Scotch Whisky Review #328: Bowmore Dorus Mor 10 Year Release III
Distillery: Bowmore.
Region: Islay.
Age: 10 Year. Bottled in 2015.
ABV: 54.9%.
Cask Type: First Fill Bourbon
Color: 1.1, Burnished.
Nose: Quite boozey even after lots of airtime. The notes I get are of toothpaste and a bit of Listerine mouthwash. Not a great start.
Palate: It’s on the savory side, not overly strong in flavors but what is here is savory. Barbecue sauce and oyster sauce are what come to mind most. Adding a few drops of water gets rid of any of the discernible notes leaving behind just a generic “umami”/savory flavor.
Finish: Medium in length. There’s a little bit of smoked meat and a hint of peat.
Conclusion: The more Bowmore I have, the more I’ve become convinced that sherry casks are truly the best way to express the distillery spirit. This Dorus Mor 10 year distillery bottling does nothing to change that perception. Being aged in first fill bourbon casks, I was hoping to see signs of promise that other cask maturations might do Bowmore justice. Perhaps it’s because this is a distillery bottling vs. an independent bottling, but I felt that this whisky was overall pretty lackluster. The nose doesn’t get us off to a great start, with notes of toothpaste and mouthwash. The palate isn’t particularly flavorful with just hints of savory sauces. The finish is pleasant enough but again quite muted. Maybe I had too high of hopes for this, but in the end it’s just okay. Would I buy a bottle? Maybe for like $35.
Final Score: 74.
Scotch Whisky Review #328, Islay Review #51, Whisky Network Review #473
Scoring Legend:
- 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
- 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
- 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
- 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
- 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
- 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
- 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
- Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.
Scotch & Sheen 
