At last I'm back home and it's hightime to finish last sample of Bowmore and finish the tasting from 2016. Bowmore is a kind of terra incognita for me, so consecutive tasting of 7 old Bowmores should shed some light on it.
Bowmore Legend 40% - modern version bottled in 2015 as a warm-up dram, age is not stated, so most likely it is around 5-6 years. Nose: light, a bit floral with touches of salt and citrus. Taste: apple lollipops, salt, liquorice. Finish: quite short and dry with salt and lightest peat. Probably it's ok for the guys willing to start their Islay journey or girls that you don't want to scream like it happens with Ardbeg 10 yo. Caution: dangerously drinkable. Score = 18 20 19 19, 76/100!
Bowmore 8 yo Seagull label (bottled 2000) 40% - white stripe on label (WB says there were stripes of different colours). Nose: light peat and sea air. Taste: fruits, vanilla and touch of peat. Finish: a bit longer than in Legend with more salt. Score = 18 19 20 20, 76/100!
Bowmore 12 yo 43% - glass-printed label. Nose: smoke and salt, seaweed, some flowers. Taste: chewing gums from 90-s... That's funny but not too tasty. Finish: perfume and salt. I hate such perfumes and starting to think that NAS Legend is better choice. Score = 18 17 18 18, 71/100!
Bowmore 17 yo (bottled 2004) 43% - blue stripe version. Nose: already familiar light peat, sea and salt + sherry and fruit notes. Taste: silky and smooth, perfumes again, but not repulsive, salt and bitterness, berries and bakery. Finish: sweet, sour and mouthwatering, creamy and umami notes. Great complexity and balance. Score = 22 22 23 22, 89/100!
Bowmore Darkest Sherry casks (bottled 2006) 43% - nose: VERY fruity and winy, almost cognac, hint of cigar ashes and peat. Taste: lots of bitter sherry notes, perfumes again. Finish: bitter, oaky, tannic and at the same time fresh and minty. Score: 20 21 22 21, 84/100!
Bowmore Dusk Bordeaux Wine Casked (bottled 2002) 50% - nose: smoke, peat and red wine. Taste: fruity and floral with hints of mint and peat. Finish: cold ashes, pepper, bacon. Not my style actually. Score = 20 22 21 21, 84/100!
Bowmore Dawn Port Finish (bottled 2005) 51.5% - nose: boiled fruits and vegetables, some pepper, struck matches after a while. Taste: powerful one on peat, port and pepper, triple P we have here. Finish: long, peppery and salty. Score = 19 21 22 20, 82/100!
Bowmore Cask strength (bottled 2002) 56.0% - nose: fruits, butter and subtle smoke. Taste: powerful, peat, vanilla, bitter oranges and cream. Finish: spicy and peaty. Score = 20 21 21 21, 83/100!
Conclusions: Bowmore is a kind of enigma for me, I can't get their style. Some of the bottles I've tried were just awful, some were good, but none has been a strike so far. Should taste smth from 60-s: Bowmore Bicentenary or Black Bowmore to dot the i's.
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