Bowmore 30-Year
45.3% ABV - Islay, Scotland
Nose: It starts with ripe orchard fruits, light peat smoke, and a floral character. Underneath there is citrus, oak, and dried plum. Spices, butterscotch, and some lovely dunnage warehouse rounds it out.
Taste: Red fruits (nectarine and plum, maybe something tropical) with gentle notes of dry wood and strawberry pie.
Finish: Smoke, fruits and warming spices. Long!
This one was a gift from a good friend—no, not a whole bottle! He gave me approximately half an ounce from a heel that was split with some others (the whisky itself had opened for an industry-related event). This is an incredibly expensive whisky and I have no qualms with this amount! It will be an excellent dram nonetheless.
This review will be a slight contrast to my standard… nearly every bottle that I’ve reviewed and posted on this website of mine has been a bottle that I have bought. Well, even if I didn’t purchase it, I’ve had quite a few drams from the bottle before writing a review. For this one, I’ll have to make sure I’m on my game. It might be the last chance for a long time I’ll be able to sample a Bowmore so old!
Overall, I’m fairly impressed with what they have put together for this Bowmore 30-Year release. It’s hard to not think of the price and judge the value. I think it’s a very well put together whisky, but definitely feels like it is priced for the luxury of owning it (and the fancy packaging) rather than priced for it’s unique and exquisite flavour.
It really does "fit" into the core range of Bowmore whisky. The flavours has their DNA. It’s a bit more sherried than the 25-Year and perhaps more in-line with the 18-Year (albeit with age bringing a bit more complexity and depth on the 30-Year). Great whisky. Unfortunate pricing for my wallet.
Details: This is either the 2nd (2021) or 3rd (2022) Release of the Bowmore 30-Year.
Tasting Notes (Official): Nose: Heather honey, bananas and peaches, with pineapple, vanilla and butterscotch. Taste: Tropical fruits with honey sweetness, subtle peat smoke and hints of eucalyptus. Finish: Mouth warming, with ripe fruits lingering on the tongue.
Tasted 16 March 2024. (Posted 15 April 2024.)
