White Bowmore 1964 / 43 Year Old

Colour: gold, not white (but white wine isn’t white either, is it?)

Nose: amazing, in seven letters. Fantabulous notes of tropical fruits (where to start? Mangos, grapefruits, passion fruits, kiwis, god knows what else…) mingling with a very ‘Indian’ blend of spices. Cardamom, caraway, ground ginger, nutmeg, green curry… Stunning, really. There’s also these very maritime notes (kelp, iodine, wet beach) and these floral ones (lilies and peonies, beautifully heady here.) An amazing whisky – no, rather a perfume from the very best makers’.

Mouth: frankly, I had thought it would all happen on the nose, but it’s not the case at all. Superb attack all on passion fruits (my mum would say “buy passion fruits, it’s cheaper”) and then mastic-flavoured Turkish delights, a little roasted argan oil, lemon pie, all kinds of soft spices, high-end lemon squash and, as expected, notes of oak, with a very pleasant and subtle bitterness as a signature. And there’s well a little peat lingering somewhere…

Finish: probably not extremely bold but amazingly clean and straightforward for a short while, getting then very subtle and complex again. Whispers, but whispers for a very, very long time... … …

Comments: is this an “anti Black Bowmore”? Probably, as it’s very subtle, complex and maybe sometimes a tad ‘diaphanous’ but always very wonderful. And what a nose! The epitome of elegance as far as whisky is concerned.... SGP:644 - 95 points.

Nose:  Immediate burst of tweed and sweet, creamy exotic fruit - melon, mango, kiwi.  Also some light camphor, then a flash of sleek oak.  Aged orange liqueur and smoked vanilla as the oak becomes more noticeable.  Ripe mandarin oranges, grapefruit soda, tinned pineapples.  Oaky notes of old wood, chocolate powder and faint mocha.  Peach melba yoghurt. Wet sand. Old tarpaulins.  In a word: Majestic.  In another word: Everchanging.

Palate:  Amazing mouthfeel, with assertive oak and spiced fruity flavours invading every tastebud.  All the characteristics of the nose whirl past in different combinations, with the firm-but-not-overpowering oak background providing the rhythm section, as it were.  Impressive clarity of fruit character and pitch-perfect integration.  There is very little peat character here, just the faintest wisp of smoke. In a word: Mesmerising.

Finish:  A longer-then-expected, warm, soft, lingering fade, almost unwilling to drag itself from the tongue.  Seems to become more maritime toward the death.

I like this Bowmore better than all the previous bourbon oak-aged, ultra-mature Bowmore whiskies that have been released over the past fifteen years. (There have been several.) The oak is always present, but not dominant. And the whisky really evolves on the palate, just like the Black Bowmore releases.

This emphasis here is on fruit, bright fruit: peach, tangerine, mango, ripe melon, and pineapple. There’s a soft, gentle side to the whisky too, enhanced by sweeter notes of pancake syrup, orange creamsickle and white chocolate. Heavy oak notes emerge, along with teasing, earthy smoke, to give the whisky depth and bottom notes. The smoke and oak linger long on the finish.  Very contemplative. In short, an outstanding whisky, but not quite reaching the excellence of Black Bowmore.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 94