Douglas Laing Bowmore 20yr 1983 Old Malt Cask Whisky Review

Bowmore distilled in the early 1980s. For me this is heaven. There has been a lot of change in the profile of Bowmores distillate over the last few decades. To sum things up the 1980s produced some very floral spirit. I'll leave it to the reader to find out more about the various periods.

Notes

Eye: Gold

Nose: Mineral iodine mixed with freshly washed and cut red apples. Herby and green. Very floral. Hints of light vanilla. Peat is there but is very subdued. Opens up and relaxes more with time. One could be mistaken that this might be from Bruichladdich, given the floral qualities.

Palate: Smooth as water on first contact with a lovely sweetness. Wax, then floral vanilla wax. Then explodes with maritime, peaty, and heathery notes. Very complex layering.

Finish: Sweet waxy floral love. Maritime and peat notes show their face more on the outset to compliment the floral side. Fades out in a gorgeous way.

Details

Distillery: Bowmore
Age: 20yr's Old
Region: Islay
Bottler: Douglas Laing & Co
Distillation Date: March 1983
Bottling Date: August 2003
Cask: DL 939
ABV: 50%
Limited: 1 of 318

Absolutely fantastic stuff. I love how much difference there is between this and spirit produced ten years earlier. Then to compare that to the spirit from the 1990s through to today. Great whisky journey.

Music to go with this whisky is from one of the greats, Jeff Buckley.

Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should've Come Over

Sláinte!