A single-cask Bowmore released by the Japanese bottler Whisk-e. Bottled at cask strength, it’s a so-called “natural” expression with no added water, no coloring, and no chill-filtering.

ompared to the current Bowmore 12 and 18 I’ve had, this one struck me as having a slightly more assertive smokiness. That said, it lacks the kind of medicinal, chemical edge you find in modern Laphroaig, so it still retains the easy-drinking character typical of today’s Bowmore 12 and 18. It was a Bowmore I found quite intriguing. It also made me think that the polished, well-behaved profile of the 12 and 18 must come from skillfully marrying a variety of cask components.”