trademark Bowmore hay/grass/peat combo, but just a bit more restrained than in the older vintages. A hint almost of rum (coconut and sugar?) followed by mild herbaceous flavors, mostly sage, mint and basil, almost like an American rye, to be closed out with smoke, ash and, finally, a sweet peatiness. This is clearly younger than the other Bowmore offerings, and in this case it's not a bad thing. Bowmore for me borders on too refined, too smooth, and this has enough youthful exuberance in it that you'll never forget you're drinking Scotch, yet you won't also feel like you just put out a campfire with your tongue. This is now a permanent member of my liquor rack.
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