Bowmore 2001 (The Whiskyman)

In the near future there will be three new releases in the Classic series by The Whiskyman. Two of them are destined for a specific market (more info later) and the third is this Bowmore 2001 that’s bottled for three shops in Belgium and Holland: QV.ID, Single Malt Whisky Shop and Whiskysite.nl. It should be available in the next couple of days.

Bowmore 11 yo 2001 (50,6%, The Whiskyman 2013, bourbon cask, 240 btl.)

Nose: quite a gristy nose, with a deeply malty core. Hints of digestive biscuits and batter. A few buttery notes. Light charcoal notes, rather than real smoke or peat, and a vague ripe fruitiness in the background (I’d say banana and citrus). The longer you let it breathe, the fruitier it gets (nice tangerine after some time). Even a few farmy notes. More complex than you’d expect on first sight.

Mouth: oily, more phenolic now, more coastal as well. Still these dough or batter associations. Liquorice and gentle peppercorns. Sweet citrus notes.

Finish: medium long, warming and rather sweet, with balanced cold ashes and a soft earthiness.

In my view, Bowmore is the new Caol Ila. All these younger drams are faultless and more often than not very entertaining whiskies. And while other Islay whiskies are sometimes hard to get from indie bottlers, Bowmore is still readily available. Around € 65.

Score: 88/100