Bowmore Bw7 Elements of Islay
53.2% ABV - Islay, Scotland
Nose: Golden raisin, cooked red fruits, orchard fruits, dried orange, plum jam, light spices, and a smoky-oakiness floating around the glass. Definitely not a heavy smoke.
Taste: Quite a smack of oak and fresh wood with lots of fruits, floral notes, and orange citrus in tow. Chewy, jammy, thick.
Finish: Sweetness fades rather quickly, leaving a lasting oak wood, florals, and light, sooty smoke with some ginger and spice. Almost hitting into that lavender floral I like to find in any Bowmore whisky.
I’ve been very impressed with all of the Elements of Islay whiskies that I’ve tasted whether it be Ardbeg, Bunnahabhain, Laphroaig, or this Bowmore here. They have great, simple packing and no marketing that I am aware of. It’s the whisky inside that really sells the bottle (and I guess word of mouth from there!) Excellent cask selection and each release that I’ve tasted is so different than the previous.
This non-chilltered whisky has an amazing natural colour. I don’t care too much for colour—dark or light doesn’t matter much to me—but sometimes you can’t help but notice it. The only bad thing about this whisky is the 500mL bottles that it is sold in—I wish it were 700 or 750mL!
I look forward to trying more releases from Elements of Islay and hopefully, one day, the single malt releases will be available in BC, Canada.
Details: Matured in 4 sherry butts from 2001. Approximately 16 years old; released in 2017.
Tasting Notes (Official): Dark forest fruits, chocolate and citrus all fight for attention in this Bw7 release.
Tasted 8 November 2023. (Posted 5 February 2024.)
