Bowmore 1996 Douglas Laing’s XOP 25-Year
52.7% ABV - Islay, Scotland
Nose: Flavours wafting strongly on the nose brings petrichor, peat smoke, citrus and tropical fruits, with honey and tea in the background
Taste: Flavours are so concentrated. It’s a tropical fruit smoked cocktail, ringed with salt. Very, very good.
Finish: Zesty citrus, and continued onslaught of tropical fruits (mango, pineapple, dragon fruit). Salty. Smoky. Long lasting… absolutely divine.
I had great expectations for this Bowmore. Not too often can I find a single cask 25-Year, and Douglas Laing’s XOP range is known to bottle some delicious whisky.
I bought this to celebrate the New Year (2024). I like to make a point of opening something special a few times a year: for my birthday, the anniversary of meeting my wife, and for New Year’s Eve.
This single cask Bowmore 25-Year is an excellent selection by the the team at Douglas Laing. It is very expressive and not your typical Bowmore. It tastes like an aged version of the Tempest series (an excellent series of cask strength, ex-Bourbon barrel 10-Year Bowmore).
Details: Refill Hogshead. Cask DL15624. Distilled November 1996 and Bottled March 2022. No. 139 of 202 bottles.
Tasting Notes (Official): The nose brings a big hit of earthy smokiness alongside charred wood and damp soil. The palate is incredibly oily and mouth-coating and exactly what you want from a Bowmore–beautifuly balanced with peated barley and a fruity sweetness. The finish lingers long with puffs of peat smoke, a gentle minty/herbal quality and delicious honeycomb (CSL).
Tasted 16 March 2024. (Posted 15 April 2024.)
