Bowmore 1987 Dimensions, 1996 SMOS & 1995 Carn Mor Reviews

Hi everyone,

Ever heard of the French Whore Perfume Bowmore’s (FWP for short)? Have a read of this if you require some background, but essentially there seems to be a perfumy off-note in Bowmore’s from the 1980’s until the early 90’s.

The distillery denied that such a thing existed and the whole problem spun out of control thanks to the internet.

Now, I don’t think I’ve encountered one of those whiskies that are undrinkably perfumy as some would suggest but I have encountered a little bit of an off-note which comes in the form of a Parma Violet floral note that is quite artificial and odd.

I tasted two recently with this and thought I’d share…

Bowmore 1987 Dimensions 58.4%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Quite intense and peaty, mineral too, light florals in the background, some malt, chocolate and heather, earthy like the SMWS 3.2, pressed flowers, a very vague off note lurking... Rancid, like very far away vomit. The Parma Violets come out over time.

Taste: Intense arrival, smoky and mineral, tannins from the oak, some florals but the minerals have them overwhelmed, oily and earthy, dark chocolate and then a soapy note into the finish.

Finish: Long length. The FWP rears its ugly fishnets, Parma Violets are out in force, lavender. More earthy as it gets some air.

Bottled in 2006 at 18yo. The FWP isn't very bad here until the finish where it kinds of intrudes but this very much balances on a tightrope between brilliance and disaster, ending up being neither.

75/100

 

Bowmore 1996 Single Malts of Scotland 50.4%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Clean nose. Malt and sea spray at first nosing giving a Talisker vibe. Floral under that with Parma Violets, some lemon and cured meat. A bit of a slack nose, the meaty and malty notes are great but the Violets are fighting it, making it kind of 'spongey.'

Taste: Clean, lemon citrus and malt, some smoke building with dry oak and woody spice, ginger and some clove, oily texture, a little chocolate and sea salt, black pepper nearer the end. After a bit there's that floral undertone that is present in the nose, not quite an off note but it’s holding it back.

Finish: Long length. Chewy and oily, lemon and malt, some chocolate and black pepper. Nice finish.

Some of the 80's floral notes here, which I haven't found in many others (even from the 80's). This really took me by surprise because the guys at Elixir Distiller’s (or whatever they call themselves nowdays) are normally really good. This wasn’t cheap either…

72/100

And now let us remind ourselves that Bowmore is amazing:

Bowmore 1995 Carn Mor 48.3%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Ah, a tropical one. Mango, pineapple, soot and ash, cooling mint, cold fireplace, really good nose. Light malt, clean white sugar, pear and apple too. Complex chocolate and engine oil after a bit. Old style Bowmore.

Taste: Soft then building this tropical smoky flavour, mango and pineapple, oily mouthfeel, quite an intense taste, oak and spice balanced awesomely with lifting orange toping it all off!

Finish: Long length. Juicy! Pineapple juice, orange juice and lime juice! So good! A little salt.

Bottled 2018 as a German exclusive. Expensive but 'Old style Bowmore' should be the only note needed to sell it. Remember that the Morrison in ‘Morrison Mackay’ is the same as the Morrison is ‘Morrison Bowmore’ and you might start to see a connection between Carn Mor and stunning Bowmore casks…

86/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #713-#715

Whisky Network Reviews #850-#852

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Ledaig 2001 & 1997 Douglas Laing Reviews

Hi everyone,

As you can imagine, I have quite a few Ledaig reviews in the pipeline, mostly because I don’t want to bombard you with them all at once but I’ve got two today that it makes sense to post together as they are both from the same bottler, recent and still available.

If you didn’t know, Douglas Laing’s Old Particular range have two different strengths; the younger, less expensive ones are bottled at 48.4% and the older and more expensive at 51.5% or cask if they’re under that, therefore the different strengths on these.

Ledaig 2001 Douglas Laing 48.4%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Ah, a good one. A funky and slightly rancid but delicious sweetness, rotting orange, cigarette smoke, creamy, vanilla and peaches.

Taste: Lacking a bit of power, orange then building smoke, ashes. Quite oaky and spicy here as it develops but doesn’t quite balance with the rest.

Finish: Medium length. More chocolate orange, dry oak. A distinct lack of smoke here.

15yo. Lovely nose but a disappointing palate. Can't help but think this would have been better kept at cask strength, as we encountered with the other Old Particular Ledaig I’d had.

73/100

 

Ledaig 1997 Douglas Laing 50.6%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Pork crackling, gristy smoke, lemon citrus and sea salt, white sausage and some nice smoked cheese, very savoury nose. Ash and clean peat smoke, sugared almonds.

Taste: Lovely clean arrival, amazingly oily mouthfeel, some drying oak, easy ginger spice, peat, sea salt and lemon, slightly fizzy- lemon sherbet.

Finish: Long length. More peaty with some minerals, lemon and salt. Some black pepper. Talikserishness.

Released 2018 at 21yo. Lovely, a good one from the older ones. Really love the nose because it’s delicious and savoury. Still, not quite up there with the best of them. Still, these older Ledaig’s do seem to struggle to retain the complexity and purity of their youth.

79/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #711-#712

Whisky Network Reviews #848-#849

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Caol Ila 2004 Hermitage G&M & 1991 Cooper's Choice Reviews

Hi everyone,

We’ve got some Caol Ila today. It’s the largest distillery on Islay, pumping out the good stuff for them to cram into Johnnie Walker. But sometimes there’s too much of it, or they don’t need it, or it doesn’t fit into the flavour profile or a company has filling contracts for it.

So they sell it. Quite a bit of it actually, because they can afford to and because they can. So if you see a mystery Islay, there normally isn’t a huge amount of mystery behind it and its Caol Ila. And remember, Caol Ila is hugely versatile and can taste like Laphroaig or Lagavulin if it wants to. So, some sneaky people imply that it’s a more prestigious distillery but most industry insiders know exactly what it is…

These aren’t those mystery’s though. Nope. These are clearly labelled and deliciously matured by two good indie bottlers that seem to know what they’re doing.

Caol Ila 2004 Hermitage Finish 45%

Colour: Redish Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Memories of the Ledaig Hermitage but less intense, funky, meaty smoke, herbal notes and creamy raspberry.

Taste: Soft, sweet, little smoke but red berries, cranberry, some herbal notes in there, the red wine has really softened it actually. Some peppery spice.

Finish: Short/Medium length. Very little here, small berries, a little more smoke than the palate.

3 year Hermitage finish was perhaps a little too long? Not enough to Caol Ila to it and the wine has really shot the finish.

70/100

 

Caol Ila 1991 Cooper's Choice 46%

Colour: Straw

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Old Laphroaig, tropical fruit and dusty peat with sooty undertones, mango and lemon, quite soft, there's a little biscuit. Quite quiet as old Caol Ila often is at first. Some more maritime notes as it opens up with dried seaweed and more oak then also floral notes.

Taste: Soft and textured, lovely oily malt, lemon and some pineapple, then cinnamon, very old Laphroaig-like, sooty, nice strength, excellent balance. Florals underneath with dry oak, Parma Violets, almost old Bowmore like as it develops.

Finish: Long length. Lots of soot, much more earthy with creamy heather and some slight medicinal notes.

Refill butt, bottled 2016 at 25yo. Wonderful example of older Caol Ila and, as I said, when it wants to, Caol Ila can taste like any of the other Islay distilleries.

82/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #709-#710

Whisky Network Reviews #846-#847

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Kilchoman Sauternes Finish, Rum Finish & Machir Bay Cask Strength Reviews

Hi everyone,

Kilchoman have been putting out some new whiskies that I’ve been trying to try as I’m quite a big fan of the distillery and what they put out.

So I’ve got some small batch stuff they released this year for your enjoyment and salivation.

Kilchoman Sauternes Finish 50%

Colour: Yellow-y Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Classically Kilchoman, smoky and sweet, slightly sugary, white sugar, stone fruit, fresh plum, a little funky and sugary candies, Mezcal.

Taste: Mineral arrival, then soft with sea salt and lime, little actual smoke, creamy sweetness, then more minerals come in with lots of smoke.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Peaty and mineral, the smoke really takes over, very little sweetness by this point.

The latest of the Kilchoman small batch releases and unusual in that it’s a finish rather than a full maturation as all the others have been. Nice but doesn't quite pull off the smoke and sweetness together. Here it’s one or the other.

74/100

 

Kilchoman Small Batch Rum Finish 56.2%

Colour: Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Oh so fruity, fresh fruit and peat smoke, kiwi, lime juice and cigarette smoke, PUB LIFE memories, complete with sticky floors, literally smells like a night out. Nougart candy note and banana now too.

Taste: Soft arrival, great transition into white sugar, kiwi, tropical and smoky, quite soft for cask strength, the classic mineral notes coming in now.

Finish: Short/Medium length. More smoke kicks up here, more mineral, some hard candy- candy cane.

4 casks, 2x 2011 & 2x 2012 bottled in late 2018 for the German market. Great unique nose but the taste is a bit out of kilter and lacking some staying power. Was quite excited by this as I hadn’t seen any other Kilchoman from Rum casks… Hypefully (intentional spelling) more of this to come.

77/100

 

Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength 59.8%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Very smoky, very mineral, very intense, cutting lemon citrus and creamy vanilla.

Water: Opens up with time, more creamy biscuit and vanilla blending with the smoke. More citrus and lemon too.

Taste: BIG, malty, lemon juice, mineral notes building. Powerful but lacking in the complexity department.

Water: Tequila, lime, sugar and salt, smoke. Better balanced and opens up.

Finish: Short length. Creamy with vanilla and biscuit and some smoke but it’s gone far too quick.

I preferred the normal Machir Bay I tried back in 2014. This was released as part of the European Tour 2018.

73/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #706-#708

Whisky Network Reviews #843-#845

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Glen Scotia 2008 Peated Port & Victoriana Batch 1 Reviews

Hi everyone,

Glen Scotia have been doing a good job recently. Particularly in terms of upping the quality and putting out good whiskies that people want to drink. I’ve been trying more of them recently, since, as we all know, when its good, it’s the equal of Springbank.

I’m a bit late with the festival release, but it was quite a large batch, so it may still be available.

The new Victoriana is brand new, as it’s the new version with a batch number and a different strength.

Glen Scotia 2008 Peated Port 57.8%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Malt, oily, light creamy smoke, ethereal florals, soot, orange and grape.

Taste: Full on, heather and orange, very spicy but good with lots of white pepper.

Finish: Medium/long length. Ginger then creamy vanilla.

I was expecting this to be more peaty or more porty or both, but actually it stays quite true to the distillery character. Great price on this one I should mention, and good availability too. It was under £50 for a limited edition, interesting, cask strength whisky.

76/100

 

Glen Scotia Victoriana Batch 1 54.8%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Soft and floral, malt and Campbeltown funk, much more balanced than the last batch I think and smells older, cherry, rose, geranium, ethereal but lots there to keep you hunting.

Taste: Soft and malty, lovely balance, cherry, orange, funk, chocolate and all balanced awesomely. Slightly floral and fizzy, nice clove spice, drier and drier as it develops.

Finish: Short/Medium length. Chocolate and malt, a little rubber here, funk and orange.

Finish lets it down a bit but a huge improvement on the last batch. Pour from a freshly opened bottle and it was getting a little harsher as it developed, so it could be one that doesn't oxidise very well.

77/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #704-#705

Whisky Network Reviews #841-#842

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Tobermory 1995 TWA for TWS [Mystery Review]

Hi everyone,

Remember back when the guys at Toronto Whisky Society had a whisky specially bottled for them, then kept shoving it in our faces by reviewing it? (Definitely not jealous)

Well, I was lucky enough to try it too. Many thanks to u/xile_ for sharing this with me, you are a legend sir.

This was actually provided in the form of a mystery, so I had no idea what it was other than TWS on the label (may have been too much of a clue) and the comment ‘There’s a whisky I might like your opinion on.’

 

Tobermory 1995 The Whisky Agency for Toronto Whisky Society 51.9%

Colour: Light Gold

Viscosity: Very High

Nose: Nice nose. I got a whiff of cheese at first, but now it’s much cleaner with malt, porridge, fresh green apple, slightly grassy, dry oak. Some leather and smoked cheese coming out now. Very subtly mineral. Interesting nose that keeps you digging.

Taste: Soft arrival and builds nicely, clean malt, lots of green apple, lovely fresh lemon citrus, subtle smoke and becoming more and more into the finish. Lots of sea salt too with some white pepper and dry oak. Slightly more herbal and earthy as it opens up with a Mezcal-type note to it.

Finish: Medium/Long length. More smoky here with grass and ash then great dark chocolate, oak and black coffee.

A very nice example of a whisky with a lot of character but still clean and light. Or an older whisky with a lot of freshness.

With the cheese I thought it could be Tobermory, then the cheese went away and I thought it could be Glen Scotia. Then the finish came in with the smoke and I had a funny feeling in my elbow that I now recognise as my whisky sense. It asked me: ‘Wasn’t there a Tobermory that was bottled for the Toronto Whisky Society that was meant to be lightly peated?’

Yes, there was weird whisky elbow. Yes, there was…

84/100

Guess: Single Malt Scotch, 18-21yo, cask strength, independent bottling from an Island/Campebeltown distillery.

Could be an older Hogshead Glen Scotia or Tobermory.

TWS on the label would lead me to believe it’s the Toronto Whisky Society bottling of a 21yo Tobermory.

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #703

Whisky Network Review #840

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?