The Enigma expression from Bowmore wasn’t one I was familiar with until seeing it in the airport duty-free a while back. I picked up a bottle on a whim and definitely glad I did as it’s a brilliant dram.
Based on the standard 12-year old, Bowmore have altered the ratio of American to European oak so that it’s still clearly recognisable as a Bowmore, but with a huge whack of fruit and sherry flavours.
Although Jim Murray doesn’t seem to be a huge fan based on the 2013 bible, from reading the reviews on various whisky sites a lot of people are; even preferring it to the standard 12-year old expression.
The tasting notes below are from the Bowmore web pages, as I don’t really have anything else to add.
Colour
Deep bronze
Nose
Classic Bowmore smokiness infused with sherry notes and hints of heather honey.
Tasting
Rich sherry flavours followed by a more robust smokiness with traces of fresh lemon zest and raisins.
Overall
If you’re going through duty free and spot this at a decent price, buy it – it will suit Islay fans and those that prefer sweeter whiskies equally. My only issue is that I don’t know when I’ll next be travelling to replenish my stocks!
Braw Spirit 