Bowmore Tempest 10 Years Review (Batch # 4)

"Wind Force 5"

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Brand: Bowmore Tempest Small Batch Release # 4

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 10 Years

ABV: 55.1 %

Date: 06/07/2014

Bowmore: Distillery Complex!

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: At first I get Smouldering Smoke, Maritime Peat, Soot, Brine, PVC Pipes, Leather, Salt and Alcohol. A typical young Bowmore. But give it some time in the Glass and you will be rewarded with Sweet Barley, Toast, Orange Blossom, Lemon-Pepper, Vanilla, Toffee/Butterscotch, Honey, Aniseed, Menthol and a little Perfume. The Alcohol is not fully integrated.

Bowmore: Malting Floor!

Palate: Follows the Nose but gets additional Spices. I find light Smoke, Soot, Ashes, Brine, Charcoal, Black Currants, Lemon, Vanilla, Toffee, Pepper, Salt, Nutmeg, Herbal Tea and Apple-Vinegar. The Alcohol is quite strong

Bowmore: Mash Tun!

Finish: Quite Long. Mainly Sweet but slightly Sour and Spicy at the same time with the same Smouldering Smoke and Maritime Peat from the Nose as well as Soot, Ashes, Black Currants, Lemon-Pepper, Aniseed and light Vanilla.

Bowmore: Wash Backs!

With a couple of drops of water the Nose gets more Vanilla and Orange Blossom. Palate and Finish do not really benefit.  

Rating: 85

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21

The Writer at the Bowmore VC!

General Remarks:  The Tempest Vatted Small Batch Series consists of 10 Year old Bowmore spirit that matured in First Fill Bourbon Casks in the # 1 Vaults separated only by a single wall from the sometimes rugged and stormy Loch Indaal. So far 4 batches have been released and today I'm tasting Batch #4 . It is not Chill-Filtered and bottled at Cask Strength. It does contain E-150. This Batch # 4 sells at around 85 US Dollars.

The Stills at Bowmore!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I found Batch # 2 to be a Storm in a Teacup. Batch 4 isn't a Tempest either but it does reach Wind Force 5. And while Batch # 4 is less Edgy, # 2 has more of a kick. I have to admit though that both expressions are not quite my cup of Bowmore. I believe that the Bowmore Spirit benefits from a Sherry Finish and some more years in the Cask. That way it becomes more Creamy, more Balanced and less Edgy. If I want a young Islay, I prefer Ardbeg or Laphroaig. So while the Bowmore Tempest is a well-crafted Single Malt, I won't consider buying a full bottle.

Bowmore: Spirit Safe!

Some Data: Bowmore means Big Bend/Curve. The Distillery is located at the Schoolstreet in the centre of the little town of Bowmore that lies halfway between Port Ellen and Port Askaig on the isle of Islay. It is the oldest distillery on Islay and was founded in 1779 by David Simson. Since 1994 it is fully owned (through Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd) by the Japanese Suntory Goup. The Distillery possesses a stainless steel semi-lauter Mash Tun, 6 Wash Backs (Oregon Pine) and 2 Pairs of Stills. In 2013 they produced around 1,8 million litres, sold as Single Malt or as part of Blends like Black Bottle and Rob Roy.

The water for the distillery is sourced from the river Laggan. It's not a large source and in the dry season the Distillery sometimes suffers from a lack of Water. The Distillery usually opens from Monday - Friday from 09.00 to 17.00 hours and, depending on the season, also in the weekends or by Appointment. The standard tour costs 4 pounds and there is also a Craftsman Tour that costs 40 pounds and is only available by Appointment.

Bowmore: Casks in one of the Warehouses!

We visited Bowmore on Thursday May 15, 2014. Thanks God, it was a sunny afternoon in Bowmore as you can see from the pictures we took outside the Distillery. First we had a look at the Visitor Centre and the Shop. It all looks very professional and in the lounge you get a beautiful view of the Loch. The location of the Bowmore distillery is truly stunning! In the shop you can buy a nice assortment of Whisky including miniatures as well as other gifts. We then did the Standard Tour at 4 Pounds per person. The guide wasn't really inspired and unfortunately we were part of a large group. The installations are very nice, especially the Malting Floors. Almost 40% of the required quantity is malted on location. Everything makes a clean and professional impression. I did miss a bit of human warmth from time to time. At the end of the tour we had a dram of the Bowmore Darkest 15 years. I have a sample of it somewhere but couldn't find it! Will review it later.

A Bowmore from 1957 displayed at the VC.

A Picture of the Photographer - Thanks for the nice pictures Jan!

Jan van den Ende                                                                July 2014