Elements of Islay Bowmore Bw8
Full Proof | 51.2% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
A naturally presented Bowmore is always a good catch (when the price is right)
A whisky tale of two cities
Up until a few years ago, whisky was a solitary journey for me.
It was a characterful nightcap to pair with a Sunday evening read, or a comforting wind-down after a long week at work. It wasn’t really the mainstream drink of choice during my early 20s - the pre-Covid era. Most in my generation preferred beer or wine, with hipsters and trendsetters going for elaborate speakeasy cocktails. This meant whisky was never a social investment for me; it was rarely involved in outings, gatherings or parties - except perhaps for the odd bottle of Wild Turkey American Honey, which is pretty much hot honey in a trench coat pretending to be whisky.
While I enjoyed my solo sojourn to the peat bogs of Islay, the wider world of waxy distillates, Campbeltown funk, and worm tub weirdness was not yet in my Glencairn. This is why we should not experience whisky alone: we stick our head down one barrel and fail to see the rest of the dunnage around us.
Cut to April 2020: We were at home and perhaps able to invest more time into our favoured delights. I started joining Facebook groups, discovering whisky subscriptions, and - most importantly - engaging with other drammers on their own amber adventures. All it took was a comment on a ravishing Ardbeg post on Instagram for the inherent camaraderie of whisky to finally introduce itself to me. A friend, let’s call him Tim Bowmore, offered to send me a sample. Even the thought of sending whisky in tiny jars had never occurred to me back then, so I was even more surprised that he was willing to send it through the interstate post, with myself being from Melbourne and him from Sydney.
My cynicism got the better of me, and I didn’t anticipate getting anything, much less a set of samples ranging from Longrow to Glenfarclas and, in particular, Bowmore. Tim is a Bowmore fanatic, seeking indies, handfills, and vintage dumpies wherever he can. Although I enjoyed my Islay whisky at the time, Bowmore had eluded me, with arrogance and superficiality steering me away from the tall, daggy bottle. Back in the beginning of my friendship with Tim, I didn’t realise how difficult and expensive it is to get Bowmore which isn’t the mainstream range, and I was spoiled with samples.
More so even than the whisky, it was the time spent in Zoom chats that really helped during those lockdown years. Melbourne experienced some of the harshest and longest lockdowns during the 2020–21 period, so having a mate to chat with over a dram was a treasure. Our virtual bar sessions became whisky tutorials and I learned about independent bottlings, tasting events and Ardbeg Committee releases.
My fanaticism for whisky may not have grown the way it did if it wasn’t for the friends I made through those years - and I most certainly wouldn’t have had the zeal to reach out and apply to write for Dramface. We even influenced each other’s purchases with the samples we sent; I got to see Tim buy a Bruichladdich Islay Barley on his phone one sip into the sample I’d sent. There are few joys greater than seeing someone enjoy something you like in the exact way you do.
Whisky simpatico is a powerful force. One of those Bowmores which drew me in was an Elements of Islay Bowmore - so let’s get tasting, shall we?
Review
Elements of Islay Bowmore Bw8, 51.2% ABV
1320 bottles, aged in ex-bourbon barrels & ex-sherry butts
$299.99 AUD (paid $240 AUD)
This multi-layered Bowmore is a vatting of whiskies distilled between 2001 and 2003. Left to age in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry butts for 16 to 18 years, it showcases its classic true Islay character through a window of tropical fruits and coastal freshness.
This was my first Elements of Islay purchase and perhaps my first 50cl scotch whisky bottle. This may be a divisive topic for many drinkers, but my justification is the price for a full 70cl might have been a reach too far. Bowmore is pricier in the indie world, even among its Islay brethren; whether it’s worth a purchase or not really is up to you. My friends who have fallen into the gravity of the Bowmore star throw rational pricing out the window. Can this distillery’s whisky ultimately be worth it for its unique profile?
Nose
Fragrant peat, like a slow-burning incense stick seasoned with lavender, fireplace cinders, and wisps of singed rosemary. The beach now reveals itself with sea foam and sweet rock oysters garnished with a healthy squeeze of Meyer lemon. A Mediterranean BBQ of octopus and vongole with time in the glass, along with an almost nasal sourness that is distinctively Bowmore. This addictive cycle of ocean salt, citrus, florals, and smoke is why this spirit has reached overpriced hype-beast status - one calamari ring simply isn’t enough when feasting on fish and chips by the beach.
Palate
Aburi zushi - placed gently into your mouth by a sushi master. Tuna melting on the palate with white miso and sherbet-heavy yuzu. Grilled scallops with lime and seawater, leaving a juicy finish on the palate and begging you to pair this with sushi or a Hawaiian poke bowl. Although this is a largely savoury feast of a whisky, there’s a nice edge of honey-drizzled pancakes and lemon madeira cake, not at all cloying, playing bass alongside the headlining fragrantly grilled seafood. If there was anywhere you may be left wanting, it might be that you could want just that bit more viscosity from your whisky - that slight thick edge you might get from a peated Ben Nevis or even an Ardbeg.
The Dregs
Relatively young Islay whiskies can tend to be grappling with fire and water - slaps of fiery peat against a strong coastal tang - but Bowmore tends to be more on the fragrant side. These are delicate smoke flavours, a Japanese hibachi grill rather than a backyard burner. I hope more Islay distilleries try and go for that low-to-medium level peat profile. It’s created a powerful niche for whisky obsessives and made proper Bowmore hard to get.
The official distillery release range is filtered and watered down to a soulless husk of itself and indies are priced out of most people’s pockets, but bottles like these - which may be just within reach - are a delicious investment. Although indie Bowmore may not be on the cards for the future; it’s been great to experience one. My palate and tastes have grown through that scattergun phase of whisky shared through the friends I’ve made along the way. Whisky doesn’t exist in an echo-chamber: it becomes whisky when it’s shared among friends.
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. CD
-
Dramface is free.
Its fierce independence and community-focused content is funded by that same community. We don’t do ads, sponsorships or paid-for content. If you like what we do you can support us by becoming a Dramface member for the price of a magazine.
However, if you’ve found a particular article valuable, you also have the option to make a direct donation to the writer, here: buy me a dram - you’d make their day. Thank you.
For more on Dramface and our funding read our about page here.
