Black Rock, Gold Reef, White Sands - the three maritime and colour-themed whiskies released by Bowmore for Travel Retail. The prices are pretty affordable, should you be flying. But are the whiskies good? There is very little consensus online regarding travel retail exclusives, though there are some whiskies that did well enough in Travel Retail to make it out of the airport and onto the shelves. Is this one of those whiskies that are good enough? Or will it remain a novelty?
Bowmore Gold Reef (43% abv) - this one is matured in ex-bourbon casks.
Nose - An initial burst of white, milk chocolate, though that disappears quickly, never to be found again. After that, vanilla comes to the fore, with some hints of coconut. That's the bourbon cask at work, I guess. Some pineapples, or a sharp, citrus fruit. I think this has been found in several newer Bowmores. A little salt.
Palate - Soft peat, a little salty, and more vanilla and pineapples. Smooth on the palate. The peat turns a little ashy, but that's fine. Well within limits, unlike the Ardbegs, which push those boundaries quite aggressively.
Finish - Ashes and honey. Pretty short. Right at the end...is that a touch of...chemical caramel colouring?
Overall - Fairly straightforward and pleasant, nothing offensive, but unfortunately, nothing very memorable either. I've only had 2 Bowmores thus far; this one, and the Bowmore 12. I've not tasted anything in either of these that's made me impressed with the distillery. It may be one of the more historic distilleries on Islay's, but the ones I've had have been fairly tame. Is there any Bowmore I should try that is a better showcase of what the distillery has to offer? Or is this it?
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