“A (Not Too) Salty Dog”
Whisky Review # 635
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Brand: Bowmore Vault Edition # 1 (First Release - Atlantic Sea Salt)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 51.5%
Maturation: Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: Probably.
Price Range: 100-140 US Dollars. (August 2017)
Buying Advice: 😏 Very expensive for what it offers!
Maturation: Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: Probably.
Price Range: 100-140 US Dollars. (August 2017)
Buying Advice: 😏 Very expensive for what it offers!
Colour: Light Golden (Artificially Coloured)
Nose: Young and rather Thin. Obviously Bowmore didn't pick the oldest Spirit from their Vault # 1. In a way that makes sense as well as the Salty elements tend to diminish over time. But I don't get a lot of Atlantic Sea Salt either! The Vault Edition # 1 also does not present a lot of Smoke. It's there of course but only in the background. I also find very low levels of Tar, Soot, Ashes, Leather, Iodine and Brine. I do find slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Vanilla, light Heather-Honey, light Toffee, Toasted Barley, light Charcoal, Citrus Peel, Dried Herbs, Coconut Milk, Grapefruit Juice, Tobacco, Dusty Road, Wet Stones and a few hints of PVC Pipes, Aniseed, Cured Meat and Cocoa Powder. Most of these Aromas are quite faint and it takes a lot of time to find them. It took me over an hour just to have an idea. All in all, the Nose of this Vault Edition # 1 lacks complexity, substance and balance. It's quite disappointing really, especially when you take the hefty price tag into consideration.
Palate: Young and slightly Thin despite the high ABV. There is definitively more Salt now and Cured Salami comes to my mind. The Smoke, Peat, Iodine, Soot, Tar and Ashes are still there but remain in the background. This is Islay-Light, even for Bowmore. I also find Sweet Toasted Barley, Sugared Tea, Charred Oak, Vanilla, Cocoa Powder, Orange Peel, Grapefruit/Lemon Juice, Green Apple, light Ginger, Cinnamon, Lemon-Pepper, light Nutmeg, Licorice, Aniseed, Dried Herbs, Tobacco and Mint.
Finish: Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and Spicy. Dry Smoke, light Soot and Ashes remain a little longer on your Palate. I also find Sweet Toasted Barley, Brown Sugar, light Caramel, Cocoa Powder, Wet Stone, light Plastic, Grapefruit Juice, Charred Oak, Salted Bacon, Lemon-Pepper, Clove, light Ginger, light Aniseed, Licorice, Dried Herbs, Apple-Vinegar, light Vanilla and Black Currants.
Drinking Advice:
This Bowmore does not improve with added Water despite the high ABV. Better sip it neat.
Visit May 2017
Palate: Young and slightly Thin despite the high ABV. There is definitively more Salt now and Cured Salami comes to my mind. The Smoke, Peat, Iodine, Soot, Tar and Ashes are still there but remain in the background. This is Islay-Light, even for Bowmore. I also find Sweet Toasted Barley, Sugared Tea, Charred Oak, Vanilla, Cocoa Powder, Orange Peel, Grapefruit/Lemon Juice, Green Apple, light Ginger, Cinnamon, Lemon-Pepper, light Nutmeg, Licorice, Aniseed, Dried Herbs, Tobacco and Mint.
Finish: Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and Spicy. Dry Smoke, light Soot and Ashes remain a little longer on your Palate. I also find Sweet Toasted Barley, Brown Sugar, light Caramel, Cocoa Powder, Wet Stone, light Plastic, Grapefruit Juice, Charred Oak, Salted Bacon, Lemon-Pepper, Clove, light Ginger, light Aniseed, Licorice, Dried Herbs, Apple-Vinegar, light Vanilla and Black Currants.
Visit May 2017
Drinking Advice:
This Bowmore does not improve with added Water despite the high ABV. Better sip it neat.
Rating: 82.5
Nose: 21 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 20.5
General Remarks:
Bowmore is the oldest Distillery on Islay and was founded in 1779 by David Simpson. It changed hands a couple of times along the years but since 1994 the Japanese Suntory group controls Bowmore. Bowmore still malts around 30% of the Barley on their premises. They currently produce around 1,3 million liters of Alcohol. The core range includes the NAS Small Batch Reserve, the 12, the 15 Darkest, the 18 and 25 Years. Some of the Bowmore Spirit is used in Blends like Rob Roy and Black Bottle. We visited the distillery in 2014 and 2017. I really like the Malting Floor. Nice Shop and Visitor-Centre. Certainly well-worth the visit.
The Vault Edition First Release is called Atlantic Sea Salt and was launched at the end of 2016. It is the first in a series of 4 Single Malts that will be released on an annual basis and seek to highlight the main characteristics of the Bowmore Spirit. The next three expressions will examine Peat/Smoke, Vanilla and Citrus.
General Remarks:
🏣 The Distillery and Today's Whisky:
Bowmore is the oldest Distillery on Islay and was founded in 1779 by David Simpson. It changed hands a couple of times along the years but since 1994 the Japanese Suntory group controls Bowmore. Bowmore still malts around 30% of the Barley on their premises. They currently produce around 1,3 million liters of Alcohol. The core range includes the NAS Small Batch Reserve, the 12, the 15 Darkest, the 18 and 25 Years. Some of the Bowmore Spirit is used in Blends like Rob Roy and Black Bottle. We visited the distillery in 2014 and 2017. I really like the Malting Floor. Nice Shop and Visitor-Centre. Certainly well-worth the visit.
The Vault Edition First Release is called Atlantic Sea Salt and was launched at the end of 2016. It is the first in a series of 4 Single Malts that will be released on an annual basis and seek to highlight the main characteristics of the Bowmore Spirit. The next three expressions will examine Peat/Smoke, Vanilla and Citrus.
Visit May 2014
🍷 The Spirit:
Bowmore has 2 pairs of Stills. The Lyne arms point slightly upwards and produce a Medium-Bodied, lightly Medicinal Spirit. The Water is sourced from the River Laggan. Lack of rain can upset Bowmore's production as we have seen in the past.
🌲 The Wood:
This Bowmore matured in Bourbon casks that were apparently handpicked in the famous Bowmore No. 1 Vault that was constructed in 1779 directly on the shoreline of Loch Indaal. In my opinion the casks were not extremely active and/or did not get sufficient contact with the Spirit. The high ABV can't disguise this I'm afraid.
Drinking Experience: Good
Conclusion:
The Bowmore Vault Edition # 1 is not a bad Single Malt but it kinda disappoints nevertheless. More and more we encounter these relatively young Single malts that come with a high ABV, a beautiful story and a hefty Price tag. I really like Bowmore's idea to highlight their main characteristics in a series of Single Malts but I would have wished for a better execution of the idea. The way it stands now is that the Vault Edition # 1 does not really represent Atlantic Sea Salt. On the Nose it's practically AWOL and on the Palate and in the Finish it reminds me of Cured Bacon or Salami rather than Sea Salt. This Malt also contains very young and immature Whisky and it shows little of the Smoky and Peaty Islay components, even for a Bowmore. All this doesn't make the Vault Edition # 1 a bad Single Malt. Certainly not. But it does lack Depth, Complexity and Balance, characteristics you would expect to find in a Single Malt that costs at least 120 US Dollars. You can do better Bowmore!
Visit May 2014
🌲 The Wood:
This Bowmore matured in Bourbon casks that were apparently handpicked in the famous Bowmore No. 1 Vault that was constructed in 1779 directly on the shoreline of Loch Indaal. In my opinion the casks were not extremely active and/or did not get sufficient contact with the Spirit. The high ABV can't disguise this I'm afraid.
Drinking Experience: Good
Conclusion:
The Bowmore Vault Edition # 1 is not a bad Single Malt but it kinda disappoints nevertheless. More and more we encounter these relatively young Single malts that come with a high ABV, a beautiful story and a hefty Price tag. I really like Bowmore's idea to highlight their main characteristics in a series of Single Malts but I would have wished for a better execution of the idea. The way it stands now is that the Vault Edition # 1 does not really represent Atlantic Sea Salt. On the Nose it's practically AWOL and on the Palate and in the Finish it reminds me of Cured Bacon or Salami rather than Sea Salt. This Malt also contains very young and immature Whisky and it shows little of the Smoky and Peaty Islay components, even for a Bowmore. All this doesn't make the Vault Edition # 1 a bad Single Malt. Certainly not. But it does lack Depth, Complexity and Balance, characteristics you would expect to find in a Single Malt that costs at least 120 US Dollars. You can do better Bowmore!
Jan van den Ende August 24, 2017
Visit May 2017
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