Bowmore Launched the New Sherry Oak Cask Collection of Whiskies
In the scotch whisky world, you got your fans of the smoky stuff, and you got your fans of the sherry bombs. Of course, there are some who call the overlapping circle of this Venn diagram home, and a great option for them is Islay distillery Bowmore. The distillery just announced the launch of a new lineup that leans even further into the world of sherry cask maturation, so this is a great new series of whiskies that fans of distilleries like the Macallan, Highland Park, and Ardbeg should try.
Bowmore has been around in one form or another for close to 250 years, making it the oldest licensed distillery on Islay. The distillery is located on the shores of Lochindaal, and its No. 1 Vaults maturation warehouse is one of the oldest in the industry. Bowmore, which is owned by Suntory Global Spirits (along with Laphroaig, another Islay distillery), is known for making moderately peated whisky that is aged in bourbon and sherry casks, striking a nice balance between smoke, vanilla, and dried fruit notes that whisky fans of all stripes tend to find very appealing. The distillery is also known for releasing some very expensive high-end whiskies, the most recent of which is the 54-year-old ARC-54 single malt, a collaboration with Aston Martin that comes in a decanter inspired by the design of the Valkyrie hypercar.
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The new range is called the Sherry Oak Cask Collection, and the difference between it and the original lineup is that these new expressions involve a higher percentage of sherry cask-matured whisky and employ secondary cask finishes, while still maintaining the same levels of peat smoke. Overall, these whiskies are going to have more notes of dried fruit and spice than the core collection, while still maintaining the balance of flavor that Bowmore is known for. To kick things off, two new expressions have been released: The 12-year-old (SRP $90) is initially aged in European oak Oloroso sherry casks and American oak ex-bourbon barrels, and then finished in European oak Oloroso sherry casks; while the 15-year-old (SRP $160) gets the same treatment with three extra years added to the maturation formula.
Two more age statements will join the lineup in early 2026 as well. The 18-year-old (SRP $325) was initially aged in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and European oak Oloroso sherry casks, and then finished in European oak Pedro Ximénez sherry-seasoned casks; the 21-year-old (SRP $450) was given the same initial maturation, and then finished in first-fill European oak Pedro Ximénez sherry-seasoned casks.
The first two whiskies are currently available at specialty retailers around the country, and if you want to compare them to the original lineup you can find those bottles available to purchase at ReserveBar now as well.
