Islay, is located off the West coast, and has eight distilleries scattered across this small island. With a very distinctive, heavily peated style, these smoky whiskies are not easy to forget, and have achieved somewhat of a cult status among whisky lovers.
Bowmore 9 Year Old Sherry Cask is the latest addition to the Islay favourite's core range. This entry-level whisky has spent all of its life maturing in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, resulting in Bowmore's distinctive smokiness.
Finished in Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes casks, this has all the expected Bruichladdich characteristics - seaspray, brine, floral notes - with a deliciously smooth extra veneer of sweetness. A deservedly popular 'Laddie.
A half-bottle of Bowmore's 12-year-old whisky, a great place to start year oldur journey through the smoky mystery of Islay's single malt whiskies. The current 12 year old bottling is a welcome return to the classic Bowmores of the 1960s and '70s, with the emphasis on tropical fruit and smoke. A deserved runner-up in our Whisky of the Year 2014-15 blind tasting.
A half bottle of Bowmore's sherry finished 15 year old. It's finished for three years in oloroso sherry casks for rich, chocolatey and spicy flavour along with Bowmore's trademark maritime peatiness.
Laphroaig Select is aged in a combination of Oloroso sherry butts, American white oak (we suspect some of this is virgin oak), hogsheads seasoned with Pedro Ximenez, quarter casks and first fill bourbon casks. This results in a restrained and toned down version of this Islay classic.
© 2020 Whisky Buys