Bowmore 18 Year Old 2001 Signatory Vintage CSC
Bowmore 18 Year Old 2001 Signatory Vintage CSC (Cask Strength Collection), The single malt produced by the Bowmore distillery is composed of one-third barley malted on-site and two-thirds barley from the English maltings Simpsons. Both varieties have a phenol count of 25 ppm. Fermentation lasts between 48 hours and 100 hours. Finally, 27,000 casks are maturing at the distillery, some of which are in two clay warehouses (dunnages), including the famous Warehouse No.1, which is located below sea level. A subtle blend of classicism and exuberance, this complex bottling has no problem drawing from its depths the energy and vitality needed to achieve its goal of respecting the inimitable “Bowmore” style to the letter.
The rich initial nose is characterized by notes of smoked fish, sage, incense, and oily peat. Allowed to breathe, it becomes exotic (pineapple, banana), vanilla, spicy (clove), and medicinal (mustard poultice). The resolute attack is hot (cayenne) before bringing out an oily and vegetal (straw) peat. The mid-palate is then exotic (pineapple) and floral (lily of the valley). There is a note of hot tarmac. The well-balanced finish is smoky, ashy, creamy, and vanilla (custard tart). On the retro-nasal olfaction, the peat has become much drier, despite maintaining lots of salinity.
