Islay single malt scotch maker Bowmore is augmenting its core range with the Sherry Oak Collection, while also boosting its Travel Retail offerings with the cask-finished Appellations range.
Bowmore master blender Calum Fraser deployed a variety of wine and fortified wine finishing techniques to further shape layers of depth and flavor for these new expressions. The news also marks the debut of a new look for the brand, dominated by the color black and inspired by the legacy of Black Bowmore, which was distilled in 1964 and matured in the No. 1 Vaults at Bowmore’s seaside cellars beside Loch Indaal. The brand’s latest look will debut with these new collections but is also expected to appear on the core range early next year.
In the Bowmore Sherry Oak Collection, Fraser used high-quality European oak sherry casks to shape the layers of flavor, for example, the new 18 and 21 year old Sherry Oak Cask bottlings were finished first in oloroso seasoned casks, then Pedro Ximénez seasoned casks, while the 15 year old Sherry Oak Cask whisky called for selective maturation in first-fill oloroso casks. Sherry casks have a lengthy history at Bowmore, and were the house style for Bowmore releases distilled in the 1950s and 60s during its Morrison Bowmore era, as well as being responsible for the famously dark color of Black Bowmore.
The Bowmore Appellations series was finished in casks sourced from Burgundy, Bordeaux, and the Douro Valley. Each expression was initially matured in American oak bourbon barrels. The 14 year old was finished in Bordeaux red wine casks, and the 16 year old was matured in both bourbon and European oak sherry casks before being finished in ruby port casks. The 19 year old was finished in pinot noir casks from Burgundy, and the 22 year old was finished in sauternes casks.
The new releases draw on a legacy of Bowmore cask selection going back generations. Bowmore used pinot noir finishing on the Bowmore Frank Quietly series in the Bowmore Lovers Transformed 36 year old, though sauternes casks have only been used on independent bottlings of Bowmore before now. Bowmore has used port casks before, though these editions are now highly collectible, including Bowmore 1988 21 year old, Bowmore 1989 23 year old, Bowmore 1991 16 year old, and a Bowmore 27 year old released for Fèis Ìle 2017, all of which were fully matured in port pipes. Bowmore Voyage and Bowmore Dawn were finished in ruby port pipes, and in 2022, Bowmore released a ruby port finished single cask edition available as a hand-filled bottling for distillery visitors. Bowmore and Bordeaux casks also have history, and include collectible bottlings such as Bowmore Claret, Bowmore Dusk, Bowmore 1992 16 year old, and a Bowmore 25 year old Claret Finish released for Fèis Ìle 2016. Bowmore’s Vintner’s Trilogy, a series of grape-inspired limited editions that debuted in 2017, perhaps ties up the new directions for Bowmore best of all, with its age-stated expressions at 18, 26, and 27 years old finished in manzanilla sherry casks, red wine casks, and port pipes respectively.
Bowmore Sherry Oak Collection will make its U.S. debut early next year in whisky specialist stores and luxury retailers, while Bowmore Appellations will arrive in Travel Retail stores in October. All eight whiskies will also be available for purchase at Bowmore Distillery beginning in October.
Bowmore Sherry Oak Collection
12 year old Sherry Oak Cask, 40%, $78
15 year old Sherry Oak Cask, 43%, $153
18 year old Sherry Oak Cask, 43%, $261
21 year old Sherry Oak Cask, 46.9%, $534
Bowmore Appellations
14 year old Bordeaux Cask Finish, 43%, $67
16 year old Ruby Port Cask Finish, 43%, $108
19 year old Pinot Noir Cask Finish, 43%, $200
22 year old Sauternes Cask Finish, 48%, $500
