Malt Nuts Bowmore tasting Part IV...


And finally here is the final episode of the four part Malt Nuts ex-bourbon cask aged Bowmores tasting. If you missed the previous three posts you can reach them by clicking these links: Part I,  Part II and Part III. To be honest this flight is the one I am most excited for..! I am a huge Dorus Mor fan... I actually reviewed 1st and 3rd batches before on the blog many years ago and cannot wait now to taste all the three batches back to back with the addition of the 100 proof which I never had the chance to taste before. Without further ado here is flight number four:

4A - Bowmore Dorus Mor 10yo 1st Batch (55.1%)

Color: Yellow gold color with thick and slow legs.

Nose: Wet wool, eucalyptus leaves and Alphonso mangos. Dry peat and wet sand. After adding a couple of drops water I am getting lemon twist, leather upholstery and tobacco. More citrusy now... Lime zest.

Palate: Menthol, lime juice and Granny Smith apples. Water works great on the palate: Lemon cookies, vanilla pound cake and pipe tobacco. Cranberry juice and ground coriander.

Finish: Medium to long with white pepper, peat and dry soot.

Overall: Everything I like in the bottle... A distillate driven whisky with decent amount of peat and with signs of good cask management. A very solid ex-bourbon matured Islay.

4B - Bowmore Dorus Mor 10yo 2nd Batch (55.9%)

Color: Same as 4A... Bright yellow gold but with slightly thinner and faster legs.

Nose: Very perfumy... Lemon juice, bitter lemon and pine needles. Very citrusy and less coastal than the 1st batch. Adding water helps a little: Lemon curd, butter and lemon muffins.

Palate: Lavender (oops...), cilantro leaves and lemon flavored mineral water. Adding water didn't improve that much but it is easier to drink now. Irish Spring soap bars and fresh ginger.

Finish: Medium to long with white pepper, ground ginger and coriander.

Overall: Hmmm... A step down from the first batch in my opinion. A little too citrusy and most importantly tad soapy for my palate. Not a bad whisky at all but that's what I think.


4C - Bowmore Dorus Mor 10yo 3rd Batch (54.9%)

Color: Lightest in color between the Dorus Mor batches. Oaked Chardonnay color with very persistent teardrops barely converting themselves into legs.

Nose: Well, that's more like it..! Cake batter, lemon frostings and dried papayas. Ziplock bags, some herbal aromas: Marjoram, chervil and dried parsley. Some citrus notes after adding water: Burnt orange peel, G&T garnishes and lemon flowers.

Palate: Creamy and doughy... Seaweed, sea salt and Fino sherry. Green peppercorns and grilled pineapple rings. Water adds some soapiness but not that bad. Sparkling cider, toasted wood and red pepper flakes.

Finish: Medium with apple skin, ash and dried pineapple.

Overall: I think this one is the best batch of the three I tasted today. Very balanced whisky with a great texture. Tart, sweet, citrusy and doughy. My kinda dram...

4D - Bowmore 100 Degrees Proof (57.1%)

Color: This has some color... Dark yellow gold with fast moving but quite oily legs.

Nose: Very summery and refreshing. It's hard to believe that it's bottled at 57.1% abv. Mangos and guavas... Passion fruit, sea breeze and beach ball. Salty after adding water... Brine, feta cheese and dried fish.

Palate: Again mangos, guavas and dried papayas. Chalky... Salted caramel, vanilla and metal flask. It gets less tropical after adding water: Bosc pears, white pepper and lemon curd.

Finish: Medium with lemon frosting, cake batter and sea salt.

Overall: I quite liked it... I wish that it was a bottle easily to be found.

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