Bowmore 15-year-old (D.2001, B.2018) Sherry, Artist #8 / 55.3% / 0.7l

“Artist” is an extremely carefully selected series of whiskies from the portfolio of the Parisian store La Maison du Whisky. Its presentation is equally attractive, each edition is decorated with a work of art by a contemporary artist.

The Bowmore presented here, part of the Artist #8 Sherry series, was distilled in 2001 and finished in a butt no. 108 sherry cask. The run consisted of 679 bottles, all featuring a copy of a painting by Japanese painter Takehiko Sugawara. (Producer's note.)

Aroma: elegant and expressive; a combination of moss and ferns, peat smoke, sea salt and iodine; floral notes (cloves), fruity (pears) and sweet vanilla soon join the first wave of aromas. The next wave carries iodine, tropical fruits (guava, passion fruit) and candied lemons, while fresh walnuts and acacia honey break through the peat smoke.

Taste: rich and essential; a wave of peat smoke carries mineral notes (wet chalk) and sea salt, preceding coconut milk and almonds. After a while, strong notes of nuts and almonds herald the arrival of noble spices (ginger, saffron, cloves) and candied lemons enriched with a subtle aftertaste of summer hay. Finally, rice pudding joins with a delicate hint of verbena.

Finish: long and silky; first we bite into a ripe pear, whose juice mixes with peat smoke, a bit of ash and soot. After them, notes of seaweed, salt, smoked bacon and salmon return; the final accord is played by barley malt.