Bowmore – 15 Years (70cl, 43%)

Bowmore 15 Years is an Islay single malt in a 70cl bottle. After 15 years of maturation it spent a further three years in sherry casks. Bowmore was founded in 1779 and was the first legal distillery on Islay. It runs its own maltings, where the peat is crushed before burning so that it gives more smoke than heat. The malts are moderately smoky by Islay standards, at around 35 ppm, and the distillery matures part of its production in sherry casks, which adds a complex, fruity character.