Bowmore – 30 Year Old 1989 (75cl, 45.3%)

This is an Islay single malt from Bowmore, distilled in 1989 and released in 2020 as the first of the distillery's annual 30 year olds. It is bottled at 45.3% in a 750ml bottle, with only 2,580 bottles produced. The whisky spent its three decades in the No. 1 Vaults, which sit below sea level on the shore of Loch Indaal, in sherry hogsheads and bourbon barrels. It comes in a wooden box inspired by driftwood and sea glass. The nose is heather honey, banana and peach with pineapple, vanilla and butterscotch. The palate shows tropical fruit and honey sweetness with subtle peat smoke and a touch of eucalyptus, and the finish is warming, with ripe fruit lingering.