Bowmore Half Three

Bowmore 27 yo 1973/2000 (50.5%, Blackadder ‘Uncooked Cask’ for Heartland, USA, hogshead, 244 bottles)
Color: pale gold. Nostril: it is honeys and waxes that strike first, giving an virtually deceptively ‘highland’ character at first nosing. However then we’re going in direction of a extra coastal profile, filled with fragile, drying peat notes, seashells, grapefruit after which mango and passionfruit – we have arrived at previous Bowmore, in different phrases. With water: extra aromatic and barely farmy now too, with cider apple, dried flowers, mushy natural notes, camphor and pollens. Mouth: similar feeling that that is an earthier, waxier and marginally much less fruit-driven profile, which appears to the case for these early Seventies years. There are nonetheless some great fruity elements that recommend dried unique fruits and tropical teas, however that is balanced by tiny hints of sandalwood and lavender soaps, gorse flower, mineral salts, crystallised previous honeys and a extremely incredible waxiness, of each flavour and physique. With water: beautiful honeys and waxes, dried unique fruit chunks, sandalwood, evenly smoked sea salt and citrus peels. End: lengthy and again onto these earthy waxy and honeyed qualities, with tiger balm and bone-dry peat smoke whispering within the background. Feedback: these vintages are a bit of overshadowed by the Sixties, understandably, however they continue to be totally fascinating in their very own proper. 
SGP: 663 – 92 factors. 

Bowmore 23 yo 1972/1995 (54.7%, The Whisky Connoisseur ‘Cask Grasp Choice No.2’, cask #909)
Color: pale straw. Nostril: a lot sharper, greener, narrower, on seawater, rock swimming pools and one thing ever so barely chemical. Like some form of gooseberry flavoured Haribo! Will get saltier with time, changing into extra umami with issues like squid ink and anchovy paste. With water: wooden ashes, cement, crushed aspirin, seaweed crackers – a bit tight and closed surprisingly. Mouth: somewhat slim once more, and fairly pushy, with pure seawater, petrol and lemon juice on recent oysters. Parts of this profile are extra suggestive of the early Nineties than the early Seventies I might say. It is good however there is a somewhat immovable austerity about it. With water: softens however the sense of salinity, austerity, chalk, moist wool, seaside rocks and sand by no means fairly departs. Some delicate citrus and tiny unique notes within the background, however the dominant factor is that this somewhat powerful dryness. End: lengthy, salty, filled with bone-dry smokiness, soot and slight vegetal hints. Feedback: fairly removed from the 1973, however that is nonetheless a somewhat entertaining wee brute. The austere qualities make it fairly a problem, and I really suppose it really works much better with out water, however it serves as but extra proof that Bowmore is among the most ever-shifting distillates in Whisky. 
SGP: 465 – 85 factors. 

Bowmore 1969/1978 (58%, OB for Fecchio & Frassa, sherry, cask #6638, 75cl)
Color: white wine. Nostril: a profile that instantly creates cognitive dissonance. It is such an totally singular, virtually monstrously individualistic profile. And, but, beneath that it is also extraordinarily complicated and detailed in a approach that, as with all these actually legendary whiskies, is nigh on not possible to explain or seize in a mere observe. I would merely say it’s hypnotically and immensely maritime, in a approach that is terribly evocative and highly effective. That is certain up with pristinely sharp and vivid unique fruits, then limitless mixtures of waxes, minerals, stones and medicines. It is actually the sense of vividness, life, brightness and energy that you simply come away with, above itemizing mere aromas. With water: the identical however, maybe, if it is even potential, with extra cohesion and depth, whereas additionally concurrently managing to develop into broader and much more complicated. Accordingly, the cognitive dissonance goes up a number of notches as effectively. Mouth: so good it form of makes you set your head in your fingers and chuckle. Astonishing and intense salinity matched by unique fruit acids, mineral oils, salts, pure waxiness, mechanical parts, all method of medicines, ointments, bouillon inventory, marrow, citrus rinds – the whole lot, unexpectedly! With water: excellent, the whole lot in steadiness, intensely highly effective and charismatic, whereas additionally harmonious, elegant and nonetheless persisting in this sort of granular, fruity, waxy and medicinal element that is nothing short of breathtaking. End: extraordinarily lengthy and just about excellent. Feedback: cognitive dissonance is, I really feel, fairly right in describing the impression these whiskies create. They handle to inhabit a number of profiles concurrently in a approach that shouldn’t be potential and does not totally make sense. Maybe the only and most right technique to put it, is that they’re simply actually fucking unimaginable. 
SGP: 566 – 95 factors. 

Bowmore 1969/1978 (58%, OB for Fecchio & Frassa, sherry, cask #6639, 300 bottles)
Color: white wine. Nostril: we are literally very shut and the ‘feeling’ is similar, which is to say the identical discombobulation and cognitive dissonance strikes quick and deep! Nonetheless, I do imagine you discover that additional level within the type of barely extra pronounced unique fruit character and maybe an much more elevated sense of farmyard, mechanical and waxy qualities. At this degree of the 100-point scale, do not forget that the space between factors turns into fairly broad and to go from 95 to 96 is kind of a bounce that may be written about in doubtlessly nice element. You will be tremendously relieved to know that I do not intend to do this at the moment. With water: an paintings in distillate type. Salty coastal qualities, fruits, waxes, medicines, oils – the whole lot that is already been talked about however the immense energy and class of its presentation is thoughts blowing. Mouth: sure! Completely astonishing, the identical as its sibling, however each facet is elevated barely however noticeably. Essentially the most placing deviation is the fruit depth, not solely tropical and citrus fruit flavour, but additionally this sense of acidity and gelatinous texture as effectively. You are feeling like there is likely to be mango pulp in your glass at factors. Completely spellbinding energy, salinity, waxiness and fatness. With water: goes up even additional when it comes to texture and mind-melting fruity energy. End: astonishingly lengthy and mesmeric, drenched in sharp, intense unique fruits, minerals, oils, fatty waxes and mechanical/medicinal mixtures. Feedback: Final time I attempted this one, we adopted with Bowmore Bouquet Samaroli 1966, and that is exactly the whisky that this one brings to thoughts in some ways. Unquestionably, it is a bottling that is up there with the best spirits ever created by man. It is each humbling and very helpful to style these kinds of bottlings every so often, it places each you the taster, whisky as a class, and the entire wider world of spirits, firmly in perspective. What I like most about each these great previous single cask Bowmores is that they’re younger whiskies, virtually totally concerning the energy, magnificence and enigmatic character of impeccably made distillate, and exactly nothing to do with additive wooden affect. 
SGP: 676 – 96 factors.