Bowmore Claret

Bowmore Claret

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Deep red brown
56% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, leather, lavender, red grapes, lemons, hints of hazelnuts. With water, pears, sea salt appear.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, expands, loosens, turns watery.
Tasting: Sweet. Peat, soap, red grapes, leather, lavender, orange peel, peanuts, hints of smoke. With water, turns salty, peanuts, leather, peat, sea salt appear.
Finish: Long. Lemons, lavender, soap, red grapes, peat.

Comments:

Quite soapy and floral neat (perhaps slightly unpleasant even). But with water, the whisky turns salty, opening up with classic Islay notes - salt, peat, leather, and even peanuts. I guess the claret finish adds a slightly jarring cast to the whisky, but this is quickly and easily remedied. Too much tinkering perhaps?

Verdict:

I like this.