Bowmore 15 Year Old is the richer, darker step up from the distillery's 12 Year Old. The spirit spends most of its life in bourbon casks before a final stretch in oloroso sherry casks, so the gentle Bowmore smoke comes wrapped in dried fruit and toffee.
About This Whisky
The 15 Year Old is matured for around 12 years in American oak ex-bourbon casks and then finished for roughly three years in oloroso sherry casks. The long sherry finish gives the whisky its deep amber colour and pushes the palate towards raisin, toffee and dark chocolate. It is bottled at 43% ABV, a little higher than the 40% of many entry-level malts, which helps the texture.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Dried fig, raisin, cocoa and orange peel over soft peat smoke and a trace of sea salt
- Palate: Treacle toffee, cedar, spiced fruitcake and roasted nuts, with smoke weaving in and out
- Finish: Medium to long, with sherry sweetness, gentle spice and lingering wood smoke
Serving & Food
A Glencairn or tulip at room temperature, neat or with a few drops of water. It also stands up to a single large ice cube. Dark chocolate, roast duck, smoked cheese or a slice of Christmas cake all suit it.
How to Enjoy
Islay drinkers who like their smoke balanced by sherry sweetness, and a natural next bottle for fans of Bowmore 12.
Product Details
Distillery: Bowmore
Style: Islay single malt Scotch whisky
Age Statement: 15 years old
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Maturation: American oak ex-bourbon casks, finished in oloroso sherry casks
ABV: 43% ABV
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Bowmore stands on the shore of Loch Indaal in the village of the same name and dates its founding to 1779, which makes it the oldest licensed distillery on Islay. It still malts part of its own barley on traditional floors, peating it in its own kiln. Its No. 1 Vaults, a warehouse sitting partly below sea level, are among the oldest maturation warehouses in Scotland.
The distillery is owned by Suntory Global Spirits. Bowmore's peat level sits in the middle of the Islay range, and the house style leans towards fruit and floral notes alongside the smoke rather than the medicinal intensity of the south coast distilleries.