Bowmore Vintner's Trilogy 26 Year French Oak Barrique

Having just received my second dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine, I can feel the world gradually returning to normalcy. To mark the occasion, after considering several samples, I decided to open a full bottle of something special. This is a 26-year-old Bowmore from the Vintner's trilogy, initially matured in ex-bourbon casks for 13 years, then transferred to French oak wine barriques for an additional 13 years before being bottled at 48.7% ABV. The initial aroma is dominated by tannic oak and peat, mingled with dark chocolate-covered candied bacon. When I offered a nose and taste to my wife, her first remark was, "Oh, this smells just like the hamster bedding I used as a kid." My immediate reaction was a curse, followed by taking the glass myself and thinking, "Yep, there's definitely peated hamster bedding in my whisky." After letting the glass sit for 30 minutes to mellow and allow the fresh cedar notes to recede into the background, they remained a distinct component. Beyond those prominent cedar notes, the nose reveals a campfire by the ocean, balsamic vinegar, and a strawberry puree reduction glazed over angel food cake, leading to candied bacon wrapped in dark chocolate, figgy pudding with rich bourbon caramel, roasted chestnuts, and aged tannic oak and leather, with a mild alcohol sting. The taste presents a rich, viscous mouthfeel, beginning with bourbon caramel, strawberry jam on charred sourdough, ocean brine with light peat, chocolate-covered candied bacon, roasted chestnuts, ginger, aged tannic oak, and leather, with a moderate ethanol burn. The finish is long, featuring bourbon caramel, balsamic and strawberry syrup, vanilla cupcake, campfire ashes, ocean brine, tannic oak, leather, and dark chocolate-covered candied bacon, lingering for several minutes. Considering its age, the peat remains quite prominent, not as subdued as in older peated expressions. The oak is substantial, its tannins nearly overwhelming the whisky, but the wine influence contributes pleasing strawberry and balsamic notes that complement it well. This is a fantastic whisky to savor while celebrating the gradual return to normalcy and hopefully sharing with friends soon.

Vintner. The word "vintner" always brings to mind a former acquaintance, let's call her 'S'. While I was pursuing my MBA, she was an undergrad at the same institution. Her father, a retired Goldman Sachs executive, owned a Napa winery. S hailed from a very traditional, wealthy family, and immense wealth comes with expectations of a certain demeanor. S, however, was far from embodying that ideal. She was living with a boyfriend who certainly wouldn't be considered 'status appropriate' by her parents; he was frequently intoxicated. However, I apparently fit the 'suitable spouse' profile. My educational background and the work ethic instilled by my immigrant parents seemed to earn her father's approval. Consequently, whenever her parents visited, I was presented as her boyfriend. This led to holidays at their Wyoming ranch and Christmas weeks at their Utah ski lodge. During these visits, her father always served wine from his winery's top shelf. A distinct memory from those wines was the flavor of blackberry; all the private, family-only bottles from his top collection had this blackberry note. Back then, I distinctly recall thinking, 'What's the big deal? I can buy blackberries for $2 a carton at Kroger's.' Such was the life of a pretend boyfriend: skiing in Utah, horseback riding in Wyoming, and a welcome escape from campus bar Bud Lights to private bottles of Napa Pinot Noir that tasted like blackberries. This brings me to the present pour. A sample was kindly shared by a friend. This is one of the finest Bowmores I've encountered. It exhibits mocha, blackberries, cherry, and unexpectedly, a significant amount of peat, which I would have assumed would diminish with age. While the blackberry flavor takes precedence, the peat is certainly present, but the blackberry is the star of the show here. And we're not talking about the $2-a-carton variety, but the organic, Whole Foods kind that costs $7 a carton. So, wherever 'S' may be today, I envy her husband. He's likely enjoying wine, perhaps at a Wyoming ranch or a Utah ski chalet, that tastes like this incredible bottle of Bowmore Vintner. Damn. If only I had played my cards differently... Thanks to a friend for this sample!

Thanks to a friend, I have the chance for an interesting comparison: Bowmore 26 Vintner's Trilogy, and Single Malts of Scotland Bowmore 25 (not yet on the app, perhaps I'll add it later). The SMoS simply states "hogshead" for the cask type. These are only the second and third Bowmores I've tried (the other being the OB 24 Port Matured). I started with the 25. The nose has a lot of custard, vanilla, a hint of honeysuckle, and a trace of smoke. Quite pleasant. On the palate, there's dry peat, custard, and oak. The finish is a bit more floral and oaky. The peat smoke remains prominent despite 25 years in the barrel. The mouthfeel is moderately thick. It's a very straightforward Bowmore that highlights the distillate, and while I was initially a little unimpressed given the approximately $500 price tag, it's growing on me. 86/100. Next, the 26. The nose is rich, tannic, with lots of dark fruit, prune, a hint of smoke, and dried leaves. On the palate, there's some cocoa, prune, blackberry, light smoke, with tannins, oak, tea, spice, and a bit more peat emerges on the finish. The wine barrel significantly overpowers the distillate, but not to the point where the distillate becomes indistinguishable. 89/100

My coworkers are far too generous sometimes! I had a dram of this at work, sipping it for a few hours. I truly couldn't believe they were sharing it. I took it back to my desk, letting it carry me through the rest of the day and into my upcoming vacation. Nose: It brings to mind the damp, fruity, and herbal smell of my family's cellars in Kazakhstan. A distinct oak presence is quickly overcome by cocoa, prunes, and raisins. Taste: The flavor explodes. Cocoa and prunes persist, gradually becoming sweeter, leaning towards raisins and licorice. Finish: I appreciate how smoothly it goes down. A pleasant dark fruit finish with those prunes, raisins, and licorice, concluding with a brief, nice peppery aftertaste. Overall impression: Wow, this is a delightful dram, and I'd love to have it on my shelf when I'm wealthy.

Two spirits that are likely to disappoint me are Bowmore and wine cask finishes. The former has shifted its core range in a direction that is excessively sweet and that I would not recommend to anyone, while the frequent use of heavy Cabernet-style finishes at many distilleries often feels like putting lipstick on a pig. However, here, everything is in harmony. The wine cask has imparted mouth-puckering tannins that result in a delightfully dry dram. The liquid also has a pleasing viscosity, and the berry notes from the wine are subtle rather than overwhelming. A very satisfying pour, provided by a friend.

Nose: Peat smoke is present from the beginning but is immediately balanced by a wine sweetness. Matured wine is a primary component in the long run, along with a hint of spicy vanilla. Taste: Wow! Sweet smoke is present, but the wine finish is the true highlight. Its sweet, malty, woody, grapey, chocolatey composition is phenomenal. Finish: The finish is lengthy, with the wine present and slowly fading. The smoke is very faint by this point but lingers for a long time. An amazing bottle! Perfectly balanced with a distinct flavor. A true work of art!