Bowmore 2001 ‘Artist’ cask #108

This Bowmore 2001 was bottled in the Artist series selected by La Maison du Whisky. In case you’re wondering: ages are rounded off in this series, so it was actually older than the stated 15 years. There’s a 10, 15, 20, 25 and 35 year-old in the same series.

This Bowmore was finished in a sherry butt, and the label is made by the artist Takehiko Sugawara.

Bowmore ‘over 15 yo’ 2001 (55,3%, Signatory Vintage for LMdW ‘Artist #8’ 2018, cask #108)

Nose: quite complex. At first there’s a rather austere Islay profile, with iodine, ashes, salty air and herbs, but it grows wider. Lots of tiny notes, like shortbread, flowery notes, coffee, roasted nuts, fatty touches and pears.

Mouth: sweet and sour (lemons, almonds, vanilla biscuits) then leathery notes, coconut, ginger and walnuts. A bit more sherry than on the nose, but all very subtle anyway. Chalky notes, a little mustard, as well as flashes of passion fruits, grapefruits and mint.

Finish: long, ashy and mineral, with hints of pepper, hay and pear.

A layered dram with a modest touch of sherry. Really good but too expensive. Still available from The Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt for instance.

Score: 88/100