Single Malt

OMAR Bourbon Type Review

Name: OMAR Bourbon Type
Brand: OMAR

Reviewed by Kaz · 24/09/2026

The Verdict

4.1/ 5

Rated 4.1 out of 5 Highly Recommended

Fruity Spicy Malty

Best for

Drinkers who want a satisfying, fruity and spicy single malt with some weight, neat or in a highball. Less suited to those looking for real complexity or an older, more mature style.

Quick Verdict

OMAR Bourbon Type is a fruity, spicy Taiwanese single malt with a solid body — vanilla, malt, mango, green apple and orange with warm spice and oak — and good balance that makes it satisfying neat. It's a little youthful, though, and lacks real complexity or maturity, settling into a fairly plain character.

Tasted Apr 2026 · Neat

Bottle Information

OMAR Bourbon Type is the market name on the bottle reviewed here; OMAR's official English name for this expression is OMAR Single Malt Whisky (Bourbon Cask), the bourbon-cask version of the brand's core single malt. It's made at Nantou Distillery in Taiwan by Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation (TTL). OMAR's core range is bottled at 46% ABV, and the brand says its whiskies are non-chill filtered, with no caramel colouring added. There's no age statement on the label; the bottle reviewed here is the 700ml size.

Whisky Specs

Country: Taiwan
Distillery: Nantou
Brand: OMAR
Category: Single Malt
Age: NAS
ABV: 46% ABV
Cask: Bourbon casks
Volume: 700ml
Chill filtered: No
Natural colour: Yes

Tasting Review

OMAR Bourbon Type is a fruity, spicy Taiwanese single malt with real substance. There’s a little youthfulness on the nose, but the palate has a solid body, with vanilla, malt, mango, green apple and orange, some floral lift and warm spice, and the tropical fruit is present without being pushy. I could clearly taste the bourbon-cask influence, the balance is good, and neat it’s satisfying and shows its personality well. What it doesn’t have is much complexity or sense of maturity — the good balance ends up settling it into something fairly plain.

I tasted it against Kavalan Distillery Select No.1, another entry-level Taiwanese single malt: the OMAR came across maltier, thicker and more satisfying, while the Kavalan was sweeter and more tropical, with a stronger individual personality — and I preferred the OMAR. It felt a little pricey for a no-age-statement bottle when I reviewed it, but I think the flavor justifies it. It’s versatile too, and especially good as a highball. For more, browse our World Single Malt reviews.

Tasting Notes

Nose: A little youthful, fruity and malty. Vanilla, malt, mango, spice and oak.
Palate: Solid-bodied, fruity and spicy. Vanilla, malt, mango, green apple, orange, floral notes, warm spice and oak.
Finish: Fruitiness and spice at moderate length.

Flavor Profile

Sweetness 3 / 5
Fruit 3 / 5
Spice 3 / 5
Oak 2 / 5
Smoke / Peat 0 / 5
Body 4 / 5

Pros

A solid body and satisfying structure, with a fruity, spicy profile.
Good balance, with mango, green apple, orange and malt over warm spice and oak.

Cons

Lacks real complexity and a sense of maturity.
A little youthful, and it settles into a fairly plain character.

Final Verdict

OMAR Bourbon Type is a well-built core-range single malt. A slightly youthful, fruity and malty nose of vanilla, malt, mango, spice and oak leads into a solid-bodied palate that's both fruity and spicy — vanilla, malt, mango, green apple, orange, floral notes, warm spice and oak — before fruit and spice at moderate length. The balance is good, the malt, fruit and spice hold together well, and it's genuinely satisfying neat, with a simple but real personality. What keeps it from climbing higher is depth: there isn't much complexity or sense of maturity, the development is fairly straightforward, a touch of youthfulness shows on the nose, and it ultimately settles into something a little plain. That's why it sits at 4.1 — Highly Recommended, judged purely on the liquid, not its price.

Other Ways to Drink It

Dram Verdict's core Nose, Palate, Finish and Score above are tasted neat. These are Kaz's notes on other ways he's actually tried this bottle.

With Water

Good

A small splash brings out more spice, so a roughly 1:1 ratio works better — the sweetness and fruit come through while the body stays intact.
On the Rocks

Very Good

The oak becomes somewhat stronger, but the fruit stays clear — satisfying, with a drier style.
Highball

Excellent

Tropical fruit comes through well without harshness; refreshing while keeping plenty of flavor.

About the author

Kaz Bartender & Whisky Reviewer

Kaz is a chief bartender in Japan, with eight years behind the bar and six years reviewing whisky on Whisktender, his Japanese-language whisky site. Every Dram Verdict score and every personal tasting note comes from a whisky he has tasted himself, with one question always in mind: is this bottle worth buying?