Here is why Islay whisky Bowmore remains one of the best Scotch whiskies on the market.
“If you can’t find a Bowmore to fall in love with, you may have to consider very seriously the possibility that you’re wasting your money drinking whisky at all,” the late Scottish science fiction writer Iain Banks once quipped.
An Islay distiller highly prized for its unique flavour profile – dark peat, perfumed smoke and a smoky, long finish – Bowmore is one of the most esteemed names in whisky, and its limited edition bottles, including the 1980 Queen’s Visit, which commemorates a visit from Elizabeth II and was limited to 156 bottles, and the Devil’s Cask range, are highly sought after by collectors and auction houses alike.
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Some of its releases have generated big money: a one-of-a-kind 51 year old single malt presented in a hand-blown black glass vessel sold at Sotheby’s inaugural The Distillers One of One auction in 2021 for US$532,000. A rare collection of five bottles of Black Bowmore, housed in a handcrafted cabinet that doubles as a functioning bar, went under the hammer for US$563,000 in the same year at Sotheby’s and set a new record for the Scotch brand at auction.

Producing whisky on the shores of Loch Indaal – a sea loch opening out onto the Atlantic – since 1779, Bowmore is the oldest licensed distillery on the isle of Islay, an isle that’s renowned for its rugged quartzite rocks, salt marshes, wetlands, rich peat deposits, and heather moorland. The distillery is home to one of the world’s oldest Scotch maturation warehouses, the No. 1 Vaults, where Bowmore single malts have been matured for more than 240 years utilising hand-turned barley from the distillery’s malt barns and soft, fresh water from the nearby River Laggan.
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The distillery creates whiskies that are celebrated for their complex balance of mild Islay smokiness, maritime minerality and abundance of fresh stone fruit notes. The core range includes the 12 year old (peat smoke, honey and lemon zest), 15 year old (rich raisins, gentle smoke) and the 18-year old (ripe fruit, dark chocolate and Islay smoke).

There are plenty of special editions, too, like the Black Bowmore DB5 1964, featuring a genuine Aston Martin DB5 piston inside a handcrafted bottle that’s become one of the most sought-after single malts ever created. Limited to 25 bottles, this 1964 vintage was aged in a Williams & Himber walnut brown oloroso sherry butt and retails for around £210,000 (US$253,000).
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Meanwhile, to recreate the myths of Islay, the brand partnered with graphic artist Frank Quitely, a Scottish creative who’s worked with DC Comics. Available as a 23-year old or 32-year old whisky, No Corners to Hide is inspired by the story of a sighting of the devil at Bowmore’s church and features some hell-raising artwork.

The Changeling series focuses on the legendary story of the Blacksmith’s son and his transformation, with 22-year old and 32-year old releases part of this highly collectible range. Other highly sought-after Bowmore whiskies include the Bowmore Dragon Edition 36-Year Old aged in sherry casks, a China exclusive limited to 888 bottles.
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If you find yourself in Islay, then make a beeline for Bowmore’s visitor’s centre and the Bowmore tasting bar, which overlooks Loch Indaal, and select a wee dram or two from the tasting menu. Want to stick around a little longer? There’s even an Islay festival, Feis Ile, which is held in the last week of May annually. Here, guests can sip on limited-edition whiskies, tour the distillery and enjoy some live music. Why not stay at the Bowmore Distillery Cottages, which were once home to Bowmore distillery workers and date back to the 1840s?
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