New Release: BOWMORE 1999-2016 17 Year Old Official Hand-Filled Islay Festival #24 56.1%

A bottle filled with cherished memories by hand. BOWMORE 1999-2016 17yo Official Bottling Hand-Filled The Feis Ile Collection #24 56.1% Pedro Ximenez Cask The aroma features sweet sherry, berry jam, stemmed raisins, grape skins, a faint katsuobushi-infused men'yu (soy sauce soup stock), a gradual barley note, slightly earthy, and a strong peat presence. On the palate, it expands with rich grape juice-like qualities, intense sweetness, astringent depth, umami-rich fish stock reminiscent of men'yu, and a robust peat finish with a long lingering aftertaste. [Good/Very Good] This hand-filled bottle, aged in a Pedro Ximenez cask and distilled in 1999, was sold exclusively by BOWMORE for this year's Islay Festival. While it was released alongside regular Islay Festival bottles (4 casks vatting with virgin oak, 1500 bottles), this hand-filled version was limited to around 600 bottles. Typically, BOWMORE's hand-filled bottles feature labels stating 'HAND-FILLED,' but this bottle instead bears the label 'THE FEIS ILE COLLECTION.' This is also a memorable bottle we personally bottled early in the morning using a vintner's tool directly from the cask. The Pedro Ximenez cask's characteristic sweet, fruity notes were clearly present, with the peat asserting itself confidently. However, beyond these elements, it also showcased complexity through its maltiness, earthiness, and tannin components. While the experience mirrored my expectations of drinking directly from the cask at the distillery, upon re-tasting, I found the umami-like dashi notes (reminiscent of men'yu) unexpectedly pronounced—a sensation I usually find challenging. Perhaps that moment was a distillery magic. However, given the potential for these less-favored nuances to evolve into depth over time, I'll trust this memorable bottle and let it rest to see if those characteristics transform into something more profound.