New Release: Bowmore 1997-2015 18 Year Old Blackadder

This is exactly what a delicious late '90s Bowmore feels like. Bowmore BOWMORE 1997-2015 18yo BLACKADDER 58% One of 242 bottles The nose has orange candy, mild peach, vanilla, good oak notes, a moderate graininess, band-aid, and smoky peat with briny undertones. On the palate, it expands powerfully with orange, passion fruit, juicy sweetness, pleasant oak, and a savory graininess. The body is present, with a long smoky and fruity finish. [Good/Very Good] This is the new release of Bowmore 1997, matured for 18 years from Blackadder. As I've only been drinking Bowmore releases from post-2000 recently, this 90s bottling raised high expectations. The nose is firmly fruity with well-balanced oak nuances, and the graininess remains. I felt a strong Islay/typical Bowmore peat character. The maturation is just right. On the palate, it has the powerful strength of an Islay high proof whisky, but I strongly felt the tropical fruitiness characteristic of Bowmore, with a fresh juice-like impression that was pleasant. As with the nose, the graininess, oak, and peat are well-balanced, making this 97 Bowmore almost flawless. While it has the thickness and richness of a high proof whisky, its slight viscosity lessened the alcohol's impact, which was good. As it had been a while since I tasted a 90s Bowmore, I found it very delicious and almost gave it a VG rating. However, since there are many delicious 90s Bowmores, the relative evaluation became strict. While this bottle is very textbook-like, I would have liked more floral complexity and a bit more depth. However, considering it's a high proof bottling straight from the cask, I believe it could develop significantly further after opening or even while still sealed in the bottle. #Bowmore (BOWMORE)