Bowmore 14 Year Old 1981 Wilson & Morgan

This is a young old Bowmore. You’ll understand when I say that it matured for just 14 years, but was already distilled in 1981. I was 11. This has been in the bottle for over 20 years. I was able to score a sample from my Italian colleague Enrico, who own more of these golden auldies.

It has a cosy dirty nose with lots of grasses, roots, machine oil and gravel. Underneath lurks lemon and apple, marzipan and some soft camphor. Mildly floral with some sweetness and just a touch of OBE. Almost as if poured from a tin can.

The attack is powerful. The floral side comes first and even comes dangerously close to being soapy, upholstered by lots of white pepper and cloves. The citrus is clear and dominant, while the white fruit slowly retreats. The peat becomes quite grand, bringing with it lots of smoke.

The finish lasts forever on sugared lemon peel and peat.

A young oldie that flirts with perfume, but luckily does not cross that line. Thanks, Enrico!

Find where to buy Bowmore whisky