New Release: Bowmore Official Virgin Oak Matured for Feis Ile 2015

The content is rich but the youthfulness and new oak characteristics were slightly concerning. Bowmore BOWMORE OB VIRGIN OAK MATURED for FEIS ILE 2015 55.7% one of 1000 bottles The aroma features pineapple, apricot jam, pencil shavings, sawdust-like woodiness and paper-like qualities, katsuobushi dashi (Japanese fish stock), custard cream, a strong peat note. Upon tasting, similar pineapple tropical notes are present alongside rich sweetness, paper-like texture and woody bitterness from the new oak, umami from katsuobushi dashi, strong peat, and an oily Irish-style finish. [Good] This year's Bowmore for Feis Ile was a non-vintage new oak matured release. The tropical fruit notes of pineapple are clearly present in both aroma and flavor, with typical Islay malt characteristics such as seafood umami and peat. It is a relatively substantial type of whisky. However, personally, the sawdust-like woodiness and accompanying bitterness from new oak, along with a paper-like texture often found in recent Bowmore releases, were somewhat concerning. While there are some challenging elements, and considering the existence of exceptional hand-filled bottles, I always have high expectations for new Bowmore releases. This time, as a commemorative bottle, it was somewhat harsh, but the release price was reasonable. Considering that, the rare new oak specification is intriguing and makes this bottling valuable.