Bowmore 21 Year (2001) La Maison du Whisky Artist #13

Scotch Whisky Review : Bowmore 21 Year (2001) La Maison du Whisky Artist

A quick note before anything else for the sake of transparency. This review was done with industry samples provided free of charge, with no expectations beyond drinking them. As always, I do my best to provide my unbiased opinion, and readers can decide how they want to take these reviews . For more, check out the ethics statement we use on Maltrunners.com.

Distillery: Bowmore.

Bottler: La Maison du Whisky.

Region: Islay.

Age: 21 year. Distilled in 2001, bottled in 2023.

ABV: 56.2%.

Price: See note at top of this review.

Color: 1.4, Tawny.

This is the second installment of this year’s Christmas Countdown. You can find previous installments here.

Nose: There are loads of dried fruit notes here with raisins, figs, and dried apricots. Some orange notes also come through. There’s a very faint smoke and some sea breeze notes as well.

Palate: This need a drop of water to get going, it’s rather closed off at full strength. Once it does get going, you get fruit notes. It tastes like a fruit flavored candy that I’ve had somewhere but I can’t quite place it. Airheads comes to mind, maybe it’s the mystery white colored one. Passionfruit stands out for me.

Finish: Long and it feels rather heavy on the tongue. It really feels like something is weighing down my tongue physically, even long after everything is gone. The finish here is the most peaty bit of the whisky for me. Chinese meat floss comes to mind along with some charred fish. My mind went to Pacific saury (꽁치) that’s been overdone a bit on a charcoal grill. Bit fishy, bit salty, and loads of char.

Conclusion: I’ve always been interested in the La Maison du Whisky Artist series of casks so I was delighted to get a few of these to try out. This Bowmore drew my eye instantly and for good reason. While the palate is simpler than expected, the nose and finish have a lot going on. The finish in particular is very interesting and fun. The heft that it leaves behind is really unique and not something I’ve come across before. The combination of meat floss and charred fish is delicious and leaves me wanting more. Overall, one I’m very glad to have been able to try.

Rating: 85.

Scotch Whisky Review , Islay Review , Whisky Network Review

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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