I resolved to never skip another SMWS Bowmore after I realized that, as a finite product, someday they will be all gone. Additionally, as they get older, they get more expensive. So this lot of Feb. 2004 Bowmore should probably be enjoyed as much as possible while I can still afford to do so. With all that in mind, this was probably the bottle I was most focused on and tempted to buy during the tasting.

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Whisky: Bowmore 21 Year (2004), SMWS 3.363 “Seaside hip-hop party”

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 55.8%

Cask: Bourbon Hogshead (17Y), First Fill American Oak Oloroso Hogshead

Age: 21 Years (Distilled 16 Feb. 2004)

Notes: Sweet dates and plums in a dark caramel sauce sat atop gooey puddings and cakes with a bit of torched sugar for effect. Candied almonds and walnuts provided a nuttiness to the sweet dessert vibes with more subtle salted caramel dark chocolate bars. A touch of dry earth and an old tractor tire sat somewhere in the background, but remained elusive. Medium-bodied and oily on the palate, the flavor profile was similar to the aroma with plenty of dates, plums, and figs swimming in brown sugar syrups, orange zest, walnuts, and dark caramel with a bit burnt on the bottom of a pan hinting at the peat or smoke I might have expected. It was toasty and sweet: a brioche or pudding fit for royalty, accompanied by candied coffee beans and sea salt dark chocolate. A bit of wet leather and loam sat further in with wispy smoke from caramelized sugars. The finish was medium to long and a touch dirtier than the aroma or palate with plenty of fruits in syrup and bitter dark chocolate.

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Score: 7 (85)

Mental Image: Decadence for Dessert

Conclusion: Delightfully decadent, the sherry cask was strong with this one— much stronger than many of the other SMWS 2004 Bowmore I have had. Honestly, it was overdone for my taste, as the cask dominated much of the proceedings and pushed the influence of the malt further into the background. It was never invisible, but it lacked the earth or maritime complexity and depth of others. 

Truly, comparison was the thief of joy with this whisky. It was wonderful to sip, though I skipped buying it because I could not stop thinking about bottles I liked even more. Overall, a solid dram— Bowmore makes sherry maturations a key part of its distillery program for a reason, but it missed some of the fruity-floral elements that come through on bourbon maturations (where this one started).