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Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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September 17, 2024 |
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New Bowmore 21 PX Sherry and indie friends
We’ll do as we often do: start with the official one, then move on to some independent companions.
Smoked chocolate (The Chalk Board)
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Bowmore 21 yo ‘Sherry Oak Cask’ (46.8%, OB, 2024)
A new range, matured in bourbon and oloroso, then, ahem, finished in PX. Was that really necessary? But of course, we do love Bowmore, so whether it's PX-finished or not, it could still be very good. One does start to wonder, though, if southern Spain can produce enough PX to satisfy the Scots, and every other distiller in the world? (Of course they can). Colour: amber. Nose: I feel the sherry and peat somewhat cancel each other out, but without causing any real issue. You need to give it time, but then the figs, raisins, and dates from the PX come through, followed by miso, umami, tobacco, and Maggi, leading eventually to a rather charming hint of smoked ham and mashed peas. It's a fun nose, even if we ‘naturally’ prefer the more crystalline Bowmores. Mouth: really good, with cherries and dates, though somewhat anecdotal. Smoked chocolate, ham, then a growing sweet-and-savoury note—almost like African cuisine, which is excellent, by the way. Finish: medium length, more on raisins, PX, milk chocolate, and a touch of corn syrup. A faint hint of molasses. Comments: I feel like I'm back around the year 2000, with all those finishes they were starting to do—Claret, Darkest, etc. Not entirely my thing, but technically it's very well done, even if it’s a bit on the sweet side.
SGP:654 - 83 points. |
Well, this is obviously the ideal situation for indies with a natural style, or for truly sherry-matured ones... In fact, it’s probably a little unfair for the official brand. |
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Bowmore 26 yo 1997/2023 (50.1%, The Whisky Blues, butt, cask #64, 317 bottles)
Good heavens, by Vishnu, this one's going to be a proper ordeal, so let's rip the plaster off quickly, shall we? Colour: gold. Nose: smoked almonds, lapsang souchong, camphor, seawater, oysters, and seaweed. With water: damp chalk, exhaust fumes, ashes, smoked almonds, cider apples, and clams. Mouth (neat): lemon, smoked salmon, ashes, brine, green olives, oregano, and tarragon. With water: bergamot and ashes, with a faintly oily texture. Finish: long and precise, with tiny hints of candied ginger, more lemon, crabs, ashes, lemon marmalade, and smoked ham. Comments: no need to say much, other than that the sherry has been masterfully handled here.
SGP:555 - 90 points. |
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Bowmore 20 yo 2004/2024 (54.5%, Islay Sponge, Part V, refill hogshead, 183 bottles)
That a sponge would know its way around a whisky as maritime as this comes as no surprise (S., 1/5). Colour: pale gold. Nose: boot polish, camphor, oysters, low-tide beach sand, seaweed, almond milk, and white asparagus... Crystal-clear and masterful. Wait, there are even faint notes of natural sponge, making this whisky utterly circular, perhaps even pataphysical. With water: oh yes, ashes, charcoal, polish, soot (from candles), and green apples. Mouth (neat): ashes and lemon, along with whelks and winkles. There you go. It’s perhaps slightly underwhelming compared to the nose at first. With water: no, not at all. Ashes, brine, oysters, Riesling, and cut apples. Finish: much the same. A faintly oily aftertaste (orgeat syrup). Comments: throughout, it danced between 90 and 91. But out of deference and respect for the official bottling, let’s call it…
SGP:555 - 90 points. |
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Bowmore 20 yo 2004/2024 (53.3%, WhiskyLand, refill hogshead, 171 bottles)
You know, Whisky Sponge and WhiskyLand are much of a muchness. But wait, was 2004 really 20 years ago? Colour: gold. Nose: quite similar to the Sponge, which is certainly good news. Perhaps a touch more mineral and slightly less expressive, but it gains in elegance. Think sushi, small lemons, finger lime, yuzu, and Sauvignon Blanc rather than Riesling… With water: it gets even closer to the Sponge, to the point where telling them apart becomes tricky. Mouth (neat): smoked lemon and cigar ashes in your glass. With water: slightly tauter than the Sponge, with hints of melon and peach, but honestly, you could drink a double magnum of each and still not tell them apart for certain. Best to skip that challenge, I think. Finish: superb. Matte ashes and a touch of cocoa. Comments: a magnificent WhiskyCoast… I mean, WhiskyLand. The score is merely anecdotal.
SGP:555 - 90 points. |
Total respect for Bowmore, but pouring such a distillate into PX for finishing, to me, is like drizzling cane syrup over ossetra caviar. Or wearing a Davy Crockett hat while driving your Aston Martin, to keep within a theme fitting the brand. Anyway, see you next time… |
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