Bowmore – 15 Year Old

Bowmore 15 Year Old was formerly sold as Darkest, a name taken from its deep colour. The distillery dropped it in 2017 during a packaging refresh of its core range, keeping the maturation unchanged. The whisky spends its first 12 years in bourbon casks, then its final three in Oloroso sherry casks. That extended sherry cask finish is a defining feature of the expression within the core range. The nose has dark chocolate and dried fruits with a hint of Islay peat smoke. The palate offers cedarwood and rich treacle toffee, and the finish is robust and warming, with a hint of sherry tannin.