Bowmore Dorus Mor 10 Year

I'm not as enthusiastic about Bowmore as I am about other Islay distilleries. However, this 10-year-old Bowmore is likely one of the purest expressions of Islay you'll find. It's an unfiltered, cask-strength, small-batch bottling made from just a few casks. There have been three such limited releases so far, though I'm uncertain which one we sampled. It's also sold outside the U.S. under a different name, Tempest. It smells like freshly baked oatmeal cookies and dry woodsmoke, but its flavors are richer and fruitier than expected, with notes of sweet berries, rich mulled cider, and a touch of sea salt. That sea salt is the most prominent lingering sensation on the tongue. This bottle is quite expensive, costing well over $100 in most places, especially when compared to the similarly potent and even more memorable Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength (typically around $70-80). Nevertheless, I'm pleased I tried it; this is among the best Bowmores I've experienced.

This is a spirited offering from Bowmore. The aroma presents light sweet fruit with underlying notes of buttered nuts. The initial taste offers slightly sweet pineapple/citrus flavors with an immediate sensation of spice and alcohol. Following that, the characteristic Bowmore mellow peat concludes with a touch of lingering tartness and a prickly sensation. It lacks the refinement of its older counterparts but compensates with youthful vigor.

The aroma presents savory honey-baked ham with tropical undertones, plus cherries and brine. The taste offered minty freshness and basil initially. Then menthol-eucalyptus, bacon, vanilla, subtle lemon, and candied ginger. It has a decent medium mouthfeel. The conclusion features peppermint and chocolate. Slightly dry, but acceptable. I'd rate it a 4.25. The song "Mint Car" by The Cure fits this dram.

An exceptional scotch, especially for a 10-year-old. If you have the chance (and only 2,400 bottles were produced) buy two: one to drink and one to keep. Don't hesitate at the price (around $85), as you won't get another opportunity.

What's going on here, Bowmore? Are you a whisky or the syrupy liquid from canned fruit? Another one is spoiled by excessive sweetness that dominates the palate. At least this bottling acknowledges its Islay origins with a respectable burst of peat when activated with a bit of water.

In the nose comes some salty sea salt forward with some candied apricot and plum, in the mouth the smoke comes to the foreground but followed by some citrus that lingers next to the slightly pumped up bicycle tire!