Scotch whisky single malt Bowmore 25-year-old review and tasting notes
The 25-year-old Bowmore Scotch whisky is fabulous: a sumptuous, yet elegant symphony, played with abandon and absolute precision. The maturation is very long: 25 years are no joke, especially if passed in barrels used for bourbon and sherry, so typical and marked in flavors, with that memory of caramel, smoke, and spicy tones.
But fear not, it is a single malt whisky with a subtle charm: the base is marine, with iodine and peat, but then comes this caramelized fruit. The tone becomes honeyed, warm, enveloping with the oxidized and complex flavor of the sherry that rounds every edge of this fiery son of Islay.
A lot of thickness, however, has a price. It is a bottle costing 300 euros.
But is the Bowmore 25 worth all these euros?
Yes, great Indeed, it is worth them, but among the whiskeys in this price range, it is one of the best spirits you can find. But it couldn’t have been otherwise the Bowmore distillery. When it hits the spotlight, it never fails. It does things right.
The bouquet
The nose is dark, hazy, and rightly peaty. Still, the hazy touch is delicate, precise, and perfect for breaking up the spiciness, which for obvious reasons is joyful, wide, like the best bourbons and therefore seduces you with caramel, toffee, honey, and many references of sweet spices and especially dried fruit. Super nutty, it almost looks like an almond and hazelnut crunch.
The fruit then is pure poetry. It grabs you and drags you in a whirlwind full of tropical scents, of peaches in vanilla syrup. In short, it does not hide. Instead, it is clear in its brilliance. And then there is Islay’s trademark: the sea, this spicy scent of iodine that penetrates and splits all the tropical sumptuousness of the past in two. This is to say that it is peaty but gracefully opens up to a thousand suggestions with infinite persistence. After drinking it, the scent will remain in the glass for hours.
The flavor
It is wide and round in the mouth, but it moves with extraordinary grace, pushing on the palate with peppery tones that fade into flavors of raisins and honey and then again the salt as a frame, with a puff of peat to give elegance and structure.
It is not a stylized whisky. It is alive. It moves through a thousand registers, do not think of grumpy classic peat. This has a multifaceted and contrasting soul. Of course, the essence is made of sea and peat, but then it goes. And the rhythm of the drink is splendid. It will not tire you; indeed, the drinkability is high, despite the massive structure.
In conclusion, it is an excellent Islay whisky that set sail from the island to take a trip to Speyside. From applause.
Cost
300 euros, the price is not entry-level, but we are talking about a very thick whisky that manages to combine fire and ice in a single elixir.
Food Pairings
Tiramisù, chocolate salami, pear and chocolate tart, blueberry cheesecake, chocolate truffles, apple tart.