Bowmore Tempest Batch 4

A Tasty Dram tasting notes Bomwmore Tempest Batch IV

Bowmore's Tempest Batch was a range of 10-year-old single malts whiskies from Islay's oldest distillery. This small batch matured exclusively in first-fill ex-bourbon casks and was bottled at cask strength, without chill-filtration and without additional colouring. The first batch from 2009 gained quite a stellar reputation.

In the U.S. Tempest batch was label as Dorus Mor, a name picked by Bowmore's Facebook fans. The name comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "rough, wild water".

Batch number four was the first batch composed by former Master Blender Rachel Barrie.

Identity Card Bowmore Tempest Batch IV

Bowmore Tempest Batch 4 / Bowmore Dorus Mor
  • Official bottling from Bowmore Distillery, Lochindaal (Isle of Islay)
  • 10-year-old single malt Scotch whisky
  • Matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks
  • Unchillfiltered and natural colour
  • Alcohol: 55.1% ABV

Tasting notes

Colour: A natural golden hue reveals oily beads after glass.

Nose: Lots of lemon juice. Smoky vanilla, juniper berries and coriander. Roasted coffee beans and salted lemon. Oyster juice diluted with lemon and coconut water. The plumbing section of a DIY store. Lavender shaving soap and spicy apple cake. Malt, rye bread, sterile bandages and rubbing alcohol.
With water: Tropical fruits. Mango and pineapple. Vanilla and gingerbread. A tiny hint of swimming pool chlorine

Taste: Truly tempestuous in the mouth. Pepper, sea salt, lemon and coconut. Young oak and woody mint. Beechnuts mingle with typical Bowmore smoke. Swimming pool chlorine with citrus. Orange and grapefruit. Spicy cake with nutmeg, cinnamon and clove.
With water: The storm gets sweeter. Honey and honeycomb. Sugar and caramel with a salty bite. Liquorice root.

Finish: A nice long finish with fresh grapefruit and honey sweetness.

The Tempest Batch series has been discontinued by Bowmore but you can still find them in shops. The series didn't have the collectibility from the sherry-matured Devil's Cask trilogy which made them very affordable. This is a very good example of how good Bowmore can be. But be aware of opportunist shops charging three or four times the initial price.

Bottle picture: The Whisky Exchange


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