Bowmore Nº1 / 40% / 0.7l

As of spring 2017, Bowmore Distillery’s core offering includes three whiskies: Nº1 Malt, 12 years old and 15 years old finished in Oloroso sherry casks.

New to the list is Nº1 Malt, which replaces the Small Batch Reserve. Nº1 Malt is a whisky aged in first-fill bourbon casks for an unspecified period of time and bottled at 40% abv. It is a great introduction to Bowmore, the oldest whisky producer on Islay. Bowmore is one of a handful of Scottish distilleries that still malts its own barley, although its own malt only covers 30% of its requirements.

Nose: peat smoke, vanilla, honey, coconut flakes, cinnamon, lemon peel, apples, gooseberries and a hint of oak.

Palate: barley malt, vanilla, honey, milk chocolate, apples, oranges, sweetened lime juice, coconut flakes and peat smoke in the background.

Finish: medium long, a combination of vanilla, honey and peat smoke.