Bowmore 24 Year (1985) Signatory Vintage

Scotch Whisky Review #480: Bowmore 24 Year (1985) Signatory Vintage

Photo Credit: Whiskery Turnip

Distillery: Bowmore.

Region: Islay.

Age: 24 Year. Distilled on November 22, 1985. Bottled October 25, 2011.

ABV: 53.5%. Cask Strength.

Cask Type: Hogshead.

Price: Sample courtesy of Whiskery Turnip.

Color: 0.7, Amber.

This is the 6th installment of this years’ Christmas Countdown. You can check out previous editions as well (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).

Nose: The very first sniff of this was of smoke and peat but it doesn’t seem to have replicated itself anytime after that. I’d certainly describe it more the on floral end of the spectrum than smoky. That doesn’t mean it is some lavender soap bomb (despite being from that era), hibisicus is more what comes to mind. There’s a bit of bourbon vanilla extract and a touch of Dole whip as well.

Palate: The smokier elements I first got in the nose are present in the palate for sure. It’s a got a dirty, industrial kinda vibe (I’ve been finding this a lot in Bowmore these days). I’m reminded of my locomotive shop days and breathing in a nice big whiff of whatever was going on in a particularly problematic engine compartment. There’s a bit of a sweet-ish barbecue note, it isn’t savory but it’s almost meat-like. Adding a bit of water tempers the smoke. You get a bit of hibiscus tea that’s been sweetened. A bit of fruit comes through as well in the form of either freeze dried lemon or pineapples.

Finish: Medium in length. There’s a little bit of sweeter, fruity notes in the background but its mostly masked by the dirty, industrial smoke. With water, you get a big of a mineral water notes, with the smoke also being a tamped down.

Conclusion: As much as I really enjoy Bowmore (when not bottled by the distillery), I’ve not found any that fit the “tropical bomb” profile some others seem to find often though I do regularly find a few tropical notes. This very special one from Whiskery Turnip follows in with what I’ve been finding a number of Bowmores lately. There’s an industrial vibe going on, this one in particular really sent me back to when I was working the locomotive shop. It’s a bit of an odd juxtaposition with the floral notes in the nose and the fruitier notes that appear elsewhere but overall it works really well for me. Really tasty and one I am very glad to have tried even if my search for the tropical bomb Bowmore continues.

Rating: 85.

Scotch Whisky Review #480, Islay Review , Whisky Network Review #642

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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