Bowmore is one of the more overlooked Islay distilleries. I've seen some very mixed reviews for its core lineup around here. I happen to be a fan of the 12 year, so seeing the 18-year drop from $115 to $90 at my local liquor store, this purchase was a no-brainer. Nose: Sherry cask-aging is evident. I get dried red fruit, cranberry (craisins perhaps), and the sort of baking spices you'd smell around Christmas. Orange peel and honeydew. Big on the honey, and relatively light on the smoke and peat. Some sea salt and brine, but again, it's less pronounced than in your average Islay. Oaky bitterness which is likely a symptom of age. Palate: Sweet honey, vanilla, butterscotch, and toffee. Very jammy and there's a bit of caramel. Savory dark chocolate. A bit of smoke then reveals itself, followed by a more substantial wave of briny notes; sea salt and seaweed. Getting some orange and plum for the sherry influence coupled with some more unique notes like honeydew and cantaloupe. Amazing and easily the stand-out portion of the overall experience. Finish: More of that dark chocolate and some salted caramel and toffee, culminating in some cinnamon and black pepper notes. The oak one would expect from an 18-year old malt is most prevalent here. Short-to-medium in length. Solid combination of Islay-peated malt aged in the standard bourbon-sherry cask combination. The words rich and balanced come to mind. And talk about a kick-ass value. This was certainly worth its salt at $90. For now I'll drop it at 4.5. This is one of the few 18-year old single malts I've ever seen for under $100. It performs on par with bottles over double its price, so if you're a peat-head looking for a change of pace, grab this one. Damn fine effort from Bowmore right here.