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July 8, 2014

Bowmore LaimrigThe 5pm Dining blog was very happy when a tasting sample of Bowmore Laimrig whisky dropped through the letterbox recently.

Apparently, Laimrig is Gaelic for pier. The name refers to the old stone pier where Bowmore’s barley would once have been unloaded and from which the island distillery’s whisky would have set sail for the four corners of the world.

It is a cask strength, 15 years old single malt, bottled at 53.7% ABV. Finished in Spanish sherry butts, it has a coppery gold colour.

Salty tang

The official tasting notes reckon that the nose is ‘sweet, dark sherry, figs and cocoa balanced with smoky peatiness and a salty tang’.

I didn’t get much smokiness to begin with but the sherry comes through quite strongly. Interestingly, I stuck my neb in the unwashed glass the next morning and the aromas had mellowed to a lovely warm caramel.

On the palate, the Laimrig offers a ‘rich combination of chocolate, sherry, raisins and smoke’, according to the tasting notes.

Spicy

The chocolate is certainly there, especially after the addition of a small splash of water. I also found it quite spicy with a lingering hint of black pepper.

The finish is exceptionally long. This is one that you could quite happily sip over the course of a long summer evening.

Bowmore Laimrig is on a limited edition release in the UK and is exclusively available at The Whisky Shop for £70.

There are branches of The Whisky Shop on Victoria Street, in Ocean Terminal and in Princes Mall in Edinburgh. Glasgow has a branch in Buchanan Galleries.

Of course, it can also be ordered online.