New Release: Bowmore 1999 Official Mashmen's Selection

The fruity profile is strong, but there was a slightly difficult element that feels common after 2000. Bowmore BOWMORE 1999 OB MASHMEN'S SELECTION 55.7% Five 1st fill bourbon barrels The aroma is vibrant and strongly fruity, with ripe orange, tropical fruits, faint mango, vanilla, roasted tea, a strong grainy sensation and paper-like dryness, clear peat and dashi notes. Upon drinking, the mouthfeel is surprisingly smooth for its alcohol content, expanding into rich tropical fruits like pineapple and passion fruit. There's a slightly bitter vegetal note alongside the paper-like dryness in the grainy sensation, with clear peat. The finish has some paper-like dryness but remains fruity. 【Good】 Bowmore 1999, Mashmen's Selection. Purchased at the distillery and brought to Yorochō, this seems to be a recent release. From the start of the aroma, strong fruitiness is sensed, with the tropical fruit nuances typical of Bowmore clearly asserting themselves. Additionally, elements like citrus and vanilla from first-fill bourbon barrels add a refined complexity. However, the strong grainy sensation accompanied by paper-like dryness was noticeable. When tasted, the mouthfeel is surprisingly smooth for its alcohol content, and indeed, the tropical characteristics imagined from the aroma were strongly felt. The peat is assertive, typical of younger Islay whiskies. While the slightly bitter vegetal notes and paper-like dryness were personally regrettable, the fruity character was sufficiently present throughout. The vintage is 1999, and I think the tropical characteristics typical of Bowmore are strong. However, personally, the paper-like dryness and slightly bitter vegetal nuances common in post-2000 distillations were a bit off-putting. That said, I think the fruity character is among the stronger ones in this era of Bowmore's vintages.