Whisky: Bowmore 17 Year SMWS 3.324 “Split personality”

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 56%

Cask: Bourbon Hogshead (14Y), First Fill STR Barrique (3Y)

Age: 17 Year (Distilled 16 Feb. 2004)

Nose: Tart berries, cinnamon, molasses, maritime, sherry vinaigrette, grilled shellfish.

Palate: Medium-bodied and rich, maritime meat, driftwood campfire, licorice, chocolate, malted milk balls.

Finish: Lingering malt and salt with hints of shellfish and chocolate.

Score: 7

Image: Steaming Bowl of Bún Riêu Cua

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was chock full of tart berries, rich spice, and tangy vinaigrette, which only gradually took on a coastal edge as salty-mineral grilled shellfish, citrus, and saltwater taffy emerged. Sweet and tangy, it reminded me of a sister cask from SMWS (3.314), which spent two years less in the STR cask. The palate was well-structured, with a gradual transition from tangy-sweet notes of sherry vinaigrette, licorice, and berries to meaty notes of grilled shellfish, crab, citrus, and driftwood campfires on the beach. A lovely maltiness developed at the end with chocolate, though occasionally, a sweet chili took its place.

In its totality, between the meat, sweet, and tang, the dram reminded me of the Vietnamese Crab Soup that my wife loves to order whenever it becomes a bit chilly outside, or she feels a tad under the weather. The soup is fragrant and loaded with meaty pig's blood, tangy spice, and crab meat. While the sister cask brought to mind arboreal foraging, this was firmly in the tropical market as it shifted between different layers of flavor.

Overall, Bowmore can be so darn good; it is drams like this that make the distillery core range so frustrating. Squint, and you can see some of the notes of this dram on the Bowmore 18 Year. If only one did not have to sell a kidney for great Bowmore.