Whisky : Bowmore 19 Year French Oak (Amazon.uk Exclusive)

Country/Region : Islay

ABV : 48.9 %

Cask : First Fill Château Lagrange Red Wine Barrique

Nose : Bright and fruity.  The dram opens with sweet yellow raisins, strawberry, and orange peel.  Lovely sweet smoke of charred cherry wood.  Bits of pastry and cocoa like a Tokyo banana— a fruity cream filled sponge pastry.

Palate : Very juicy, this medium bodied dram starts out with tons of waxy citrus fruits— oranges, limes, and yuzu.  Bits of slightly bitter matcha and cocoa powder compliment the sweet of the fruits which gradually transition toward toasted marshmallow and molasses.  Overtime the dram becomes more palate coating and turns toward a smokey grilled green apple and chocolate milk.  

Finish : Long and sweet with notes of green apple and a faint smoke.

Score : 7

Mental Image :  Edible Arrangements Chocolate Dipped Fruit Basket.

Something Better : Cooley 14 Year; The Exclusive Malts (similar marshmallow, fruit, faint smoke)

Something Similar : Peat Faerie 3rd ed.; SMWS Blended Scotch (similar apple/smoke, more spice)

Something Worse : Hakushu 12 (similar green apple, wispy smoke, matcha, less depth/finish)

Notes : An absolutely lovely wine matured Bowmore.  The fruity notes of the wine cask and Bowmore pair well and are complimented by the faint peat influence.  The only thing that could make this dram any better would be if some of the rich smokey notes of the peat came through a bit more.  The smoke and tar I associate with Bowmore are really restrained.  Or maybe I am way off and stronger peat notes would unbalance the entire dram and that is why this was not bottled a bit younger.  AmazonUK (and I now Japan) has an excellent exclusive bottling in this Bowmore and I am beyond jealous that consumers in both countries can order scotch and have it delivered.  If only we had the technology to do so in the States!

This is certainly not the flavor profile I have come to expect from Bowmore— I wonder a bit about the influence of Beam-Suntory and the collaborative process of distilling between the men and women involved in Scotch and Japanese single malt at the behemoth.  This Bowmore clearly borrowed the pants and shoes of Hakushu and walks pretty far in them (or was it the other way around?)  The finish on it was remarkably similar to that of Hakushu 12 or 18 as sweet green apple, bitter matcha, and faint smoke all suddenly appeared.