Bowmore 2001/2013 the Whiskyman 50.6% - 11 years spent in bourbon cask. Not so much but age doesn't necessarily equal to quality.
Nose: quite reserved at first nosing, let's give it some time and a few drops of water later. What I can get right now is earth and ashes. Water helps but not that much. Some citrus fruits arise. Malted barley as well.
Taste: oily and mighty, peat becomes more obvious, liquorice and sweet umami note at the end.
Finish: medium long, ashes, pepper and touch of salt.
Overall: in a blind tasting I'd call it Caol Ila. Ashes, peat and citrus are my usual indicators for Caol Ila.
Score = 21 22 22 22, 87/100!
Bowmore 2000/2015 Malts of Scotland cask MoS 15022 55.2% - sherry hogshead instead of bourbon and 4 more years in cask. Let's see...
Nose: sweet sherry layer, oranges and grapefruits, smoke, spices, balsamico and even traffic fumes.
Taste: sweet and spicy, wood smoke and salt, oranges and peat. Very intense.
Finish: long, salty, sweet and sour, only bitterness is absent today :)
Overall: wonderfull sherried Bowmore, I start loving these indie bottlings!
Score = 22 22 22 22, 88/100!
Bowmore 15 yo 1998/2013 the Whisky Agency 52.1% - high-end independent bottler, shall we see new champion?..
Nose: wow, very elegant and complex. Coffee, chocolate, oranges, cherry, light smoke, candied fruits, cloves, all of this nicely put together.
Taste: old leather and tobacco, coffee and chocolate again, ripe figs, lemons, notes of earth, salt and ashes.
Finish: long, salty, sweet and warmingly spicy. Pine resin and fresh mint at the very end.
Overall: the same age as in MoS but it's just the next level. Beautifully balanced and very complex. A true gem. New King in Bowmore Kingdom.
Score = 23 23 23 23, 92/100!
P.S. Thanks to Ruslan Petrenko for photos and samples!
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