
December 20, 2022

The Time Warp Sessions,
today Bowmore +/-22 years old

We'll try to sneak quite a few glorious older bottlings that we haven't tasted yet before the end of this year.This one should be fun. It's true that you could find some smells of vintage cars in old Bowmores (leather, engine oil, polishes…), well they've now added those cars to their labels!

Bowmore 22 yo 'Aston Martin' (51.5%, OB, Master's Selection, 2022)

I have to say I'm pretty much into Bowmore, and that I rather like Aston Martins as well, but seeing both names associated like this sounds really odd to me; I just cannot seem to find any obvious rationale behind these kinds of associations (what luxury?) while even if this is a free world, we shan't even start to mention the heavy issues around 'drinking and driving'. But let's not be a killjoy and rather try to focus on the liquid here, while hoping we won't find smells of burnt electronics or wrecked clutch… Colour: gold. Nose: it is a very medicinal Bowmore, full of ointments, camphor, notes of bandages, old cough syrup … for starters! Then more classic brine, ashes, lit cigar, tar and pine smoke. Boy scouts' campfire. With water: some oak spices popping out, some caraway (aquavit) and preserved vine peaches. Very nice nose. Mouth (neat): a little heavy this time, and a little too much on raspberries for me. It's true that I haven't even checked the cask-bill here. Port? Sweet sherry? We'll check that later… Some dissonances, tar and red berries, pomegranates, poppy jelly… With water: it's almost as if they had tried to recreate the style of the 1980s (Bowmore's, not Aston's), with some violet liqueur, touches of blood oranges, a little candy sugar… Finish: medium, still sweet and jammy. More raspberries, cassis… Comments: some lovely aspects, especially on the nose, but the palate's been sweetened up a little too much for me. Own opinion, naturally, as always.
SGP:754 - 83 points.

Speaking of fruity Bowmore…

Bowmore 1967 (50%, OB, Auxil France, 75cl, +/-1990)

Other importers have had these 1967s, such as Soffiantino in Italy, but this is well the version for France. I've never tried it before, but the reputation is as high as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. We'd add that we're tasting this probable utter glory while thinking of Auxil's Jean Marie Kovacs, who very sadly passed away earlier this year. This is for you, dear Jean-Marie! Colour: gold. Nose: as always with old bottles of Bowmore, this baby's got to breathe a little bit before the diamond is freed from its gangue. … zzz … zzz … There, the much anticipated and expected mangos… And the passion fruits … And the pink grapefruits … and this very delicate tobacco smoke … and these earths, leaves, tobaccos, mushrooms, precious liqueurs, kumquats, then pot-pourri, patchouli, ylang-ylang (very 1960s Bowmore)… Then soups, marrow quenelles, bouillons, ceps, even wee touches of lamb chorba (really!) The thing is, these Bowmores just never stop unfolding; they are the most fractal whiskies you could ever think of. And there, some Linzertorte! With water: emphasis on citrus. Grapefruits, citrons, clementines, oranges… Plus all the smaller ones that all chefs are currently adding to their food. Mouth (neat): bam, a lorryload of stewed tropical fruits. That's it, and that's a lot. As much as the nose never stopped evolving, this palate is immediate, almost instantaneous, and stunning. Grapefruits, maracuja, mangos, hints of pineapple and basta. With water: no, it needed that drop of water to burst into myriads of fruits. We shall not list them all, but citrus first, then small berries (even taxus – without the seeds, naturally), then Szechuan pepper and assorted 'sweeter' spices. It is even refreshing, you could quaff this whenever you're a little thirsty. Finish: medium and just immaculately fruity. I'm sure there are many fruits in there we haven't even heard of. Small berries from remote valleys high in the Himalayas or the in the Andes. Comments: 50% vol. is such a perfect strength. It was ex-sherry wood. I may have forgotten to mention goji. And a 1965 for Auxil at 43% was of the same order. Nothing to add.
SGP:652 - 95 points.

Oh well, while we're on the subject…

Bowmore 44 yo 1964/2009 'Gold' (42.4%, OB, 701 bottles)

From three bourbon and one oloroso casks, so a combination of 'white' and 'black' Bowmores 1964. For the record, we've got the 'White' at WF 95 and the last 'Black' at WF 91. The first 'Black' was more like WF 96. But who counts? Who needs scores? This drop too stems from the Golden Promise Bar in Paris, anyone should first go there, and only then go see the Tour Eiffel. Salvatore is a Tour Eiffel of whisky anyway. Colour: it is golden indeed. Nose: this time it is an immediate old Bowmore, pure liquid fruit salad, with only drops of clover honey (perhaps) and, maybe, tiny whiffs of summer truffle (tuber aestivum, the light ones, I for one like those a lot). As for the fruits, most are tropical (mangos etc.) but I do find wee bits of granny smith and other green apples. All in all, a flabbergastingly fresh nose, a little summer dress in your glass, as they say. I mean, you see what I mean. Stunning citrusy freshness. Mouth: indeed, what an incredible freshness at forty-four. It's not that tropical this time, I'm finding several 'western' orchard fruits as well, chiefly apples indeed, but also plums, sloes, gooseberries… And then indeed, mangos, passion fruits, grapefruits, a touch of guava, honey… But this Bowmore transcends all that; just like the 1967, it would indeed transcend any human-made transcription. And an A.I., you're asking? Well an A.I. would claim this is olive oil. Or, there, mango juice. Finish: just prolonging the fruity thrills, in perhaps a slightly more liqueury manner. Extraordinary. Some peelings in the aftertaste, that's the oak. Comments: not really needed. I've long wanted to add the Gold to our index, well that's done, I'm going...
SGP:652 - 94 points.

(Thank you Whisky Magazine France)

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

The Time Warp Sessions, today Bowmore +/-22 years old

The Time Warp Sessions,
today Bowmore +/-22 years old