Thompson Bros Clynelish 12yo (2013) & Thompson Bros Bowmore 11yo (2014)

Thompson Bros Clynelish 12yo (2013)

Region: Highlands

ABV: 49.1%

Price: £72.95

Distilled on 13 June 2013 and bottled on 1st January 2026 after 12 years of maturation. Matured in Dechar French and American oak hogsheads, then bottled by Thompson Bros with an outturn of 613 bottles. 

Nose

The nose opens with sea spray, lemon balm, thick whipped cream, cocoa nibs, and a faint hint of freshly chopped pineapple in the background. There's a weighty, waxy feeling to the nose, and it does point towards that classic Clynelish profile with a bit more rye-like spice from the cask - think cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and clove. The alcohol feels a little more prominent than we'd expect for 49%, but there's enough character coming through to balance this. Time and air brings a little bit of mango out too. 

Palate

The palate opens with a mixture of mango puree, lime juice, sweet white sugar, and something a little rum-like - it's almost like a mango daiquiri in a whisky. The finish lingers on with more of those tropical fruits, guava appearing now, and a little bit of grapefruit too. The mouthfeel is a little thin - sadly it doesn't have enough texture to really carry some of these flavours through - it's like a really sweet fruit juice with some candied ginger, and a dash of black pepper spice. It's a little tart on the finish too - more of that lime juice coming through for us.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose hasn't changed too much, still a lot of the vanilla, cream, salt crystals and faint hints of pineapple, alongside a bit of almond and lots of fresh lemon juice. It feels a little more expressive now - that could either be the water or the additional air from sitting in the glass.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate continues with the host of tropical fruits, but actually gets a little more vanilla and almond from the cask coming through. There's more of a lemon/lime sharpness too. Unfortunately the water hasn't done anything for the mouthfeel. 

Conclusion

It's like a Clynelish of two parts - the nose is thick, waxy, slightly salty and sour, and the palate is a full-on tropical fruit blast. It's very enjoyable, but the texture on the palate lets it down for us. Still, a really tasty dram.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

Clynelish is one of the more expensive Highland distilleries making this a good deal.

Thompson Bros Bowmore 11yo (2014)

Region: Islay

ABV: 56.8%

Price: £72.95

Distilled in 2014 and matured for 11 years in a refill barrel, then bottled by Thompson Bros as a UK exclusive release. Natural colour and non chill filtered. Outturn 290 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with fresh green apples, charred pork steaks, freshly turned earth after the rain, and something a little milky/yoghurty. Blind, we'd think this spirit came out of Bruichladdich distillery - just with a lower peating level than Port Charlotte or Rhinns - it has a really distinct lactic note that we associate with that distillery. The alcohol is present but restrained, and we're finding light toffees, seaweed, and chlorine. The smoke is very mellow, soft and sits nicely in the background.

Palate

The palate opens with whipped cream, salted caramel, mangosteen, chutneys, and an earthy, gentle background smoke. It's much fruitier than the nose led us to believe, and it's got a solid textured mouthfeel. There's also a little acridity coming through on subsequent sips, along with cheap chocolate coins and wood polish. The lactic note is still present but nowhere near as prominent as the nose, and the spice here is warming, more of a mellow chili heat lingering through the finish. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose continues with the creamy, smoky, saline and sour notes from before, less of a meaty side to it now. It hasn't changed much at all.  

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate loses some texture, but maintains a tropicality, soft smoke, creaminess, and some charred oak flavours come through on the finish. Water hasn't really helped too much, we prefer it without.

Conclusion

An intriguing Bowmore - one we'd struggle to pick blind but still very interesting. Lots of lactic notes pointing us towards another Islay distillery, but it's amazing what flavour and aroma a simple refill bourbon barrel can impart. A really good dram.

Score: 8/10

Value

Good price for an indie Bowmore.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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