One of the few festival bottlings I’ve bought when I went to Whisky Live Leiden (now The Hague). This young Bowmore is from the period that is generally not associated with FWP (French Whore Perfume) you typically find in Bowmores from the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s.

There isn’t much to say. I think the festival had two casks bottled for the event and I bought only one. Whether or not that had to do with money or me being too late to buy both and one had already sold out I can’t remember.

Bowmore 2000-2009, Berry Brothers & Rudd

Sniff:
I get heather and straw with quite some salty smoke. There’s a hint of fish in there as well, or maybe fishing ships. Slightly floral with biscuits and lots of lemon curd. Lemon pie, merengue, cheese cake, you name it. Rather sugary and creamy too. Pretty sweet.

Sip:
Lots of fresh lemon with most of the hints I sniffed on the nose returning. Straw, wood, pepper. Rather sharp too, and sweet again.

Swallow:
The finish is consistent as well and not too long. It’s rather warming with again, heaps of lemon and vanilla cream. Some wood as well.

This isn’t a complex dram. It is, however, highly consistent, well balanced and rather delici0ous. I tasted some other 2000 Bowmores from bourbon casks bottled by BBR but this still is my favourite of that age. I believe Whisky Import Netherlands had a 12 year old last year which was also fairly stunning but most of the ones I tried were too simple, too sweet and not nearly as intrigueing.

Sadly, all gone, as is my bottle. I might have to track down one of those new WIN bottles.

Bowmore 2000-2009, 9 years old, cask 800112, 56.6%, Berry Brothers & Rudd. No longer available but it cost me € 50.