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.