Whiskyland Ch.6 Islay 38 Year

Tasting Notes

90pts Whisky Fun

"The most notorious vintage of Bowmore’s mid-80s, crafted under the watchful eye of Big Jim McEwan during his time as distillery manager. These years are infamous for the ‘FWP’ phenomenon coined by pioneering whisky freak ‘Bushido’ (and an increasingly forgotten acronym, and perhaps rightly so), dominated by Parma violets and sometimes lavender-scented eau de toilette. Yet, after nearly forty years, a few casks appear to have worked some molecular alchemy. In that case, these vintages, once hysterical, are now undeniably historical (ooh that’s lousy, S.). For those curious, see Dave Broom’s 2005 Lavender Lament from the Malt Maniacs archives. Colour: light gold. Nose: the DNA is unmistakable, with lavender and violet bonbons present, though now balanced by maritime and peaty elements that take centre stage. A heathery, slightly modelling clay note emerges, evoking a famous Orkney malt. There’s also a hint of clams and mussels, adding briny depth. With water: grenadine and rosemary. Mouth: as if someone brewed a tisane with lavender, seawater, smoked kippers, shellfish, and thyme. A surprising harmony as all these notes dance together instead of clashing. With water: blood orange, sea spray, and Toulouse violet sweets—the finest kind, naturally. Finish: medium length, with the floral and maritime aspects in perfect equilibrium. Comments: well, that was easy—all it took was thirty-eight years. Still a touch eccentric, but unquestionably the best Bowmore from these years I’ve ever tasted. True collector’s item in that sense. One point for historical significance added. SGP: 753 - 90 points."

Distillery

Bowmore Distillery is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland and is the oldest on Islay that still exists, having been founded in 1779. It currently vies with Lagavulin to be the 2nd best-selling Islay Single Malt brand.

The Distillery itself lies within the town which shares its name and is right against the shoreline of Loch Indaal. Even though the distillery is on the coast, it can still be considered closest to the centre of Islay. The town of Bowmore only predates the distillery by less than two decades, and it was the first planned settlement in Scotland.

The town’s gridlike layout and construction were initiated in 1768 by Daniel Campbell the Younger, who was the owner of the Islay and part of Jura. He resided in the famous Islay House and planned the town of Bowmore to resettle residents from the village of Kilarrow.  Kilarrow was situated close to Islay House, near what is now called Bridgend. It is said that Daniel the Younger felt that Kilarrow spoiled the view between Islay House and Loch Indaal. All that remains of the old village is a cemetery on Islay House property.

On the upside, Daniel the Younger did also build the now-famous Kilarrow Parish that is atop the hill in Bowmore. The church is famous for being entirely round so that it gives to corner for the devil to hide in. Bowmore and the Kilarrow Parish lay a little over 4km south of Bridgend and where the previous village existed. Currently, the town of Bowmore is populated by around 800 residents.

As for the distillery, Bowmore’s nearest neighbour is Bruichladdich, which is a 15-minute drive West along the coastal road A847 to the other side of Loch Indaal. Caol Ila Distillery is about a 20-minute drive to the East along the A846. If you head South from Bowmore the Port Ellen Maltings (and soon the rebuilt Port Ellen Distillery is about a 20-minute drive as well, and from there you can get to Laphroaig Distillery, Lagavulin and Ardbeg which all lie within 10 minutes drive from there.

Like Laphroaig, the Bowmore distillery is owned by parent company Beam Suntory. Also like Laphroaig, Bowmore is one of three distilleries on Islay to have its own on-site floor maltings and peat kilns, which are able to produce just about one-third of Bowmore’s needs for mashing and distillation.

Insert Peat Here: One of the Kilns At Bowmore Distillery

The 12 Year Old has been one of the core expressions in the Bowmore range for quite a while. Included in the core range are the no age statement Bowmore No.1, the 12 Year, 15 Year, 18 Year, and 25 Year Old. Various limited expressions have been available over the past few years, including the ongoing Vaults series, the Winemaker’s Trilogy. Currently, there are sparse independent bottlings available of Bowmore, and they tend to be expensive when they are released.