Bowmore 25 years 1997 - 2023 #2422

Tasting notes by Ruben Luyten (WhiskyNotes.be) 92/100

Nose: paraffin, mineral notes, grapefruits and lime. Hints of sourdough. Then oysters, damp gravel and hints of wet tweed. Apple peelings and barbecued pineapple. Lovely mango custard with vanilla as it opens up, as well as a whiff of medicinal menthol. Pretty perfect.

Mouth: really perfect. Exotic fruit juice mixed with seawater. Mango, pink grapefruit and passion fruits. Lemon liqueur, waxy hints and a slightly acrid, grassy smokiness. A few drops of late harvest Riesling too. Increasingly coastal, with drops of herbal tea towards the end.

Finish: long, slightly drier and more herbal, with vague smoke, a little beeswax and the usual seawater.

A beautiful hattrick! Overall this Bowmore stands out in my book, but I’m in a period when I’m rather partial to these tropical fruits with evolved peat. It needs some time but it’s all I ask for in old Bowmore.

Bowmore Distillery

Bowmore Distillery is located on the shores of Loch Indaal in Bowmore, the capital of the island of Islay. Established in 1779, Bowmore is one of Scotland's oldest legal distilleries and has a rich history of craft whisky production.

A unique feature of Bowmore Distillery is the use of its own traditional malting floors, with the barley being hand-turned on floors within the distillery. This traditional process, combined with the use of locally sourced peat, gives Bowmore whiskies their distinctive balance of smokiness and fruity complexity.

Bowmore whiskies are matured in a combination of ex-bourbon casks and sherry casks, contributing to their deep and complex flavour profile with notes of honey, lemon, sea salt and a subtle smokiness. Its location on the shores of Loch Indaal also provides maritime influences, which are reflected in the whiskies' character.

The combination of historical tradition, unique production methods and the influence of the Islay environment makes Bowmore an iconic name in the world of Scotch single malt whisky.