Tag: bowmore

Whisky 2021 – 1-3

And we’re away for 2021. Hope you enjoy the reviews, they’ll be cross posted to Reddit and Instagram.

1 – Wemyss Bowmore 1990 “Satsuma Soap” 48% for Whisky Fair Takao

Nose is salty, flinty, I ripe plums, maraschino cherries and honeyed… really inviting minerality. Touches of cream.

Palate is intensely floral, salty, peachy, tropical fruit, slight licks of smoke

Finish is grassy, cocoa dusted and salty

5/5 Stars

2 – 1976 Blend The Maltman (Clynelish, Dailuaine, Macduff, Teaninich, Ben Nevis, Invergordon)

Nose reminds me of my grandfather’s garden with dried apricots warmed in the hot sun. Day old cream, spice and cloves.

Palate is gnarled woody apricot trees, apricot kernels and more stone fruit. It is salty and loads of vanilla cream. Goes tannic with bruised apples and slightly thin before the great finish.

Finish is super rich vanilla cream.

4.5/5 Stars

3 – Secret Speyside 1993 26 Years by TWA and Three Rivers 49.3% Ex-sherry hogshead

Nose is inviting deep sherry with apples, salt and stone fruit

Palate is cream, spice, and well controlled rubbery sulphur. It’s got a lightness of spirit with great nuttiness.

Finish is lots of stone fruit and sarsaparilla

4.5/5 Stars

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Whisky 2019 – 88-90

88 – Springbank 1989 bottled 2002 by Cadenhead Sherry Puncheon 56.1%

Nice nose of caramel and furniture polish, bruised apples and salt flakes on chocolate mousse.

A really intense palate… wow! Pencil shavings, toasted coconut, liquorice and molasses. The mouthfeel is intensely thick and honeyed.

With the finish the liquorice lingers on top of an eggy chewy toasted meringue.

****

89 – Springbank 17 Year Old Sherry Wood bottled 2015

Lovely umami like nose – gunpowder mixed with dashi, milk caramels sitting in dusty drawers.

Classic springbank palate; funk, dried fruit and bruised apples. A slight dusty xmas pudding and hints of toasted marshmallow.

The finish is old world charm of sitting in an old leather chair eating the cream on top of a roasted apple.

****

90 – Bowmore 1995 by Wemyss “Nostalgic 70’s Flavour”

An intense nose of spiciness and jersey caramel. I’m immediately thinking freshly grated nutmeg. Pencil shavings on chocolate mango pudding.

On the palate a beautiful whisky, showing balance and charm. Red apple, mangoes, loads of fruit and gentle spice. This is a coconut drenched old whisky. There is real elegance here.

To finish red apples and tropical fruit by the seaside

A dram to return to many times!

*****

Whisky 2019 – 51-54 – Silver Seal Tasting

51 – Glen Elgin 1995 by Silver Seal – Madame Butterfly 51.9%
Nose: Cake mix, lemon zest, glacé fruit, milk coffee, kiwi fruit, pineapple, cherries

Palate: hot, heavy dough, salty, biscuits, marzipan, kiwi

Finish: pepper, spice, toasty eggy cakes

****

52 – Glen Garioch 1990 by Silver Seal – La Norma
Nose: Toasted coconut, white peach, leather, sea salt caramel, cream

Palate: Toffee, almonds, orange zest, nashi pear, nectarines, dry leaves

Finish: Old papayas, cream

****

53 – Glenburgie 1989 by Silver Seal – Cavalleria Rusticania
Nose: Grilled pineapple, mango, cream, caramel, cake mix, formic acid, yeast, stone fruit, malty

Palate: Brown sugar, grilled tropical fruits, cream, spices, dried cherries, tobacco

Finish: Cream, spice, salt

****

54 – Bowmore 1990 by Silver Seal – Pagliacci
Nose: Cream, pencil shavings, caramel, pound cake, dry leaves, prunes, paprika

Palate: Kiwi, beautifully clean sugars, salted lemon drops,

Finish: Beautiful clean tropical fruit, flinty, minerally

*****

Whisky 2019 – 29

This was such a disappointing Bowmore. I hate the inconsistent nature of these older bottlings. Where was that intense fruity back bone? The integrated peat? The dominant flavour was soap!

29 – Bowmore 25
Nose – soapy, fruit, autumn leaves

Palate – soapy, salty, silty, rubbery

Finish – fruit, cream, liquorice

**

Whisky 2019 – 8-11

8 – Springbank 12 Year Old Claret Wood 54.4% bottled 2010
Nose: Honey, heather, glue, caramel,

Palate: Vines, dust, cream, slight peat, wet stones

Finish: Sweet, red wine depth, gentle cream

****

9 – Longrow 7 Years Old Gaja Barolo 55.8% bottled 2008
Nose: super honey, seaside ozone, chocolate

Palate: salted caramel, gentle peat smoke kissing grape vines

Finish: honey, woody, earthy funk

****

10 – Cragganmore 1971 Connoisseurs Choice by Gordon & MacPhail 14 Years Old
Nose: wax, dates, prunes, honey, old peaches, dusty, maple

Palate: pencil shavings, intense stone fruit, cream, tobacco, heather, wax

Finish: apple jelly, cream

*****

11 – Bowmore Hand-filled 54.0% (Olorosso possibly)
Nose: chocolate, cherries, toasted hazelnuts, dry age beef fat, old soft leather, paprika,

Palate: dark dried fruits, rubber, sherry wood, wet stones, dark chocolate, pencil shavings, cocoa nibs

Finish: gun powder, rubber, nutty, peat, cocoa

*****

Whisky 2018 – 173-176

173 – Springbank by Best Dram 15 Years 2000 42.9%
Nose – maple syrup, pancakes, ice cream, dates, slightly medicinal, waxy
Palate – wonderful springbank, birthday cake candles, Xmas cake, tobacco, old leather couch, old orange peel, tea tannins, dried shiitake, cocoa
Finish – luscious cream, woody funk

174 – Bowmore by Laing & Co “Old Malt Cask” 20th Anniversary 22 Years 1996 50%
Nose – raw dough, yeast, candied orange orange rind, apricots, caramel
Palate – minerals, loads of stone fruit, slight ashy, creamy, sea salt, tobacco
Finish – warm cream, salt, shaving cream

175 – The Oceans Macallan and Highland Park 2004 12 years old Sherry Butt Cask 0000010
Nose – Cherries, cloves, rubber, leather, mint slice biscuits
Palate – woody, cream, mint, dry spices, kiwi fruit
Finish – old apples, boot polish, leather

176 – Clynelish 18 by Kinko 1997 52.6%
Nose – wax, stone fruit, clear sugar, bright ozone, chocolate cake
Palate – apricots, gooseberries, cream, tobacco, bright and friendly, rock melon, caramel
Finish – gentle caramel, almonds, wax, old apples

Whisky 2018 – 105-111 – Shinanoya Tasting

Massive Shinanoya whisky tasting thanks to the Elysian in Melbourne. Some real cracking drams, the Coopers Choice wasn’t on the tasting, just felt like an extra.

105 – DOUGLAS LAING OP CRAIGELLACHIE 1995 SHERRY BUTT 20YO 700ml 59%
Nose – rubber, chocolate, mint, dust, honey, red wine cask
Palate – brown sugar, roasted almonds, hay, sherry, dark caramel, musk, caramelized apples
Finish – musk, brown sugar, cream

106 – DUNCAN TAYLOR DIMENSIONS LAPHROAIG 1997 HOGSHEAD – 18YO 700ml 52.8%
Nose – ham and pineapple pizza, custard, oysters, barnyard
Palate – leaves, nuts, green sticks, honey, butter, roasted garlic
Finish – medicinal, glue, salt

107 – GLENDRONACH 1995 PX SHERRY PUNCHEON #4029- 20YO 700ml 55.2%
Nose – heavy brown sugar, dried apricots and peaches, old butter, green pepper, tobacco
Palate – caramel fudge, brown sugar, musk sticks, manuka honey, salt
Finish – melted butter and caramel sauce

108 – HUNTER LAING OMC BOWMORE 2001 REFILL HOGSHEAD – 13YO 700ml 57.3%
Nose – honey, old leaves, glue, yeasty dough, rosemary crackers, lemon pith
Palate – tropical fruit, kiwi fruit, ash, medicinal, minerals
Finish – heather, salty, burnt matches

109 – BERRY BROS RETRO LABEL CLYNELISH 1997 HOGSHEAD – 17YO 700ml 47.1%
Nose – honey, aspirin, mandarin zest, passion fruit jelly, granita biscuits, waxy
Palate – fruity, waxy, red frogs, apricots, pear juice, chicos, peaches, honey
Finish – grapefruit pith, salt, slight smoked ham

110 – KILCHOMAN 2009-2015 OLOROSO SHERRY BUTT FOR SHIMAJI PEN – 5YO 700ml 59.9
Nose – corn chips, smoked fish, barn yard, pickled onions, honey, dusty, lemon zest
Palate – honey, great mouth feel, ashy, pepper, sushi rice, blown out candle
Finish – old apples, pencil shavings, chlorine, melted cheese

111 – The Coopers Choice 1995 Benrinnes port finished 18 years cask 9547
Nose – cream, tropical fruit, toast and honey, wax, apples, raspberries, rock melon
Palate – waxy, chewy, fennel, cream, apricots, egg whites
Finish – salt, cream, old apples, slight woody,

Whisky 2018 – 100-104 Thornbury Spirits Co Tasting

100 – Thornbury Spirits Co. 1st Release – Vatted Casks 17yo “The forgotten casks”
Nose – pine, rose water, metallic, apricots, marshmallow
Palate – apricots, green almonds, loads of tropical fruits, ice coffee
Finish – super creamy and salt, cold butter with salt

101 – Thornbury Spirits Co. Cask HH0363 17yo
Nose – pine resin, garden pea tart, salted lemons,
Palate – butter, cultured butter, passion fruit vine,
Finish – cream, dried apricots,

102 – Thornbury Spirits Co. HH0367 17yo
Nose – cream, plastic toys, mango, rhubarb, tropical fruits
Palate – burnt matches, salt, cocoa, cream,
Finish – stewed apricots, cream

103 – Port Charlotte 13 Years by The Whisky Find, Leroy cask finished, cask 1049 59.6%
Nose – grilled pineapple, chalk, stewed apricots, aspirin, butter, truffles, ham, dust, hair spray
Palate – vegetal, honey, cream, butter, smoked ham hock, orange zest cake
Finish – cough syrup, leather, beef jerky, instant coffee

104 – Wemyss Malt 1998 Bowmore 2017 bottled “mocha on the deck”
Nose – dark honey, brown sugar, glue and old leaves, milk chocolate mousse, candle wax, apples
Palate – rocks from a fire, autumn leaves, tarte tatin, salt, old rubber, caramel sauce, wax
Finish – wine tannins, salted caramel

Whisky 2018 – 69-70

This Bowmore was outstanding!! And I’m not an Islay guy.

69 – The Whisky Agency Bowmore 1991 25 Whiskyfair Takao 2017 Cask #29736 *

Nose – smoked ham, leather, salt, dates with blue cheese, figs, maple syrup

Palate – leaves, golden syrup, earth, dried mushrooms, candied ham, brown string

Finish – sherry, rubber, coffee grounds

70 – The Whisky Find Glenallachie JAZZIN 12 Years 62% Cask #900755

Nose – honey, maple syrup, green grass, salty cold butter, lemon balm, toffee

Palate – honey, rock melon, pancakes with maple syrup, melted butter, apricots

Finish – rubber, soy sauce, brown sugar, raisins

Whisky 2017 – 197-203 – The Society Bar, Tokyo

Great set of whiskies to finish my trip in Japan and hit 200. The staff at The Society Bar took good care of us. The Linkwood SMWS definitely one of the best this year.

198 – SMWS 3.268 (Bowmore) Lady beachcomber’s dram 1995 20 years
Yeasty, bread, sea salt, caramels, juicy stone fruit, sponge cake, liquorice, strawberry and apricot jam, cherries. Green leaves, chocolate, chilli, old lace, lavender, cakes, sea water, rocks in a fire, chocolate mousse, dashi.

199 – SMWS 96.9 (Glendronach) Icy – Chill 2007, 8 Years
Cream, peanut butter caramels, roses, peanut brittle, with water candied apples, grilled pineapples. Yoghurt, almonds, green vines, with water loads of cakey notes, vanilla, hints of rubber, clove and leather.

200 – SMWS 39.102 (Linkwood) Rum-soaked black cherries 23 years *
Crushed ants, woody, maraschino cherries. Such a gentle dram, buttery, cake, sweet fruit like glacé apricots, pencil shavings, honey, salt, butter, old butter and sherry. The finish is forever – apples, cloves, melted butter and crisps.

201 – Ichiro’s Malt Single Cask 706 2010, 4 Years – bottled for Modern Malt Whisky Market in Osaka
Weet-box with milk and honey, medicinal, caramel, lemon butter, pound cake, glacé orange peel. Grains, multigrain bread, salted butter, wicker chairs, burnt butter with walnuts.

202 – Blackadder Ichiro’s Malt Cask 2630 PX Cask June 2010 6 Years
Apples, chocolate cake, sarsaparilla, cloves, old butter, crushed ants, dried apricots. Cloves, cake mix, passionfruit vines, chocolate and herbs.

203 – Ichiro’s Malt The Peated 2015, Distilled 2011
Medicinal, malt, chocolate, caramel, cheesecake, metallic, stewed apricots. Charcoal, heather, leather, soot, fruit dipped in caramel, lantana, candles blown out on a birthday cake.