Bowmore – Mizunara Cask Limited Edition (70cl, 53.9%)

This Bowmore is a vatting of whiskies from the 1990s, between 15 and 25 years old, bottled at 53.9% in a 70cl bottle. They were first matured in bourbon and sherry casks, then finished for about three years in Mizunara oak casks, a wood associated with Japanese whisky. The casks travelled from Japan to Islay and rested in Bowmore's No.1 Vaults. Mizunara oak usually brings sandalwood and coconut. 2,000 bottles were released in 2015. The nose is spicy with a mellow sweetness on a fresh ocean breeze. On the palate come sweet vanilla, cedar, mango and honeyed rose blossom, and the finish is floral and spicy with fragrant smoke.