Batch 6 Official Bottling | 54.9% ABV

A Bowmore we can all celebrate?

[This bottle is known as “Tempest 10yo” everywhere except the US]

Sometimes it’s worthwhile to try out a bottle of a less talked about distillery to remind yourself that it’s not just the ‘en vogue’ distilleries of the world that can make good whisky. But that bottle should be carefully selected.

As whisky connoisseurs, we want our expressions to be as natural as possible. Unfortunately, many distilleries out there do their The Island Of Dr. Moreau act on their product: genetically altering their own distillate by chilling it to the core, stripping out flavour via harsh filtration, cutting it down to a feeble 40% abv, and finally, adding insult to injury, spraying it with a fake tan. This process takes the spirit out of the spirit.

Sadly, Bowmore is no exception.

This is a shame, because Bowmore had quite the reputation decades ago. In capable hands Bowmore was known for its lush, tropical notes wrapped around earthy peat tones; a complex and engaging dram indeed. Alas, those were the good old days. 

Today, we know Bowmore mostly for their core range: a 12yo, 15yo, 18yo, and  a 25yo. No mention of natural colour, no mention of non-chill filtered, and all safely neutered to a 40% or 43% abv. Bowmore? More like Bow-less.

I expect more from the distillery that not only represents the capital of Islay but is also the oldest official distillery on that magical isle.  It shouldn’t be the Fredo Corleone of Islay distilleries: often mocked, sometimes tolerated, and rarely taken seriously. Despite this, I’m sure they have the ability to make good stuff. To quote Fredo: “It ain't the way I wanted it! I can handle things! I'm smart! Not like everybody says... like dumb... I'm smart and I want respect!”

So this past Spring, Mrs. Math and myself took our yearly jaunt to Scotland and visited Bowmore. Situated on the shores of Loch Indaal, to say their location is picturesque greatly undersells it. This place is simply beautiful and worth the visit for both whisky and non-whisky folks. 

We took part in the Warehouse #1 tour: the most expensive tour they had, where we got to see all the behind-the-scenes action, with a promise at the end to venture into Warehouse #1 and try some of their most intriguing wares. When we finally arrived in the warehouse, we were given the opportunity to try either a 20 year ex-bourbon expression or a 20 year sherried dram; both au natural, straight from the cask. And as you would guess, both whiskies were an utter delight. Bold flavours, thick texture, complex earthy notes, this is the type of dram I would expect from the capital of Islay. 

After our foray in the cask room, we were ushered into a tasting room and offered some of their other, less core range-esque bottlings such as their Vaults Collection, distillery only bottles, etc. Once again, despite the cringy luxury car tie-in we need not mention right now, these drams all hit the mark. 

So what gives Bowmore? You have definitely shown the ability to make a quality spirit. Yet finding an official bottling of Bowmore in the United States of that constitution is as hard as finding a unicorn hair wrapped around a hen’s tooth. 

But we found one.

Review

Bowmore Tempest / Dorus Mor 10yo, 54.9% ABV
Occasionally available in the UK, but wide availability in the US $80-100

Enter Dorus Mor; a 10 year Bowmore offering that’s about as natural as you can ask: non-chill filtered, natural colour, cask strength, and from first-fill bourbon barrels (so no sherry barrels to hide any warts). The Dorus Mor is released in ‘small’ batches of about 2,400 bottles that are distributed across the world. The rest of the world see this bottle named Tempest, but it’s a six of one, half dozen of another type thing. 

So let’s get into this dram and see what’s in store for the Dorus Mor:

Nose

First sniff immediately reminds me this is from an ex-bourbon cask: honey, vanilla, with some lighter fruit notes wrapped around some earthy tones. The peat is present but doesn’t overpower. The deeper you dive, you get more of that peated ashy note with some lemon rinds integrated into the mix.

Palate

The peat starts off the journey; not a huge peat punch mind you, but an earthy minerality that’s a bit different than other Islay drams. Right after your palette acclimates to the peat, big tart tropical fruit notes dive in and steal the show. The finish is rather short, ending with a slight sooty note with a wisp of dried pineapple and mango in the background. 

Adding a few drops of water dampens the sharp tart fruitiness that can lean towards the acidic side. The tropical notes are richer and more rounded, which integrate with the peat in a more sophisticated way.

The Dregs

This is a very enjoyable dram. No, it is not like those big bruising east coast Islay bottlings (how can it be at ~20ppm). Nor is it like those experimental offerings from the distilleries on the west side of the isle. Dorus Mor is its own thing: a straightforward cask strength whisky that doesn’t try to woo you with over-the-top peat or crazy finishes. The bottle is saying,  “This is who I am. Love me or leave me.” I appreciate that. 

Now that isn’t to say this is a perfect dram. There is some youthful spiritiness to this that some may find off-putting and the finish is rather abrupt. There’s no immediate hook when you taste this - it’s just a well made single malt that showcases a side of Islay that we don’t visit very often. 

The price of this bottle in the United States revolves around $80-$100. To put that in perspective, Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength are about the same cost. I’m not sure if it’s better than those two, but I can tell you it’s very different. Don’t get me wrong; I love those big peat monsters as much as anyone. But there is a place on my shelf for something outside the regular re’peat’ offenders.

Ultimately, the two things I enjoy the most about Dorus Mor; the uniqueness that you can only find in a Bowmore and the natural presentation of this product, which is necessary to bring out that distillery character.

Bowmore, including many other distilleries, should be encouraged to further this practice of non-chill filtering and sparing us the browning agents. The great irony in all this is that it takes work and money to do all of these things to their product. Help me help you: Don’t bother with all that extra work and leave your product alone! Honestly, the only way to clearly send a message to these big businesses is by not investing in any of their genetically modified products and buying more naturally presented bottlings. 

That’s why I bought another Dorus Mor. And I may buy another one down the road.

Score: 7/10

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. RM

Other opinions on this:

Whiskybase

Got a link to a reliable review? Tell us.