Ah yes, Bowmore the guilty pleasure! Can't quite put my finger on why but I can understand people not 'clicking' with their core range - I'm just happy I do haha. I've been filling the 'more natural' hole with some Kilchoman 😜👍
Yeah the subtleties are nice to explore. The 15 might be bolder but I'd prefer exploring the complexity of the 18 year old! Doing the comparisons also helped to expose some of those subtleties 🥃👍
Enjoyed the comparisons towards the end, Ben! Been hesitant to try the Bowmore range. Sampled a glass of the 12yo at a bar awhile back and while I ended up enjoying it towards the end, I felt rather underwhelmed - though not sure what I expected..? Many folks talk up the 15, so still interested to push ahead with exploring their range at some point.
It's a bit of an odd one - I can totally see why their core range wouldn't click with some people, a majority of people even! If the 12 year old underwhelmed you then it is likely the rest of the range will, it's a bit of a linear progression. I'm interested to get my hands on some independently bottled Bowmore to see what the whisky is really like before they filter & colour 😉 Definitely worth trying a sample or at a bar before dropping the cash on a whole bottle. Cheers James 🥃👍
Great video Ben - just looking at your channel’s stats on social blade, I think this channel’s going to take off! And rightly so, really good review here.
@@WhiskyGeek I really did like your review - and I'm not just saying that. There's something deeply collected about your style, and you have a really unique vocabulary for describing things - neither pretentious nor simplistic. (I also really like how you present your tasting notes on screen, and the music in the background. A cut above other whisky channels I follow.)
Quality content yet again Ben. You are quite eloquent when it comes to the pool of associations you draw from. Where can one buy the glasses you're using? Are those regular Copita glasses? Because I have one, and mine seems smaller
I think they're nosing copita/ISO glasses. The ones I use I got on amazon; "Distillery Taster Glass" by Urban Bar but they seem to be the same shape/size as those used at most Scotch distilleries. Thanks for the kind words 😁👍
Interesting vlog. I think your sentiments are spot on. Not bad in anyway, a solid dram. I think it would be fascinating to compare this against the Caol Ila 18 & Laphroaig 15. All being quiet, unassuming Islay whiskies bottled at 43%. A style I particularly like in the autumn/Christmas time. Slainte
I may have to revisit when I open the Caol Ila 18! I would be surprised if my usual Caol Ila preferences didn't show up though 😉 Maybe the Talisker 18 would have been a good comparison too. I've been enjoying the peat as the evenings cool recently, but then it hasn't been getting much over 20°C here. Cheers Mendip Fox 🥃👍
It’s pretty warm down here in Somerset. I’m currently enjoying some summer drams. Glencadam 15, SMWS Aultmore and Compass Box Spice Tree to name a few. I’ll be back on the heavily peated bruisers in the next few weeks. Although, I do have a bottle of Kilkerren Heavily Peated open at the moment. That’s fantastic once you let it oxidise for a couple of months or so. Highly recommended if you like your super young spirit driven high ppm whiskies. Only £36 too. Bargain
Ooh Glencadam - now there's a distillery I'm looking forward to exploring more. I've only had the cheaper end of their portfolio but can totally see them being a perfect summer sipper! I've got a bottle of the Kilkerran 12 I think, waiting to be opened. Have heard a lot of good stuff about them recently - would love to do a Campbeltown visit followed by exploring some of their offerings at some point. Will keep an eye out for the heavily peated expression, cheers 👍
Interesting, Ben...but I don't feel this comparison is the best to do (unaged Jura + Blended Malt, very melted by nature = will of the producers) but I know you said you didn"t have similar bottles...-me I didn't do a F 2 F between this Bowmore 18 yo & Laphroaig 18 for instance, but I could do it, got both bottles...What I noticed on my side is that Bowmore 18 yo (my batch at least, a bit old) started to be interesting only after the half of it or more unfortunately...the E150a+chill filtration didn't help, but other sanitized Bowmore are more appealing to me (like I said the 15 yo Darkest, the 15 yo Mariner, the 15 yo Laimrig), Cheers !
Hey Greg, yeah I can see your point, but for me it is less about the age statement (of course it's all aged to some degree) and more about the market niche they are trying to fill. The Jura & JW are both similarly filtered & coloured, similar flavour profiles but cheaper competition. If something was to challenge the asking price of the Bowmore 18 then they seemed like a decent shout. If it was to challenge it's quality as an 18 year old age statement then a Caol Ila 18 and Talisker 18 would have been more valid. But I think we could both name a handful of 18 year old expressions we would get more excited about than the Bowmore so it seemed a moot point haha! I'm still looking forward to opening the Caol Ila and seeing what it has to offer. Cheers Greg 😁🥃👍
For some reason Bowmore 18 seems like a guilty pleasure. We liked it but yes would prefer a more natural version
Ah yes, Bowmore the guilty pleasure! Can't quite put my finger on why but I can understand people not 'clicking' with their core range - I'm just happy I do haha.
I've been filling the 'more natural' hole with some Kilchoman 😜👍
I keep saying it. I love the quality of your reviews and the unpretentious detail you provide. Keep it up my friend
Thanks Andrew - just enjoying exploring them! 😁👍
I also enjoy the Bowmore 18... It's delicious! It's subtle and superbly balanced although the 15 has more flavor for me.
Yeah the subtleties are nice to explore. The 15 might be bolder but I'd prefer exploring the complexity of the 18 year old! Doing the comparisons also helped to expose some of those subtleties 🥃👍
Enjoyed the comparisons towards the end, Ben! Been hesitant to try the Bowmore range. Sampled a glass of the 12yo at a bar awhile back and while I ended up enjoying it towards the end, I felt rather underwhelmed - though not sure what I expected..? Many folks talk up the 15, so still interested to push ahead with exploring their range at some point.
It's a bit of an odd one - I can totally see why their core range wouldn't click with some people, a majority of people even! If the 12 year old underwhelmed you then it is likely the rest of the range will, it's a bit of a linear progression. I'm interested to get my hands on some independently bottled Bowmore to see what the whisky is really like before they filter & colour 😉
Definitely worth trying a sample or at a bar before dropping the cash on a whole bottle. Cheers James 🥃👍
Great video Ben - just looking at your channel’s stats on social blade, I think this channel’s going to take off! And rightly so, really good review here.
Thanks Nathan! Growth would be great but at the moment I'm still just having fun exploring haha 😁👍
@@WhiskyGeek I really did like your review - and I'm not just saying that. There's something deeply collected about your style, and you have a really unique vocabulary for describing things - neither pretentious nor simplistic. (I also really like how you present your tasting notes on screen, and the music in the background. A cut above other whisky channels I follow.)
Cheers Nathan, means a lot!
Quality content yet again Ben. You are quite eloquent when it comes to the pool of associations you draw from.
Where can one buy the glasses you're using? Are those regular Copita glasses? Because I have one, and mine seems smaller
I think they're nosing copita/ISO glasses. The ones I use I got on amazon; "Distillery Taster Glass" by Urban Bar but they seem to be the same shape/size as those used at most Scotch distilleries.
Thanks for the kind words 😁👍
Interesting vlog. I think your sentiments are spot on. Not bad in anyway, a solid dram. I think it would be fascinating to compare this against the Caol Ila 18 & Laphroaig 15. All being quiet, unassuming Islay whiskies bottled at 43%. A style I particularly like in the autumn/Christmas time. Slainte
I may have to revisit when I open the Caol Ila 18! I would be surprised if my usual Caol Ila preferences didn't show up though 😉 Maybe the Talisker 18 would have been a good comparison too.
I've been enjoying the peat as the evenings cool recently, but then it hasn't been getting much over 20°C here.
Cheers Mendip Fox 🥃👍
It’s pretty warm down here in Somerset. I’m currently enjoying some summer drams. Glencadam 15, SMWS Aultmore and Compass Box Spice Tree to name a few. I’ll be back on the heavily peated bruisers in the next few weeks. Although, I do have a bottle of Kilkerren Heavily Peated open at the moment. That’s fantastic once you let it oxidise for a couple of months or so. Highly recommended if you like your super young spirit driven high ppm whiskies. Only £36 too. Bargain
Ooh Glencadam - now there's a distillery I'm looking forward to exploring more. I've only had the cheaper end of their portfolio but can totally see them being a perfect summer sipper!
I've got a bottle of the Kilkerran 12 I think, waiting to be opened. Have heard a lot of good stuff about them recently - would love to do a Campbeltown visit followed by exploring some of their offerings at some point. Will keep an eye out for the heavily peated expression, cheers 👍
Interesting, Ben...but I don't feel this comparison is the best to do (unaged Jura + Blended Malt, very melted by nature = will of the producers) but I know you said you didn"t have similar bottles...-me I didn't do a F 2 F between this Bowmore 18 yo & Laphroaig 18 for instance, but I could do it, got both bottles...What I noticed on my side is that Bowmore 18 yo (my batch at least, a bit old) started to be interesting only after the half of it or more unfortunately...the E150a+chill filtration didn't help, but other sanitized Bowmore are more appealing to me (like I said the 15 yo Darkest, the 15 yo Mariner, the 15 yo Laimrig), Cheers !
Hey Greg, yeah I can see your point, but for me it is less about the age statement (of course it's all aged to some degree) and more about the market niche they are trying to fill. The Jura & JW are both similarly filtered & coloured, similar flavour profiles but cheaper competition. If something was to challenge the asking price of the Bowmore 18 then they seemed like a decent shout.
If it was to challenge it's quality as an 18 year old age statement then a Caol Ila 18 and Talisker 18 would have been more valid. But I think we could both name a handful of 18 year old expressions we would get more excited about than the Bowmore so it seemed a moot point haha! I'm still looking forward to opening the Caol Ila and seeing what it has to offer.
Cheers Greg 😁🥃👍
@@WhiskyGeek Sure Ben (good other 18 yo examples you give) and looking forward to your "Islay uncorkings " especially to come, take care !
@@WhiskyGeek I'm interested to know what expression would you or any viewers would prefer around the same price range?
Have you tried the bourbon barrel 18??
No I've not come across that one - was it a limited release? I've heard the all-bourbon aged Bowmore 15 is worth seeking out.
I meant 15, you are correct sir!