Review by: zSolaris

Distillery: Bowmore

Bottler: Lady of the Glen

Region: Islay

Age: 23 year. Distilled May 7th, 1997, Bottled November 2nd, 2020.

ABV: 42.5%

Cask Type: Refill Sherry

Price: Sample courtesy of /u/b1uepenguin. His review can be found here

Color: 1.2, Chestnut/Oloroso Sherry.

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Nose: Fruity with some wine notes. Grenadine and strawberry syrup bot come to mind with a little bit of moscato and sherry. Some floral notes come through in the form of heather, hibiscus tea, and some floral essential oils.

Palate: It’s quite flavorful and opens up really nicely with a few drops of water. Heather and dry oak are first. It’s joined by some more savory sauce-y notes. There’s a little bit of smoked fish dip along with barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, malt vinegar, and some HP brown sauce.

Finish: Long. Charcoal smoke comes through first along with some barbecue chips served with a side of HP sauce.

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Conclusion: Continuing on with my Islay whisky kick, I’ve had the pleasure to try this release by Lady of the Glen. This somehow takes the more floral notes that can come with an older Bowmore and marries them up nicely with more savory ones. The nose is playful and light. It starts off in the mouth that way before rolling into a slew of delicious sauces. The finish is nice and clean, with the bit of charcoal smoke cleaning up nicely. If I had a bottle of this, I can’t imagine it would last on the shelf particularly long. Well done to Gregor and team!

Final Score: 90.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.