The second in Bowmore's Vintner's Trilogy- this 26-year-old single malt has been aged in both bourbon barrels and wine barriques. The result is a dram with notes of oak-spiced smoke- salty dark chocolate and tropical fruit

89 points on scotchwhisky.com

Nose: Big- wooded- with autumnal leaf mulch and a mix of dark chocolate- black cherry and- to start with- wood embers. Then it seems as if the act of inhaling has brought the peat fire back to life. The embers glow- smoke (and flame) returns. There’s now a decidedly maritime edge to things- with treacley phenols. The fruits bully their way through- more concentrated now- with a red and black mix: blackberry and hawthorn jam- rosehip syrup. There’s also a hit of meatiness. It’s complex and slightly wood-driven- but also much smokier than you expect from a Bowmore of this age. Water brings out mossier elements and char.

Palate: When neat- it’s very rich- thick and liquorous- with mature wood notes- with smoke running through the length of the palate. There’s some leather and then- on the back palate- a light grip- sootiness and the mixed fruits seen on the nose. While water initially softens and sweetens things- in time there’s more acidity and tannin coming into play- which just slightly knocks the overall balance. The wood certainly shows more of itself as it develops – but I’m being super picky.

Finish: Ashes and then fresh fruit- more wood and ash. Conclusion Aged for 13 years in ex-Bourbon- then the same time in red wine barriques- this is Bowmore at its boldest- but with signs on the finish that it is (or was) moving into the third stage of its evolution.