Bowmore Through the Ages


December 9, 2024

Bowmore Through the Ages

Painting by Pierre Soulages (Museum of Modern Art, New York)
Joking aside, it’s actually an interior wall of the famous Vault No. 1 at Bowmore
(WF Archive, 2015).

We said through the ages because today, we’re truly spreading out our small new vertical tasting, from young Bowmore to the 1950s, thereby covering almost every style. Bowmore is perhaps the distillate whose style has evolved the most over the decades—or so it seems to me. In any case, this is what we most enjoy doing, when we have the opportunity. Let’s see what’s inside the Bowmore box…

Bowmore 10 yo ‘Dark & Intense’ (40%, OB, travel retail, 1l, +/-2024)

Hogsheads and Spanish oak sherry. We’d tried the inaugural batch a few years back, though I shan’t tell you what we thought—it’s best to hope they’ve tweaked the recipe for the better. Oddly available on Amazon, which feels strange for a travel exclusive, doesn’t it? And calling something ‘intense’ at 40% ABV is good for a laugh at least. Colour: dark gold. Nose: stuffed cabbage and last week’s whelks, with hints of leather and tobacco. Then, mercifully, more pleasant things emerge—dried seaweed, a bit of camphor, and perhaps peated chocolate. Admittedly, there are redeeming qualities, though the palate’s where it all needs to come together. Mouth: it’s fine. Mentholated tobacco, walnuts, brine, charred wood, goulash sauce, and a touch of mustard. Yes, not bad at all. Finish: not particularly long, with some lingering bitterness. Comments: brings to mind the tricky bottlings of 1995–2000, while the 40% remains a clear handicap. Still, the recipe does seem improved, even if there’s no real fruitiness to speak of.
SGP:263 - 75 points.

Right, that's done—let's carry on...

Bowmore 11 yo 2013/2024 (57.4%, Single Cask Nation, 1st fill oloroso hogshead finish, cask #160490, 307 bottles)

A rather generous 39-month finishing, which feels more like a second maturation, doesn’t it? Colour: gold. Nose: this leans towards pure Bowmore, albeit gently rounded off by dry sherry, evoking an impression of high-quality boot polish. There’s a delightful addition of maritime touches—shells, oysters—and hints of aged tools and antique bronze. Not entirely typical, yet undeniably charming, with a dry PX-like character reminiscent of dry Málaga. With water: gamey notes emerge alongside motor oil, plasticine, hand cream, and lip balm—ideal provisions for a winter ski trip. Mouth (neat): walnut liqueur, mustard, salt, seawater, shoe polish, pepper, and a stray raisin or two bringing to mind the old 'Darkest' Bowmore, only a thousand times better balanced. No, make that ten thousand. With water: oranges and tobacco join the ensemble. Finish: long, predominantly saline, with a late flourish of dark chocolate. Comments: an old-school Bowmore with heaps of charisma. This would thrive in the cellar for another five years to nudge it into 90-point territory.
SGP:466 - 89 points.

Bowmore 15 yo 2001/2017 (56%, LMDW, Artist #7, hogshead, cask #20116, 275 bottles)

How on earth did this one slip under the radar for all these years? Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s all very straightforward—citrusy, maritime, and smoky—minimalist to the point of being almost abstract. A clean, no-frills style that leaves no room for debate: you’ll either love it or not, and we’re firmly in the ‘love it’ camp. With water: ashes and brine step forward. Mouth (neat): stunningly simple, even disarmingly so. Think peppered lemons and oysters, all drenched in seawater, with a faint touch of slightly vanilla-ed limoncello. With water: utterly elemental. Finish: long, just a tad oilier and even lightly liqueur-like, with a peppery edge. Comments: the beauty of simplicity itself. A child’s smile, a bird’s song, a song by Khruangbin, and a small dram of this Bowmore—what more could one wish for? Right, world peace and all the war dogs locked away.
SGP:556 - 90 points.

Bowmore 19 yo ‘Feis Ile 2024’ (54.8%, OB, double-matured in virgin American oak barrels, 3,500 bottles)

We’ve come across some ‘Feis’ Bowmores in the past that were borderline overwhelming—stifling, even cloying, thanks to overbearing cask influence. But this one promises to be a different story, so let’s dive in. Colour: deep gold. Nose: a clear nod to deep-charred barrels here. Vanilla, pineapple, mango, golden delicious apples, and banana dominate—seductive and luscious, though not especially ‘Bowmore’. To be fair, it’s not veering into Jack Daniels territory either—let’s not get carried away. With water: more balance emerges, with faint hints of classic Bowmore markers, though we’re not quite in rollmop territory. Mouth (neat): you’d have to be a real killjoy not to enjoy this ultra-creamy, fruity profile. Banana, grapefruit, and mango liqueurs, all gently draped in soft, caressing peat (yes, caressing—why not?). With water: coconut and a touch of tikka masala peek through, before green oak tannins make their presence felt. Finish: the least convincing part, with powdered coconut and over-brewed tea taking the lead. Comments: there’s no denying this is a very well-constructed ‘Bourbmore’. But would you want three glasses in a row? Probably not.
SGP:654 - 85 points.

Bowmore 1997/2023 (46.1%, Berry Bros. & Rudd for Kensington Wine Market, sherry butt, cask #85, 98 bottles)

The 1990s marked Bowmore’s triumphant return to form, following some rather erratic years that we’ll revisit shortly. Colour: pale gold. Nose: a beautifully maritime whisper, all finesse and delicacy. Fine brine, seaweed, samphire, winkles, grey shrimp, and an elegant manzanilla character—think of Callejuela’s finest ‘añadas’. Add to that ashes, resinous touches, a hint of tobacco, and a waft of beechwood smoke. The nose is an absolute masterpiece, exuding almost Florentine grace. Mouth: bang, it all comes alive! Lemon, green pepper, charcoal, bitter woods, peat, lemon zest, grapefruit, sage, star anise, and wormwood in perfect harmony. Oh, and oysters—how could I forget the oysters? Finish: a little sherry re-emerges, vying for control with notes of green walnut. The oysters strike back—what a delightful tussle. Comments: superb and emblematic of Bowmore’s renaissance. The only snag is the stock being in Calgary, and from WF HQ, it’s a 14-hour flight via Schiphol.
SGP:456 - 91 points.

Flowermore 38 yo 1985/2024 (53.3%, WhiskyLand, Decadent Drinks, refill barrel, 171 bottles)

The most notorious vintage of Bowmore’s mid-80s, crafted under the watchful eye of Big Jim McEwan during his time as distillery manager. These years are infamous for the ‘FWP’ phenomenon coined by pioneering whisky freak ‘Bushido’ (and an increasingly forgotten acronym, and perhaps rightly so), dominated by Parma violets and sometimes lavender-scented eau de toilette. Yet, after nearly forty years, a few casks appear to have worked some molecular alchemy. In that case, these vintages, once hysterical, are now undeniably historical (ooh that’s lousy, S.). For those curious, see Dave Broom’s 2005 Lavender Lament from the Malt Maniacs archives. Colour: light gold. Nose: the DNA is unmistakable, with lavender and violet bonbons present, though now balanced by maritime and peaty elements that take centre stage. A heathery, slightly modelling clay note emerges, evoking a famous Orkney malt. There’s also a hint of clams and mussels, adding briny depth. With water: grenadine and rosemary. Mouth: as if someone brewed a tisane with lavender, seawater, smoked kippers, shellfish, and thyme. A surprising harmony as all these notes dance together instead of clashing. With water: blood orange, sea spray, and Toulouse violet sweets—the finest kind, naturally. Finish: medium length, with the floral and maritime aspects in perfect equilibrium. Comments: well, that was easy—all it took was thirty-eight years. Still a touch eccentric, but unquestionably the best Bowmore from these years I’ve ever tasted. True collector’s item in that sense. One point for historical significance added.
SGP: 753 - 90 points.

Last stops…

Bowmore 1969/1978 (GL. 58, OB for Fecchio & Frassa, sherry cask, cask #6638, 75cl)

Killer vintages, killer series. Yet another homage to our Italian friends, who had the infuriating knack of nabbing all the best whisky casks back in the day. Just imagine—this gem is likely no older than 8 years, perhaps 9 at most. Every Bowmore bottled for Fecchio & Frassa around the distillery’s bicentenary was of utterly über-interstellar quality. To the best of living memory, nothing finer has ever been crafted along the shores of Loch Indaal. By the way, ‘G.L.’ stands for Gay-Lussac degrees, essentially equivalent to % ABV. Colour: white wine. Nose: forget it, this is just going to hurt. Pink grapefruit, delicate oils and waxes, a tidal wave of maritime elements—you get the idea. Really, it’s a whole, seamless entity, defying decomposition into individual descriptors. With water: a sort of oily tension dominates here, in the best possible way. If I were to show off (again, S.), I’d liken it to the engine oil of Ayrton Senna’s McLaren after 300km of fierce battle with Prost’s. Mouth (neat): absolutely outrageous. Salinity turned up to 11, alongside oils, waxes, citrus galore… With water: quintessential Bowmore. Salty, waxy, brimming with fermented fruits, citrus, seaweed, aged tar, and long-forgotten medicinal liqueurs. Finish: alas, it ends—but oh, what a journey! Comments: none. What could possibly be said?
SGP:565 - 95 points. Or maybe 96. Does it even matter?

Oh, and…

Bowmore 1955/1974 ‘For 12th September 1974’ (unknown ABV, OB, 100 half jugs)

Perhaps the rarest of the genuine Bowmores. Naturally, we’ve tasted it before, but this comes from a different jug, and frankly, any excuse to revisit something like this is more than welcome.

Let’s dive in—quickly, we promise (unless you object, of course). This particular bottling was created to mark the opening of Bowmore’s visitor centre in 1974. Worth noting, the whisky might have evolved in its little jug since we first encountered it back in 2012, though this isn’t the same jug. Colour: white wine. Nose: pink grapefruit and mango shine alongside pistachio oil. It’s that unmistakable fruity brilliance from Bowmore’s golden era, circa 1950 to 1967, showing not the slightest sign of fatigue. Dazzling, like a grand white Graves from a vintage contemporary to this Bowmore. Mouth: exotic fruits weave seamlessly together, underpinned by salty and mineral notes that provide structure. There’s a faint suggestion of clay, possibly imparted by the jug itself. Finish: the majesty of an aged white wine, with delicate vulnerabilities adding to its allure—again, very much like a great Graves blanc. No need to name any particular château. Comments: our conclusions remain unchanged from before, though the peat seems to have receded slightly here—just a hunch. Still, what a masterpiece. There, down the hatch!
SGP:653 - 96 points.

UPDATE we're republishing the inside of the amazing little leaflet that was to be found in the box. Thanks Thomas.

(Gracias Angus & grazzie mille, KC)

Check the index of all Bowmore we've tasted so far