Bowmore 1998 (Whisky Agency)

Next in the Stamps series by The Whisky Agency: Bowmore 1998 from a refill sherry butt, featuring a stamp by the Hungarian Post.

Bowmore 15 yo 1998 (52,1%, The Whisky Agency ‘Stamps’ 2013, refill butt, 719 btl.)

Nose: earthy peat with firm smoke. Leather. Some iodine. Red fruits, raisins and oranges underneath. Technically very good, and most people will welcome the combination of big peat and sherry, but I feel it’s a tad simple. There’s not much evolution.

Mouth: very intense. That means a lot of smoke and earthy peat again. Quite some honey sweetness as well, so everything stays balanced. Something lemony. Herbal hints (sweet liquorice) and sugar coated nuts. Tobacco leaves as well.

Finish: long, fairly sweet, smoky and spicy.

All good – find a bottle if you’re into peat and sherry. In this case I especially liked the palate for its higher complexity. The nose is clean and balanced but lacks a tiny bit of complexity in my opinion. Around € 95.

Score: 87/100