This 21 years old Bowmore was selected by Luc Timmermans and Dominiek Bouckaert for the Belgian shop QV.ID and the Dutch shop Whiskysite.nl. The same fine people also selected a Port Ellen 1982 earlier this year.
Bowmore 21 yo 1989 (51,2%, QV.ID / Whiskysite.nl 2011, bourbon hogshead, 233 btl.)
Bowmore 21 yo 1989 (51,2%, QV.ID / Whiskysite.nl 2011, bourbon hogshead, 233 btl.)Nose: quite some sea air, seaweed and hints of iodine. Ashes. Wet wool. Lemon. Bold and coastal but nicely softened by almond paste, vanilla and hazelnut butter. Soft hints of mashed potatoes. Develops sweet moccha over time. Entertaining and balanced.
Mouth: even bolder now, with plenty of peat and smoke, with a sharp grassiness and brine. Pepper. Lemon. Very clean. It’s not very dry but it misses some roundness compared to the nose. Hints of apple maybe? Fades on slightly bitter notes (tonic).
Finish: long, with smoke, lots of salty liquorice and some lemon zest.
A very clean Bowmore, with the balanced nose as its best feature. Better than the recent Bowmore 1989 by Daily Dram and almost 20% cheaper as well. Around € 95.
Score: 88/100