I bought this Bowmore 15 a while ago to add to my collection of sherry finished whiskies and based on their website's touting of two golds and a silver metal in 2016 (Int'l Spirits Challenge, San Francisco World Spirit's Competition, & Int'l Wine and Spirits Competition). Lagavulin DE was a big hit with me and I was hoping this Islay would strike a similar chord. Bowmore describes the color of this spirit as dark amber, which they attribute to 12 years in select American bourbon and 3 years in oloroso sherry. It looks a little synthetic; however, the nose is quite pleasant with a fruity alcoholic mixture one could inhale endlessly. A drying glencairn will produce a plush aroma of antique hardwoods. The palate was dry and a little flat, reminiscent of an oloroso sherry that only has about 1% of the sugar that would be found in a pedro ximenez. I found the spirit devoid of smokiness on both nose and palate and a little disappointing in that regard, but not surprising given sherry’s ability to sometimes negate peat influence. The finish was short and unremarkable. Overall, a fairly pleasant dram but not up to par for an Islay. I rate it at 3 stars.