Bowmore 16 Year (1999) Art Session

Review by: zSolaris

Distillery: Bowmore.

Bottler: Three Rivers.

Region: Islay.

Age: 16 Year. Distilled 1999, Bottled in 2016. The bottle has a laser etching of “11.07.16”.

ABV: 57.9%.

Cask Type: Sherry Butt

Cask Number: 2260.

Price: £150.00 at auction.

Color: 0.5, Yellow Gold.

---

Nose: It is nice and smokey with a nice barbecue smoke coming through. There’s a bit of fruit as well, though fairly light. Some grilled lemon and a pureed pineapple is what comes to mind.

Palate: It is very dirty with what feels like an almost industrial amount of peat smoke going on. It is quite earthy and very dark. Smoldering charcoal is what comes to mind. There’s a floral note along with a bit of unidentifiable fruit.

Finish: Stupidly long. There is a layer of charcoal ash that just coats your tongue. Not a whole lot else goes on, but perhaps its just also covered up by the ash.

---

Conclusion: Bowmore in a sherry cask? You know I have to try it. The fact that it has a cool logo just adds to the hype. While it isn’t bad, it’s actually quite tasty, it does disappoint quite heavily. I was hoping for something wonderful, just like a similarly aged bottling for Shinanoya, given the stats. It feels like a significantly simpler version of that Shinanoya bottle. It lacks the depth in flavor but it comes with the nice bit of smoke, the industrial/dirty earthiness, and some fruitiness. Overall tasty but I was hoping for so much more.

Rating: 81.

---

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.