09/02/2024 Bowmore

Bowmore 13yo 2001/2014 (50.9%, The Whisky Agency / Three Rivers Tokyo, Refill Hogshead, 272b): nose: marvellously earthy, full of mud patties, wetlands, and salt marshes. It is only a second before we are on the shoreline, wading in wet sand, breathing the salty air. Then, it is smoked kelp and dried seaweed, damp seashells... Oh! and cut mangoes underneath it all, discreet and fleeting to a fault, yet it is briefly there. It disappears behind cockles and periwinkles, then comes back, carried by a mudslide, and accompanied by dried herbs (oregano, rosemary, samphire), gently smoked. The nose picks up a slight petrolic whiff when one tilts the glass. The second nose is a blend of petrol, herbs, and crushed glass, then paper paste, and the wafers they use to make those flying-saucer sweets (or white-flour hosts, if one is more familiar with that). Finally, we witness a small explosion of grilled and smoked fruits -- chiefly mango again, and pineapple. This time, in the distant background, one can almost spot liquorice bootlaces. Mouth: surprisingly, it is very petrolic, now; wafts of kerosene, or indeed 98-octane unleaded fuel. Dried seaweed is still there too, and grilled fruits (mango and pineapple, mostly), covered in barbecue ash. That fruity aspect grows in power, which is lovely. The second sip has a drying earthiness reminiscent of baked clay, or liquorice root, subtle, yet present. Then, a veil of smoke barely has time to introduce the same grilled fruits. In addition, this has the red-hot embers that grilled those fruits, and that have naturally been splashed with the juice of those very fruits. The sea influence is now limited to a generous saltiness, while billowing black smoke coming from the chimney of an old trawler covers the petrolic side, acrid, bitter, almost sooty, which counterbalances the delicious fruitiness, and adds complexity. Finish: woah! this is good. Unctuous, creamy or buttery finish, ripe with grilled fruits again (the same mangoes and pineapples, this time sliced), a few drops of petrol, dripping from the pump, and a sprinkle of ashes. It is a long, progressive finish, however, and, after five-or-so minutes of seemingly not much else happening, it turns out we are enjoying terracotta and grilled mud patties topped with smoked seaweed. The second gulp is borderline custardy -- a smoked-mint custard, then. Datz ryte: a minty freshness enters the scene, and brightens up the finish, until it is caught up by a ladleful of black, sticky tar that ends up coating the tongue and tonsils. Excellent dram. I can see this turning into a 9 on another day. For today, I will settle on a strong 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, elskling)