Bowmore 21 years old, Chateau Lagrange French Oak Barriques /48,4%/ – Bowmore is the oldest operating distillery on the Isle of Islay; it has been producing whisky since 1779. Bowmore is also one of a handful of Scottish distilleries with active floor maltings, with 30% of the malt requirements being produced on site. The brand sells about two million bottles annually, about the same amount as Lagavulin. Here we have Bowmore 21 years old, the second release of a limited edition series of French oak expressions. The whisky was fully matured in first fill French oak barriques sourced from Grand Cru classé Bordeaux winery, Château Lagrange (appellation Saint-Julien) and bottled at 48.4% abv in September 2021.
Nose; red fruit and peat smoke, raspberries, red currants, cranberry relish, dark chocolate, toffee, caramel, mixed nuts, hints of potpourri and whiff of sea breeze.
Palate: peat smoke and sea breeze, red berries, honey, caramel, dark chocolate, mixed dried herbs, dash of white pepper, roasted almonds and toasted oak.
Finish: fairly long, with notes of red berries, roasted nuts and almonds, dash of sea salt and whiffs of peat smoke.
