Bowmore made some good stuff and some bad stuff. The youngest bottlings seem to have improved, but it’s safe to say Bowmores from the eighties are risky. There are more bad ones than good ones from that era. How about this Douglas Laing bottling?
Bowmore 25y 1983
(50%, DL OMC 2008, ref. 4189, 259 btl.)
Bowmore 25y 1983Nose: relatively sweet, lemony. Oranges. Peaty for a Bowmore, with maritime notes. Ouch, after that it starts to become perfumy as well (lavender).
Mouth: Sunlight soap. Violet candy, strawberry and strong peat. Slighty peppered.
Finish: eau de cologne and grapefruit, getting quite dry. More perfume in the aftertaste.
Last year at the festivals of Liège and Gent, Douglas Laing brought us a few stunning malts, such as the OMC Banff 36y 1971. This year, their range was a bit of a disappointment. This Bowmore is a perfect example. So not worth € 150 in my opninion. I’m sure they have better stuff lying around.
Score: 60/100.