Bowmore 17 Year (2004), SMWS 3.326 “En garde!”
Whisky: Bowmore 17 Year (2004), SMWS 3.326 “En garde!”
Country/Region: Scotland/Islay
ABV: 56%
Cask: Refill Bourbon Barrel (14Y), Refill Guyanese Rum Barrel (3Y)
Age: 17 Years (Distilled 16 Feb. 2004)
Nose: Dried berries and burning pine logs in the fireplace, faint sour-tart fruity tang, more herbaceous with time, thistle, malted milk balls, underlying earthy quality.
Palate: Medium-bodied, grab bad of dried berries— raspberry and blackberry especially, slightly sour-tart fruit tang, arboreal and woody with hints of decomposition and mushroom, subtle licorice and peppercorn, hints of burnt wood and bark, subtle chocolate at the end.
Finish: Medium-length and drying with dried fruit, earth, and wood.
Score: 7-8
Mental Image: Forest Frolicking
Narrative & Notes: I sampled this blind as part of a “Holiday Mystery Whisky Advent Calendar” organized by a like-minded group of whisky nerds. I guessed it was a 17-Year Bowmore from 2004, matured, or finished, at least, in an STR cask— boy, was I just off from the bull’s eye! I did have a bit of an advantage; I have had several sibling casks to this mystery malt, and the flavor profile between those 2004 SMWS Bowmore has been remarkably consistent.
I thought this was an absolute treat with loads of tart fruits and arboreal spices over an underlying earthiness. Once I knew it was a rum cask finish, more tropical fruits and rum-driven Esthers appeared. Was it the power of suggestions, or was my mind suddenly better primed to understand and interpret the notes already there? Perhaps a little bit of both.
Overall, delightful.
Image Credit: Whisky Hammer
