Bowmore Fèis Ìle Release 2023 Review
It hasn’t been since our first post that we have had the chance to cover a Bowmore whisky, but I am back for the distillery’s Fèis Ìle 2023 release. This year, Bowmore released an 18-year-old whisky matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. That’s pretty much all Bowmore offered in terms of specifics on the maturation process of this release. It retailed for 200 pounds or roughly $257. 1,750 bottles were made available to Fèis Ìle 2023 attendees, and the other 1,750 bottles are being sold at the Bowmore distillery.
I have been lucky enough to try Bowmore whisky aged in both Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks before with the Bowmore Devil’s Casks - Limited Release III. It turned out spectacularly for the Bowmore Devil’s Casks - Limited Release III, but longer-matured Bowmore whiskies also tend to be on the expensive side. It’s not as expensive as Lagavulin’s Fèis Ìle 2023 release at 220 pounds or Bunnahabhain’s Fèis Ìle 2023: 1998 Manzanilla Cask Finish at 450 pounds, but it’s still a pricey bottle and hopefully this post will give you a sense if it’s worth it or not.
I am also tempted to compare it to Islay Whisky Review’s first review, the Bowmore 25 Year Old 1996 - The Distiller's Anthology 01. At less than half the price of the Bowmore 25 Year Old 1996 - The Distiller's Anthology 01, I am curious to see how an 18-year, sherry-cask-matured whisky holds up against a 25-year, sherry-cask whisky. Is it worth the additional 290 pounds you would pay for Bowmore 25 Year Old 1996 - The Distiller's Anthology 01?
The Bowmore 25 Year Old 1996 - The Distiller's Anthology 01 remains one of my favorites and tied for the highest-rated whisky I have reviewed so far. It would be fantastic if this whisky delivered that same experience for less than half the price, but something tells me those extra years will make it hard for the Fèis Ìle 2023 release to compete.
The Basics
Aged: 18 years
Bottles available: 3,500
Casks: Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks
ABV: 52.8%
Color: Mahogany
Nose: Caramel, salt, wood
Cost: $308.58 (auction fees and shipping were $64.29)
Purchased at: Scotch Whisky Auctions (Auction 145)
Taste
The first sip gives a strong taste of caramel and raisins. It’s a heavier, oily texture. It finishes with light cinnamon and smoke flavors.
The strongest flavors in this dram are definitely the caramel and raisin notes. The finish lacks strong sweet spice or peat flavors like other sherry-matured whiskies, but you can still appreciate those flavors in this whisky.
Neat or With Water
I personally preferred this whisky neat. Adding water takes away from the strong caramel flavor and also reduces the peaty finish. I found all the flavors to be a bit more balanced when neat.
Summary
Accessibility: The only place I would expect to find this whisky for purchase would be in whisky auctions or at the Bowmore distillery on Islay. There were 3,500 bottles made available, so it’s not the rarest whisky, but it’s also by no means a common whisky. I think you will continue to see this bottle pop up in auctions for the foreseeable future and hopefully prices fall as the attention around it tampers down.
Price: If you think about it from the standpoint of shipping to the United States, I did not drastically overpay for this whisky, but I certainly paid a bit more than the retail price. In the auction I participated in, this whisky went for $290 on the low end and $343 on the high end. Both of those prices included United States estimated shipping costs and auction fees, which were around $73.
Quality: The strong caramel and raisin flavors and light cinnamon and peat finish make this a nice whisky but not necessarily a great one. If you love caramel flavor in your whisky, you might really like this one, but it left me wanting other strong flavors in combination with that great caramel taste and smoother transitions between all these flavors.
Score: 7/10 (See our scoring system explanation)
The Bowmore Fèis Ìle Release 2023 release is yet another reminder of how nice Bowmore whisky comes out when matured in sherry casks for a little bit longer. You definitely get some very nice sweeter caramel and dried fruit flavors, and the subdued smoky finish should be more palatable for those who aren’t as sold on peated whiskies.
When you compare this whisky to a similar but longer-matured Bowmore 25 Year Old 1996 - The Distiller's Anthology 01, what you notice is the Bowmore 25 Year Old 1996 - The Distiller's Anthology 01 has stronger flavors and a smoothness to it that the Bowmore Fèis Ìle Release 2023 cannot live up to. That said, this whisky still has very nice flavors and is one you can still easily enjoy.
At its price, it’s difficult to recommend this whisky based on the quality of it. This whisky’s uniquely strong caramel flavor makes it challenging to say there is something exactly like it for a cheaper price, but there are definitely Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez-matured whiskies that offer great flavor and are more economical choices.