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Bowmore Legend

Improved/different batch?

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@QuiverReview by @Quiver

11th Nov 2013

0

Bowmore Legend
  • Nose
    ~
  • Taste
    ~
  • Finish
    ~
  • Balance
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  • Overall
    72

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

I got a gift voucher today from work, got excited, and naturally went to the closest bottle shop at lunch to buy another whisky. I've had a few other Islay experiences in the mid-range so wanted to see how a entry-level product would compare. As they say, without darkness there cannot be light. I read some of the other reviews after my first glass just a little earlier this evening and was very surprised by some of the low scores and tasting notes. Looking at the time stamps, I'm wondering if this is a batch thing?

Anyway, I think this is very drinkable - relatively simple but pleasant enough. It doesn't have the strength of a typical isaly, so would maybe be a good introduction to someone new to the style. What's interesting is the obvious sweetness to the smell and taste, in addition to the salt and smoke I expected. I found the finish to be fairly long and it really just followed the notes from the other senses. Box reads "zesty lemon notes together with a touch of honey", which I'd buy without the tasting experience to really pick out these specific flavours.

The other thing is that this doesn't say "New Label" anywhere, so I wonder if it's a different release compared to the other reviews?

This retails for about $60 in Perth, and I'm thinking I'd probably visit some other bottles before coming back to it again.

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3 comments

@Pandemonium
Pandemonium commented

The Bowmore Legend is just a bad malt and highly inferior to the other standard Bowmore drams. It seems to me that the Bowmore distillery was desperate for cash and decided to flood the retail market with cheap immature malts. It is not undrinkable, but it's a bottle that has been gathering dust in my cabinet

11 years ago 0

@Quiver
Quiver commented

Panda, you're probably right in that this is not as good as other Bowmores, of which the only one I've tried was a newly opened 18 year old at a bar. Just poured another Legend, and from memory the 18 was far less one-dimensional, but it took quite a lot of work in the mouth to get the flavours to come out. It felt like it was hiding for a good while, and it really wasn't until the last sip that it started to get tasty. Wouldn't mind giving that or just a 12 a try, but to experiment with this a bit more the plan is to blind test it against a Laga-16, Laph-18 and Laph PX Cask. Will have a better idea afterwards I'm sure, although right now this is tasting a little watery and washed out. Still, I certainly don't taste "used bandaid", "extreme petrol", "rotting plant matter", "rusting copper" or any of the other really nasty descriptors used by older reviews - hence the title and its questioning of the batch!

11 years ago 0

@GBrough
GBrough commented

Quiver remember bowmore improves with air, and the legend is an entry level whisky only or a drink to have when you want a simple drink.

11 years ago 0