Bowmore 11 Year (Classic Cask)

 

This is the third bottling I've had from independent bottler The Classic Cask - the first two were an Aberlour and a Craigellachie, both of which were atypical examples of their kind. Therefore I'm super curious about this Bowmore! I recently had a fantastic (if unusual) 17 year Bowmore, and am excited to see what this single cask 11 year bottling brings to the table. 

Bowmore is, as I've noted, among the gentler Islay distilleries. Not so much outright smoky and medicinal as others, it has a gentle ash combined with a very pronounced floral quality. In years past, this florality got out of hand and was commonly called "French whore perfume" - yikes. You can Google that for a more detailed explanation of the phenomenon. 

This Classic Cask bottle spent 11 years in an "oak hogshead" (which could mean anything, but I will interpret it as ex-bourbon), and was bottled at 43% - presumably to extend the cask into as many bottles as possible. Let's see how it tastes:

Nose: Sweetish peat, light smoke, phenolic flavors that come across almost like glue (!), some hints of bright fruit, and a generalized sweetness. This is, like other Classic Casks I've had, atypical for the distillery it represents - none of the usual Bowmore ash-and-honey is present. 

With the smallest splash of water, it remains sweet, but in a nondescript way. No specific honey, vanilla, or refined sugar notes come through - just a fairly average sweetness. Some faint, faint red fruit - like the ghosts of strawberries, raspberries. Some oaky black pepper. 

Mouthfeel: Quite thin and watery. 

Palate: Improves on the nose: notes of ginger, ash, oranges and clementines, and some coastal salinity. Pleasant, sweet, coastal brine. Would benefit from additional strength - you get the feeling it's neutered at 43%. 

With a splash of water, the berries from the nose become stronger here, along with the mossy ash. The "glue" note from the neat nose becomes something like peanuts here - reminds me of Caol Ila. Phenolic. More ginger, too - but pickled, like what you get with sushi. 

Unusually, this presents mostly as sweet-and-especially-sour. You would never say this about "classical" Bowmore, which has no sourness discernable. Makes you wonder what the deal was with this cask. 

Finish: Like most Bowmore, tons of ash here on the finish - oak, pepper, honey, but mostly ash. Fairly long finish, the ash sticks with you. 

Verdict: An unusual Bowmore expression, for sure! I wouldn't start with this, if you are curious about Bowmore - go with the regular 12 year official bottling, then give this a shot. Sour, ashy, peaty, hints of fruit, hints of earth... it's interesting.