
February 1, 2022

More Bowmore

I believe we've used that headline around 24,357,321,358 times already. That's what happens with old 'blogs'…

Bowmore 2001/2021 (57.8%, Partners by LMDW, Navigate World Whisky, refill bourbon, cask #182, 180 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: oils (sunflower, grape pips) and fat seashells (whelks), on doughs and vanilla fudge, and brioche, croissants and stuff. Smoked almonds ruling the whole shebang. With water: ultra-classic Bowmore, reminding us of those times when they were rolling the barrels in the loch, from the distillery to the puffers. We always need a nice story. Mouth (neat): the nose was fat while this palate is tight, green, resinous and rather peppery. Lemon zests. Huge contrast. With water: indeed it's rather a resinous one, I'm reminded of bee propolis. Which, incidentally, raises your immunity, fights all variants of Covid, and even cures the worst tropical diseases. Prices on request (gee…). Finish: rather long, and indeed rather on propolis, pine resin, almonds, zests and all that. The everlasting salty and resinous aftertaste is fab. Comments: a little difficult at times, but just superb in my book. We like to chase the difficult ones.
SGP:366 - 88 points.

Bowmore 19 yo 2001/2021 (58%, Hunter Laing, The First Editions for HNWS Taiwan, hogshead, cask #17897, 227 bottles)

Isn't that Prince Charles on the label? Colour: straw. Nose: another immaculate one. In fact, this one's even more immaculate than the others. Fresh butter, sunflower oil, mercurochrome, wakame, new engine oil, fresh walnut paste. And, you're right, white asparagus (when are they coming out?) With water: salts and tar. Old-school embrocations and ointments, plus whiffs of fresh concrete and ink. Tiny-wee whiffs of chives and basil. Mouth (neat): a saltier one. Oysters as usual, kippers, tight green lemons and green bitter oranges, juniper, a little sage. Careful, this one cuts. With water: gets very green, almost rubbery. I think we'll mention propolis once more. Finish: rather long and much saltier yet. Even saltier than the official 9 that we tried yesterday. Comments: old folks in Bowmore tend to tell that they were adding a little water from Loch Indaal into the barrels. It's to be wondered if, for once, old folks aren't right. Another excellent one.
SGP:366 - 87 points.

A shame that some distillers would remain a little autistic and behave like this is the year 1980, or like if they've got a few things to hide. I prefer the 'like this is the year 1980' option. But indeed, no-need, no-care, we love them anyway.

Bowmore 24 yo 1997/2021 (43.20%, Oxhead Whisky Co., Dram-Addicts, hogshead, cask #156048, 121 bottles)

In theory… Colour: gold. Nose: oh, butter and lavender? Cloves and mouthwash? Chartreuse and caraway liqueur? Something may have happened with this cask… Mouth: very intriguing. A leaking old cask, perhaps, you would almost believe this was 1977 rather than 1997. Which would not obigatorily be a problem, mind you. It's really good, yet very intellectual. Various herbs and resins, meats (salted poultry and fish), inks and ointments, resins, paraffin, suet… Finish: rather long, a little tough, rather more on aromatic herbs that do not quite belong here. Once again, no problems. Pine oil in the aftertaste. Comments: extremely intriguing, most probably a cask that was 'unlike the others'. It escaped pretty much unharmed – and intellectual. Tough boy from those ever-entrancing people at that very lovely booze company called Beam-Suntory. Of course I mean it, why not?
SGP:375 - 84 points.

Bowmore 17 yo 2003/2021 (54.9%, The Single Malts of Scotland, barrel, cask #93, 172 bottles)

You're right, we just tried sister cask #81 and though it was worth 88%. But I mean, Beam-Suntory, come on… Colour: white wine. Nose: fat and clean. Sunflower and hazelnut oils, fresh butter, smoked almonds, fresh croissants (yes I realise no one else is ever using that descriptor) and something that's not extremely Bowmore, green apples. With water: muddy herbs, chalks, doughs. Mouth (neat): yep, some tight grassy/citrusy elements at first, then rieslings and sauvignons blancs and Grüner Veltliners and stuff. With water: wow! Many zests and peelings, lees, pips, stems, leaves… That's hit-or-miss, rather hit in this case. Lemon skin then. Finish: very long, on grasses, bitter peel and skin… Not an easy one for sure. Comments: something Russian. We're talking Russian literature. In fact, it's a little tough, but it's brilliant. Unsexy, though.
SGP:366 - 89 points.

Bowmore 17 yo 2003/2021 (58.3%, Hunter Laing, The First Editions, Whisky Lovers Hong Kong, hogshead, cask #17898, 233 bottles)

This time again, they've put Prince Charles onto the label (let me remind you that I'm an unapologetic Frenchman). Colour: light gold. Nose: a slightly hotter Bowmore, with a little more varnish and butterscotch. Then whiffs of geranium and drawing gum, cut flowers… Calms down subito! With water: hay, meadows in the midst of august, pinot blanc... And then linseed oil, mint leaves and cellulosic varnish. Mouth (neat): salty, briny, tight, a tad earthier and rootier than the others, but perhaps a little more 'bitter and difficult' at this point. Let's see… With water: to be drunk with oysters. Very salty and in that sense, a little 'official' - minus the unnecessary works with lousy woods-that-everyone's-got-anyway. Finish: long, saltier. Huge saltiness indeed. The aftertaste is a little too peppery for me, though. Comments: sometimes easy and sometimes tough. In short, c'est la vie.
SGP:466 - 86 points.

Bowmore 30 yo 1990 (49%, Quaich Bar Singapore, Islay Giants #2, +/-2021)

Colour: straw. Nose: I remember well when the first early-1990s vintages were being launched, we were totally amazed by those pristine young Bowmores that were following a series of rather unlikely expressions (all the lavendered ones, the Darkest, Claret etc.) Thinks do not seem to have changed much since back then, if you don't take the weird ultra-botoxed ones into account. Right, except that the 1990-1995s have become much older. I know. Anyhow, this is pristine indeed, salty as it should, full of oysters and seawater, with just a few additional spicy and herbal touches, fresh rhubarb (extremely vivacious here shall we say) as well as fresh peppermint, lemon zests, a tiny pinch of green curry powder, then the expected chalkiness, slate, clay, marl, all that. Awesome nose, as expected. Mouth: really rather huge despite the 'lower' strength – probably some reduction having been done. Long story short, this one too is extremely salty, almost thick, with some glutamate, umami sauce, juniper and cloves, more green curry, more green pepper, plus some really very tasty and salty seafood. Let's say sea urchins (cooked with saffron sauce, which is stunning, trust me). Finish: very very long, very salty, spicy. I may need to mention sea urchins cooked with saffron again. What to drink with that, well either this Bowmore or, alternatively, a white Hermitage from a good house. Comments: well done, I made myself hungry. Fantastic Bowmore from a fantastic vintage and a well-mannered cask. Unless I'm wrong, Frank McHardy selected this little beauty (but are we sure the 1990s have become 30 year old or more?)
SGP:366 - 91 points.

Check the index of all Bowmore we've tasted so far