Bowmore 21 Year Old 1989 Douglas of Drumlanrig

I had tried this 21 year old Bowmore at a tasting in August, but was given a sample for re-evaluation at home, despite my praise at the time. Who am I to refuse a free sample? It was matured on a refill sherry butt, but the light color could have fooled me. Inactive cask?

The nose is typical Bowmore with loads of citrus, sweet tar, liquorice and some cough candy. Olive oil and quite some brine. It is very clean and soft, though.

It is deliciously warming on the palate, full of citrus, ashes, tar and fantastic peat. I do like this. But it lacks punch. It is quite docile. Nice, but also too quaffable, if such a thing is possible.

The long, sweet finish makes you picture yourself on a rocky beach.

This is a very nice, albeit somewhat too clean, Bowmore at a great age. If this was bottled at cask strength, I think it could easily reach for the 90 point. Now it is a card players dram (which, of course, is also not without its merits).

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