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#200: Bowmore 23 Port Cask

Writer's picture: S&PS&P

When we hit 100 reviews we decided to splurge on something fancy. Bowmores have all fared well with us and have become a staple on our shelves, so when we saw this on sale, we pounced on it. This was distilled in 1989, the year a few of us were born. We've been sitting on this anxiously for 4 months now. Scott had it still in the shipping sleeve tucked away waiting for this day. And the day has come.


Bowmore 23 Port Cask. 50.8% ABV. $700 CAD. Full maturation in Port casks. Islay.


We sniff around:


Scott starts us off with a grape candy flavor. Subtle peatiness. Earthiness, like a gardening odor.


Simon says it's not quite smoky, but it's got a peaty richness. Dark ripe fruit. Plum.


Kyle goes for dried dates. Raisins.


We smell the port influence for sure.


We cheers.


This is busy.


Fizzy, figgy, grape candy, all sorts of candy, wet rock, molasses Simon says.


Peat is backgrounded. Lots of fruity layers.


Scott brings up this hickory note that's prominent.


Reviews: Trevor starts us off. This is really good. 90 points for him. He's a little disapointed though, was expecting more from a $700 bottle. Kyle thinks the same, he built it up more. 90 for him too, this is great but not necessarily much better than the Bowmore 18 or 15. Sean is even less impressed. It's a good scotch. He goes 81. Simon is super impressed. 100% port cask matured. The layers of candied and ripe and dried fruits with the hickory and molasses notes, some recognizable Bowmore peat notes, a great feel to it, fizzy and youthful but rich and mature. Awesome stuff. 91. Scott rounds it up with 95. He wishes there was a bit more smoke and peat, but this is a special occasion scotch. This is the kind of whisky you pull out to commemorate. Very flavorful and well-done. Everything he was hoping it would be. Averages out to 89.4.


Overall: Doesn't look like we can come to an agreement whether or not this is worth the price tag. We do agree this is a unique whisky and we're going to be saving the rest of our 150mL sample to pull out for special occasions over the next 6-8 months.


Cheers!

The S&P Crew.

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