Bowmore 9 Year Old Whisky And Glass Gift Pack Review
DISCLOSURE -THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Lisa
My husband and I love to try different whiskies and look them up in our tasting book, so we were excited to try the Bowmore 9 Year Old Single Malt from the renowned Islay distillery. Our book talks about many of the aged whiskies from this distillery, but doesn’t mention this 9 year old one, which only made us even more eager to try it! We are pleased to report that it did not disappoint. The many Islay distillery warehouses, including those at Bowmore, are famous for being positioned close to the sea, allowing the whisky to absorb the salty, marine air during maturation. Released in 2016, this whisky is matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, to create a complex and layered drinking experience.
The whisky and glass gift pack arrived by DPD post and was very well packaged to avoid any breakages. It came in a beautiful black box with golden detail, neatly displaying the whisky bottle and glass. We ordered it for the whisky, but we were very pleased with the added extra as the glass has a distinctive design and is of very good quality. We find that using a good whisky glass really helps to release the smells and flavours as you drink, and I feel important sitting there swilling it around in the bottom! It fitted nicely in my palm and has the ‘Bowmore’ signature engraved on to it. My husband found it a little less comfortable to hold, perhaps due to his larger hands. One downside is that the text on the box is written in French, which is a little bit strange being a Scotch whisky and made in the UK. I would have loved to read the details in English to find out more about it, especially as we could not find reference to this whisky on the Bowmore website.
When we poured the whisky, it had a deep amber hue, hinting at the rich sherry influence. The aroma was immediately inviting, with the fruitiness resulting from the sherry cask maturation coming to the fore, despite not having aged for as long as their standard bottles. Additionally, we found that the signature peat smoke that Bowmore is known for remains present but not too overpowering as we find some Islay whiskies can be. The smokiness is more pronounced as you drink it compared to when you first smell it, but it remains balanced, still allowing the sherry influence to shine through. The finish is medium-long, with smoke lingering till last with a touch of sea salt. While the whisky is youthful at only 9 years old, it does not show significant harshness, instead offering a satisfying result with a gentle fade of sherry sweetness and smoky warmth. The alcohol content is 40% volume, so we stuck to one glass each!
The Bowmore 9 Year Old is an intriguing whisky that my husband loved, and I enjoyed too. I generally prefer Irish whiskey, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I appreciated this Scotch. It is fairly bold in its taste, and I think it is a great option for those who enjoy Islay whiskies without too much peat but want something with a bit more edge. Overall, I would recommend this to whisky lovers everywhere!
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £36.90
You can find out more and purchase it from www.thewhiskyworld.com