Bowmore The Changeling 33 Year Old - 48.7%
Bowmore 33 Year Old The Changeling is a Global Travel Retail limited edition of only 667 bottles, produced in collaboration with highly acclaimed DC Comics, Judge Dredd and Marvel graphic artist Frank Quitely.
After maturation for 31 years and 6 months in ex-bourbon American oak hogsheads, the spirit spent a further 18 months in white Tawny Port casks before bottling at 48.7% ABV.
Appearance: Honey gold, forms an inverted crown which slowly falls as thick, oily legs.
Nose: Barbecued, slightly charred pineapple, salted caramel sauce, orange oil, sweet red berry jam, sugared almonds, floral heather honey, dry smoke and cool menthol.
Palate: Butterscotch caramel sauce, toasted almonds, red berry jam, rose Turkish delight, a touch of tannic oakiness, edible flowers, a hint of old leather and a little spicy tingle courtesy of ginger and pepper. With water, more sweet red berries and sugared almonds come through.
Finish: Gradually becomes more oaky and nutty with just a touch of coastal saline.
Overall: As you would expect from a 33 year old whisky, age has brought depth, complexity and character. One of the risks of long maturation is the whisky can become overly oaky due to the prolonged contact with the wood, however in this case there is a good balance between spirit and cask. Although enjoyable neat, this is a whisky which really comes alive with a few drops of water, bringing extra fruit and sweetness to the mix.
As the current retail price for this whisky is an eye-watering £2400, value for money will depend on the size of your wallet. If you’re somebody with that kind of money available, and not just looking at this as an investment purchase, then you will be rewarded with a quality whisky. For me though, the 22 year-old Master’s Selection proved to be the more enjoyable and interesting dram.
Opportunities to try premium whiskies like this don’t come along often, and it was a real privilege to be able to sample this one. A huge thanks to Bowmore for their generosity and also to Steve at The Whisky Wire for organising the event.
If you would like more information on this whisky, or the Bowmore distillery, follow the link to the company website.
Transparency: this sample was received free of charge for independent review. The author has no affiliation with the distillers and no goods or other incentives were exchanged, offered or requested.
