#Sip whiskey free#

You can buy the Bowmore Vault Edition at Master of Malt Fingers crossed for more bottlings like this from Bowmore in future. It’s not quite as intense as the Tempest bottlings but it’s a fine dram, nonetheless.Īt £70 it isn’t cheap but it’s not too outrageous and while I would hesitate, I think I would get enough enjoyment out of the bottle to warrant paying the price. It’s wonderfully rich and complex and delivers a far bolder experience than it would at 40%. When you find a Bowmore like this one, it’s almost like a different whisky altogether. In my own opinion, those bottles are still decent drams but there does seem to be something of a missed opportunity there. Thoughts: Bowmore gets a hard time from some quarters and I think that’s mostly down to the 40% abv, artificially coloured presentation of their core range. Seems to get oilier with the addition of water but some of the intensity is lost from the arrival. Then some oak with plenty of charcoal and bonfire smoke. There’s toffee and cinnamon with brown sugar and dark chocolate. Taste: It’s rather light-bodied, which I often find off-putting but there’s enough flavour to grab my attention. Can you tell that it’s coming up on three years since my last visit to Islay? One of the most evocative nosing experiences I’ve had in a while. Beyond that there’s the character of the barley itself, honeyed and malty. In true Vault No 1 style, there’s also dusty oak and earthen floors. I’ve lived the experience on several occasions and it smells just like this. That may sound like a fantasy but I assure you it isn’t. There’s sea shells and seaweed underfoot, ocean spray and drizzle in the air and a cloud of peat smoke is drifting along the beach from the distillery kiln. Smell: As soon as I put my nose in the glass I was transported to the shores of Loch Indaal. I’m hoping that the Vault Edition is something of a successor to those expressions. For me they really dialled up the salty, briny notes and showed a more intense side of Bowmore. Good versions of Bowmore can be really, really good and I was a fan of the higher strength Tempest bottlings from a few years ago. Bowmore doesn’t get much love from the whisky geeks and based on their core range, I can sort of understand why. Bottled at 50.1% the single malt was designed to showcase the distillery’s smoky character. 1 Vault warehouse, a portion of which, lies below sea level. Other retailers are available.īowmore is the oldest of Islay’s distilleries and the Vault Edition is named after the No. This means I can receive a small commission on any purchases you make from featured links.

As always, I will strive to give an honest opinion on the whiskies provided.

#Sip whiskey free#

*Full disclosure: I’ve been sent a subscription box free of charge so that I might sample what’s on offer.