This cask strength bottling from the fine folks over at Bowmore absolutely blew our socks off. The word 'laimrig' is Gaelic for a pier or wharf. Like the ocean, this cask strength bottling is not to be taken lightly. In fact, at 54.4% ABV, it is so powerful that one of our writers actually felt as though he singed some nose hair after taking a whiff too close to his glass!
This was a limited 15000 bottle run in which we were lucky enough to obtain bottle number 14655.
Nose: Wonderful notes of toasted candied walnuts with toffee and Toblerone Bar chocolatiness. A wonderful light maltiness mixed with maple syrup delight the nose. Through all this sweetness however, there is a definite kick of campfire smoke and sea spray.
Palate: Working through several phases, this whisky takes you on a journey. Beginning with a sharp initial heat, the sweetness of sherry and dried fruits take over. As this whisky evolves ever so briefly into a bittersweet chocolate which quickly gives way to sea-salt brine, one really gets the sense that this is definitely a coastal malt. The sea is ever so present in this dram, and leaves me longing to walk along an Islay beach.
Finish: Quite drying, which leaves pleasant sherry notes with a hint of salt and pepper chips.
Overall: A wonderful release; we absolutely love well-done, lightly peated and sherried whiskies and this is definitely one of those. Make sure you add a small splash of water to this before nosing lest you suffer the same olfactory overload we did.
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Love Toblerones ... your description makes this whisky sound incredibly appealing. All those sweet flavors balanced out by Islay seaside goodness.