Whisky: Bowmore 18 Year (2004), SMWS 3 “The finesse of a fragrant furnace”

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 56.9%

Cask: 2nd Fill Bourbon, Oloroso Hogsheads

Age: 18 Years (Distilled 16 Feb. 2004)

Nose: Maritime, floral, and musky, subtle smoke, hints of white pepper and earth, dried grass and heather, creamy tropical fruit.

Palate: Medium-bodied and oily, tropical and floral; dried mango, pineapple, soursop, custard, buttery pastries, maritime salt, a kiss of grill smoke among fried pastries and creamy fillings.

Finish: Long and lingering with salt and sweet tropical fruits.

Score: 8

Mental Image: Racing against the Neon Sunset

Narrative & Notes: Soft maritime vibes lent the aroma a neon vaporwave sunset aesthetic with mellow smoke, musky florals, and hints of white pepper, dried grass, heather, and earth. Floral morning glories along the beach lingered as more tropical fruity pineapple custard arrived with toasted creamy marshmallows. Sweet barbecue char and smoke remained largely behind the soft tropical notes. Medium-bodied and oily, the flavor profile was tropical, with loads of fruits and florals that paired wonderfully with a mild cream and hints of barbecue smoke. Hibiscus and plumeria-infused teas or candies arrived with dried mango, fresh pineapple, and soursop juice. Creamy custard continued to develop with hints of caramelizing fruits (toss the pineapple on the grill!), buttery pastries, and pound cake. Soft maritime salt and a kiss of grill smoke lingered in the background constantly as more cream and tropical fruit-filled fried pastries emerged. The finish was long and lingering with salt, cream, and sweet tropical fruits.

Fabulous. I was a bit reticent on SMWS’s 2022 festival Bowmore release, but this malt answered all my concerns. Last year I thought the flavors sometimes came across as muddled and indistinct, it was still a wonderful whisky, but considering the occasion and price of the bottle, I wanted to see more from the release. I am still not sure this was worth the price of admission— though our local whisky group split a bottle, and that does seem the ideal way to go about it— but this was leagues better than last year.

The flavors here were clear and coherent with a lovely structure and a constantly evolving creaminess that carried the experience from tropical fruits to pastries. The aroma was soft and mellow but complex and pleasing with a strong coastal vibe that lent itself to bright sunsets and neon vaporware imagery. It was sweet nostalgia all around with occasional hints of tarter, almost sour, fruits that reminded me of the excellent US exclusive single cask SMWS did for their 2019 release.

Overall, these tropical Bowmore are my favorites; I struggle to think of anything that scratches the same itch.