Bowmore 18 yo 2001/2020 (50.8%, The Character of Islay Whisky Company 'The Stories of Wind & Wave', refill bourbon barrel, cask #11715) Bowmore’s flagship 12-year-old single malt is presented at the baseline of 40% ABV (80 proof), but is plenty flavorful despite that handicap. This is a pretty standard Islay malt as far as the specs are concerned, matured presumably in used American oak, and with a definite portion of peat-smoked malt that is apparent on both the nose and the palate. With Islay single malts, it is often the case that the younger flagship expressions are more aggressively peaty and smoky, and this is the case for Bowmore, although it’s still considerably more mild in this one dimension than much of its competition. Launched in 2021, the travel retail-exclusive collectionbrings together the Islay distillery’s whisky-making prowess with design expertise from the luxury British car maker. I already reviewed Bowmore 18 Years four years ago, but since then it received a reworked label design. It never hurts revisiting some classics once in a while. It is a combination of ex-bourbon and Oloroso casks.

Bowmore 17 yo 2003/2021 (54.9%, Elixir Distillers 'The Single Malts of Scotland', cask #93, barrel, 172 bottles) Whilst whisky’s steeped history and long, slumbering maturation periods may give the impression of monolithic regularity – times do in fact change – and we’re not just talking about prices, but about the character of the make itself. Sometimes change is in slow incremental steps, sometimes it’s sweeping and dramatic – such as following a change in ownership or production methods. Distillate produced 10…20…or even 30 years ago almost always has a different profile to that which is produced today. Some for the better (consistency is arguably more consistent nowadays), and some for the worse. Distillery’s go through periods where they can seemingly do no wrong (read current Springbank), but equally years where things appear to have gone rather awry. Case in point - Bowmore.Scotland’s Bowmore is a distillery of great distinction and lengthy history, but not necessarily a lot of popular familiarity. Scotch geeks know the brand, sure—they tend to know all the distilleries on Islay, and Bowmore is the grandpappy of that group—but to the rank and file whisky drinker, they’re not as immediately recognizable as other Islay stalwarts such as Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. Islay’s oldest (but only fourth largest - behind Caol Ila, Laphroaig, Lagavulin) distillery went through a period during the late 80s and 90s when its whiskies presented with distinctively floral notes – anything from fresh lavender, through palma violets and Dove soap, all the way to the truly unappealing extreme of Daz washing powder. Not nice. If you’ve tried any of these older Bowmore’s you’ll fully understand where the enthusiast moniker of French Whore Perfume (FWP) came from. Finish: Medium to long. Again on orange, with ashy, puffy smoke plumes sitting alongside fading berries and salt water. Finally, the Bowmore 18 Years Old is matched with the Aston Martin DB9. Introduced in 2003, the DB9 exhibited a 50/50 weight distribution between front and rear – ground-breaking for a road car at the time. Bowmore says this complexity and precision is reflected in the 18 Years Old, which is matured in oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. Gonzalez added: “Disruptive, alluring and highly memorable, the Bowmore team have excelled themselves with this new cymatics experience. Personal to each consumer, we are truly pushing the boundaries of creativity, meeting the traveller’s demand for dynamic and engaging experiences whilst staying true to the ethos and spirit of the Bowmore and Aston Martin brands.”

Manuel Gonzalez, global travel retail brand marketing director at Beam Suntory, said, “We’re thrilled to reveal the final Designed by Aston Martin set in the trilogy, unifying our exclusive travel-retail whiskies with the flair and innovative nature of Aston Martin’s design team. Due to the ongoing success of the previous Aston Martin series, we know this collaboration largely appeals to our consumers passing through the GTR channel, offering them the chance to engage and discover the Bowmore range.” Each and every Member must be of legal drinking age in its country of residence to be allowed to use the Service. If no such law exists in a Member’s country of residence, the Member has to be over 21 years old to use the Service. We have the right to ask you to provide proof of your age and/or to provide further identification to prevent underage usage and/or for any other legal or legitimate purpose. By using the Service, and by creating an account you represent, warrant and confirm that you are of legal age. B and B-: Good and above average. The best of the mass market whiskeys fit in this category, as do the bulk of the premium brands. A B- is three stars.This final Designed by Aston Martin release combines Bowmore 10, 15, and 18 Years Old single malts with three more cars, chosen by Aston Martin’s design team to reflect the character of the whiskies. Bowmore 10 Years Old (40%) has been partnered with the Aston Martin 1923 Razor Blade, so called for its specific goal to break the 100mph speed barrier. The boldness in the racing car’s conception and design is said to be matched by the bold flavour of the Bowmore 10 Years Old, which is aged in sherry casks.

It's largely unknown (or at least uncommented publically) what the production variable(s) was/were which resulted in the overly floral spirit during this period. The distillery has, by and large, always denied that any significant changes in methods or equipment taking place. And yet you don’t have to dig too far into an online auction to find and older bottlings from Bowmore which is unmistakably soapy. Indeed, I’d suggest that it’s a risk. However, it’s also important to note that FWP has not been readily identified in * every* bottle of Bowmore produced during this period – or even in a majority. Whilst enthusiasts are wary of particularly time horizons (I’d guess roughly 1982-1994), it seems to me all rather hit and miss whether a bottling is compromised or not. The same cannot (and should not) be said of the distillery’s current spirit – anything produced since the turn of the millennium has, in my opinion, been very high quality. Whatever it was, it’s been fixed/altered. Bowmore 15 Years Old (43%) has been paired with the Aston Martin DB4 in what the teams call “a united desire for elegance”. The 1958 DB4 was the first Aston Martin to use an Italian-inspired ‘superleggera’ chassis, considered a design milestone for the company. The whisky, aged in first-fill bourbon casks and hogsheads, is similarly said to show Italian nuances and refinement in its flavour profile. On the nose, Bowmore 12 is somewhat meaty, with BBQ smokiness that pairs nicely with a subtle nuttiness/nut butter quality that makes me think of almond butter. There’s also a bright citrus layer, which combines with the malt to evoke bergamot/Earl gray tea. The smoke level is moderate, but will seem mild to those who are well-versed in other Islay single malts.The following indicators should be taken as only a guide and not a set of hard and fast rules. Some "premium" whiskeys really are quite terrible, while some mass market products are good enough to pour into a decanter and serve to the Duke of Edinburgh. A+: A masterpiece and one of the ten best whiskeys of its type. Above five stars. Our Service is an online platform which provides Members with information (e.g. bottle facts, market-indices, market values and prices) on (mostly) whisky and allows Members to add information to the platform. We do not sell, nor does the Service provide any option to buy, any alcoholic products. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, the remainder of the Terms shall continue in full force and effect. If we decide not to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms, such decision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. We may, but are not under any obligation, to release new functionalities and tools or other features for the Service every now and then. Any new functionalities, tools and features shall be part of and governed by the Terms from the moment they are launched and/or available. Further, we reserve the right to modify, change, discontinue the Service, add or remove features, update the Service, change its appearance, temporarily and permanently, at any time, in whole or any part thereof.