North Star Cask Series 27 Bowmore 11 Year Old (70cl, 56.1%)

This 11 year old Bowmore was released by North Star to mark the independent bottler's 10th birthday. Distilled in 2015, it matured in a refill bourbon barrel and then spent six weeks in a Pedro Ximenez octave before bottling in March 2026. Only 180 bottles were filled, at 56.1%. The refill bourbon cask was chosen to show Bowmore's coastal side rather than the heavily sherried style. The nose combines worn leather and tobacco with coastal peat smoke, zesty citrus and green apple. The palate is oily and intense, with liquorice, aniseed sweets and smoked lemon peel over tropical sweetness and vanilla. The finish is long and warming, with sea salt, black pepper and ginger-spiced lemon.