Stop number 17 on the SDT is Bowmore. This Islay single malt is a travel retail exclusive I picked up at the Windsor-Detroit tunnel duty free shop. It's a NAS that comes in at 43% ABV. Per the German "mit farbstoff" on the label it has colorant added making it a burnished gold. As far I know it is chill filtered. The tasting notes on the label claims the nose is "vanilla, coconut milk, delicious baked peaches, oranges and lemons." My initial reaction to the nose was "wow this is some funky stuff", and not in a good way. Damp boxes with old oranges in them was what I thought. I gave it some time and a quick taste and kept going. What I found was that the tasting notes were pretty much dead on. Toasted coconut really came through along with some vanilla. Very fruity, apricots and peaches. Citrusy orange and lemon peels. Bright and warm. There is some dusty oak coming through as well. The coconut gets more pronounced the longer it sits. Vegetal peat creeps in, but no smoke to speak of. Some sea salt as well. After sitting for a while some sherried fruits show up, raisins and dates, but they are faint at best. Tasting notes for the palate, "tangy peat, pineapple, juicy mango and kiwi fruit tempered by sea salt and olive oil" Like the nose, the initial taste was odd, but I kept at it. Other than the olive oil, the tasting notes again were dead on. Light vegetal peat, underripe mango, pineapple and kiwi. Some of the most intense tropical fruits I've ever had in a scotch. A little peppery that intensifies with time on your tongue. A touch of honey and oak. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is a little oily. Medium length finish with orange mango juice and some light peat. I really didn't know what to make of this at first. If I rated it on my first nosing and tasting it would have been a 3 or maybe even 2.75. That's why time and repeat nosings and tastings are key to getting to know a whisky. I really came to enjoy this one. It's loaded with tropical fruits and the light peat adds that little extra. Add in the fact that I paid somewhere between $40-45 USD for a 1L bottle and this makes it a solid 4. It's not overly complex and it's probably under 8 years old, but it's bright, zippy and fun to drink. Great for a hot day like today (87 degrees F in Detroit today). It would probably go really well in a fruity mixed drink. Cheers