Bowmore 12 Year Old 'Dumpy' ('70s-'80s)

This is the 20th Bowmore already (thus being inadvertently the third most sipped whisky with BenRiach in close third place and – of course – Auchentoshan in the lead). Anyway, I’m pouring myself a sample from an old, brown ‘dumpy’ bottle from the end of the ‘70s. It has a gold label. A veritable oldie, I’d say.

Hmm, what a nose! This is a distillate of the pre-FWP-period, so not soapy in the least. Au contraire, this one is very fruity! All kinds of tropical fruits: grapefruit, mango, Indian fig and baked banana. Some mocha and milk chocolate, too. And of course the coastal character is prominent as well: sweet peat and seaweeds. If this nose is a prelude to the taste, then we have a winner in our glass!

This Bowmore glides very softly over the taste buds. Peat, smoke and brine speak first, but are easily overpowered by the extremely sweet tastes. Mocha, absolutely! Milk chocolate, definitely! Verrrrrry nice!

The finish… darn! So short! Very good, mind you, but oh so short… pity.

Of all the Bowmore I’ve tasted thus far, this is probably the oldest (bar the 42 Year Old from 1965, which is hors concours). There is no other conclusion to make than ‘they don’t make ‘m like they used too’. The somewhat short finish aside, this whisky is simply outstanding!

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