Review by: The Muskox

A quick note before anything else for the sake of transparency. This review was done with an industry sample provided free of charge, with no expectations beyond drinking them. As always, I do my best to provide my unbiased opinion, and readers can decide how they want to take this review. For more information, see our Ethics & Transparency statement.

I think it’s good for me to revisit some favourites as part of my re-introduction to whisky after taking the summer off. There are few routes to my heart as direct as well-aged refill-cask Bowmore.

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Distillery: Bowmore.

Bottler: La Maison du Whisky.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 56.2%. Cask strength.

Age: 21 years. Distilled in 2001, bottled in 2023.

Cask type: Cask #184, a refill bourbon barrel.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: 0.8, Deep Gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Very crisp, with acidity and floral flavours. Crunchy green apples and grapes, cool cucumber, coconut water, and clover honey. Some elderflower and maybe even a little cotton candy. The peat smoke is very light – cold rocky beaches and dried seaweed come to mind.

Palate: Medium texture. Arrival is immediate, smoky, woody, and dry. Very spicy on the development – hot fresh ginger and an arugula- or nasturtium-like pepperiness. The whisky turns cool, earthy, almost vegetal going into the finish. Fennel, rosemary, lavender, grapefruit, and green tea.

Water softens the arrival and lessens the greenness on the back end, but maintains some spice.

Finish: Medium-long, mouthwateringly sour and salty. Passionfruit, guava, lime, and mint. Green olives and licorice. Slate and subtle ash.

Less impactful with water.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Arctic circle sunbathing”

Conclusion: A very, very good whisky, but not my favourite in the category given its stiff competition. The spiciness here is new to me for a Bowmore of this profile. I’m not sure how I feel about it. The rest of the dram does well, but apart from the finish the dram doesn’t have the tropical or uber-floral vibes to the level of intensity that I crave from older Bowmore.

Final Score: 85.

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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.