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Bowmore Small Batch

fresh malty
3.7
(3)€27Scotland, Islay, Single Malt

Flavours

Whisky character

Fresh
Warm
Mild
Full
Smooth
Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

Bowmore started distilling on Islay in 1779, the first distillery on the island. Most of its whisky rests in the No. 1 Vaults. Those cellars sit below sea level, and waves hit the outer wall. Small Batch spends its whole life in ex-bourbon oak, never sherry. That makes it lighter and sweeter than the Islay average. Honey and vanilla arrive first, then lemon, coconut and soft peat smoke. The distillery still floor malts its own barley, hand-turned with wooden shovels. Pour it neat and the smoke stays polite rather than fierce.

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About the distillery

Distillery

Bowmore

Bowmore is a Scotch whisky distillery located in the town of Bowmore on the Scottish island of Islay. It is one of the oldest distilleries on the island, having been established in 1779 by local merchant David Simson. Bowmore is known for producing a range of peated and unpeated single malt whiskies. The distillery sources its water from the nearby Laggan River, which is said to contribute to the unique character of its whiskies. The barley used in production is malted on site using traditional floor malting techniques. The distillery has its own cooperage, where skilled craftsmen create and repair casks used for maturing the whisky.

4Average rating

147Whiskies on Distilld

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Islay

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About the Bowmore Small Batch

Bowmore Small Batch is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky bottled at 40% ABV. It comes from Bowmore, the oldest distillery on Islay, founded in 1779. There is no age statement, and the distillery gives no bottle count. Every drop matures in ex-bourbon oak, with no sherry cask in the mix. First and second-fill barrels do all the work. That places the whisky at the gentler, sweeter end of the island's output. The distillery sits on the shore of Islay, and the sea shapes the spirit. Most casks rest in the No. 1 Vaults, cellars below sea level. Waves beat against the sea-facing wall while the whisky sleeps in the damp. Bowmore is also one of very few distilleries still running its own floor maltings. Workers hand-turn the barley with wooden shovels. Peat cut on Islay fires the kiln, and water comes from the Laggan River. Honey and vanilla come first, followed by lemon and orange peel. Nutmeg and damp moss sit underneath, along with a curl of oak smoke. Sipping brings pear and apple, with caramel and flakes of coconut. A faint cocoa bitterness arrives late, edged with something medicinal. Peat smoke, spice and cold tea carry the earthy, drying close. Floral notes drift back right at the very end. Where much of the Bowmore range leans on sherry casks, Bowmore Small Batch does not. First-fill barrels bring vanilla sweetness, gentle spice and a char-driven bourbon oak smoke. Second-fill barrels push fruit and salt forward, plus the honey and creamy malt the distillery is known for. Marrying the two gives a balance of salt against sweetness. Anyone wary of the heavier Islay style will find this an easier way in.