Single Malt Score: 82 ABV: 40% Region: Islay Bottle: 7/10
Well, this is a loud, obvious, uninhibited, and unsophisticated one. But if you like your peat and sherry up front, and can handle a lack of nuance, give it a go. For contrast’s sake I’m sipping the Enigma side-by-side with its older brother, the Darkest.
Nose: Here we have Bowmore’s signature gentle peat and smoke mixed with a very sweet, candied sherry. Maraschino cherries, red licorice, strawberry syrup, and a sweet, light caramel. There’s also leather, salt, cinnamon, praline, and toffee. There is an oak note here, but it’s nowhere near as rich as the wood from the Darkest. Very sweet and gently smoky, but not very subtle or complex.
Palate: Very much a continuation of the nose, but with stronger peat. The peat and sherry come on simultaneously, however they don’t seem to interact. Candy flavours are here; once again giving us maraschino cherries, licorice, and strawberry syrup. Meanwhile the peat continues to offer salt, leather, and praline.
Finish: The smoke takes the lead here. There’s a lingering tobacco note, and those maraschino cherries persist. Salt and light caramel. Some drying oak comes in, but it’s not the strong, rich oak presence that I enjoy so much in the Darkest.
Thoughts: Unsurprisingly, this pales in comparison to its older brother. Not only is the Enigma more “candied,” but it has a lower abv, less depth, less integration of flavours, and less of the rich woodiness that I love in the Darkest. The sherry and peat seem to be working apart from one another; the flavours don’t seem to intersect. And as I mentioned earlier, this is not very nuanced.
So then why do I still like this? Well for one thing it’s cheap, and it’s sold in a 1L bottle. It’s a good casual sipper if you’re a fan of sherry and peat. Simple, fun, and easy. Why not?
嗅覺:
*甜甜的帶有微微的煙燻味,不複雜味道.
*BOWMORE標準的為淡泥煤味,甜味的雪利,水果糖,雞尾酒櫻桃,甘草,草莓糖漿,淡淡的焦糖,皮革,鹽,肉桂,太妃糖.
味覺:
*泥煤味和雪利味同時到來但是並不是很融合,像是分開來的,嗅覺持續到味覺.
*糖果,雞尾酒櫻桃,甘草,草莓糖漿,泥煤,鹽,皮革,堅果.
後味:
*比起BOWMORE DARKEST,這一款的橡木味並不是很融合.
*菸草,雞尾酒櫻桃,鹽,淡淡的焦糖,微淡的橡木味.
評語:
*雪利在這裡的味道很邊像糖果味,泥煤味和雪利也不是很融合,因為酒精較低所以味道也較清淡,這是一款簡單平凡的威士忌但是還是有吸引人之處.
Nose: Here we have Bowmore’s signature gentle peat and smoke mixed with a very sweet, candied sherry. Maraschino cherries, red licorice, strawberry syrup, and a sweet, light caramel. There’s also leather, salt, cinnamon, praline, and toffee. There is an oak note here, but it’s nowhere near as rich as the wood from the Darkest. Very sweet and gently smoky, but not very subtle or complex.
Palate: Very much a continuation of the nose, but with stronger peat. The peat and sherry come on simultaneously, however they don’t seem to interact. Candy flavours are here; once again giving us maraschino cherries, licorice, and strawberry syrup. Meanwhile the peat continues to offer salt, leather, and praline.
Finish: The smoke takes the lead here. There’s a lingering tobacco note, and those maraschino cherries persist. Salt and light caramel. Some drying oak comes in, but it’s not the strong, rich oak presence that I enjoy so much in the Darkest.
Thoughts: Unsurprisingly, this pales in comparison to its older brother. Not only is the Enigma more “candied,” but it has a lower abv, less depth, less integration of flavours, and less of the rich woodiness that I love in the Darkest. The sherry and peat seem to be working apart from one another; the flavours don’t seem to intersect. And as I mentioned earlier, this is not very nuanced.
So then why do I still like this? Well for one thing it’s cheap, and it’s sold in a 1L bottle. It’s a good casual sipper if you’re a fan of sherry and peat. Simple, fun, and easy. Why not?
嗅覺:
*甜甜的帶有微微的煙燻味,不複雜味道.
*BOWMORE標準的為淡泥煤味,甜味的雪利,水果糖,雞尾酒櫻桃,甘草,草莓糖漿,淡淡的焦糖,皮革,鹽,肉桂,太妃糖.
味覺:
*泥煤味和雪利味同時到來但是並不是很融合,像是分開來的,嗅覺持續到味覺.
*糖果,雞尾酒櫻桃,甘草,草莓糖漿,泥煤,鹽,皮革,堅果.
後味:
*比起BOWMORE DARKEST,這一款的橡木味並不是很融合.
*菸草,雞尾酒櫻桃,鹽,淡淡的焦糖,微淡的橡木味.
評語:
*雪利在這裡的味道很邊像糖果味,泥煤味和雪利也不是很融合,因為酒精較低所以味道也較清淡,這是一款簡單平凡的威士忌但是還是有吸引人之處.
