New Release: Bowmore 1998-2017 19 Year Old Official Islay Festival 2017 Distillery Exclusive #57 54.3%

An exceptionally special Bowmore from the 90s, aged in sherry casks. Bowmore BOWMORE 1998-2017 19yo OB THE FEIS ILE COLLECTION 2017 DISTILLERY EXCLUSIVE #57 54.3% FIRST FILL SHERRY PUNCHEON The aroma is a strong yet pleasant sherry character, juicy grape juice, passion fruit from the back, subtle spices like clove, an earthy note reminiscent of decaying leaves, and a robust peatiness. On the palate, it expands with rich flavors of sweet and tart grape skins, seaweed with a salty brininess, damp earthy notes and leather, a solid smokiness, and a long, pleasant finish. 【Very Good】 This Bowmore 1998, aged for 19 years, was bottled specifically for this year's Islay Festival. While last year's 11-year-old had a significant quantity due to vatting, this 19-year-old is a single cask from first-fill sherry puncheons. Additionally, there's also a long-aged, high-priced bottle from the 1990 vintage available. These distillery-exclusive single casks in this range were previously hand-filled, but due to time constraints or perhaps because last year's participants, including myself, spilled a lot of the contents, this year pre-bottled stock was sold instead. The sherry character is exceptionally good, reminiscent of the old Longmorn with its droplet-like grape and berry sensations. There are many elements contributing to a complex aroma, including maritime nuances and peatiness. Among these, the emergence of an earthy note reminiscent of decaying leaves and a leathery character from deeper layers was particularly impressive and uniquely appealing. While recent Bowmore sherry casks have generally been good, this one stood out as particularly exceptional.