fabulous example of what long aging can do for a great whisky. Thirty-eight years in old bourbon casks stored in a cellar right up against a seawall have yielded a quite outstanding and unique dram. Bourbon casks have a less assertive influence than those for sherry and so let the true character of the whisky shine through. This the Bowmore shows to brilliant effect. At first its great age disguises the fact that this is an Islay whisky, so light and delicate is the flavor. However, after a few minutes in the glass and with the addition of a little water, it opens up spectacularly and fills the mouth with layer after layer of flavor--heather and peat, summer flowers and grass, tropical fruits and spices--until finally, in its long, long finish, it reveals the hallmark Bowmore coastal characteristics: brine, iodine and seaweed.