Comparison of official bottlings | 43% & 51.5% ABV

Is Bowmore on the way back?

Auchentoshan. Jura. Bowmore. The shamed. The shunned. The dismissed bottom shelf single malts. But what if they made a quiet change? Would we even notice?

Well we would have to purchase one for starters. And if we’ve been burnt before from a string of bad experiences from official bottlings of these shunned distilleries, we’d need a heck of a push to spend on an iffy bottle. It’s just smart to not do it. This is even more emphasized because we don’t do freebies.

Sure, you’ve seen the odd writer receive a bottle or tasting kit here and there, always funnelled through Wally anonymously, but well over 99% of the reviews here on Dramface are funded by us writers. We buy what we are interested in or enjoy, just as you do. But sometimes we need to purposely deviate from our norms to bring you some drams from off the beaten path.

As I mentioned in my recent epiphany that spawned an uptick in Highland Park purchases - enter another blind tasting. This time featuring the older white label Bowmore 12 yo. It wasn’t a paired affair, but rather a friendly get-together where we were asked to bring along a few blind whiskies to try alongside games of cribbage. The whisky was unremarkable, but far from putrid - as others may have experienced. Again, enter the power of blind tastings that remove all preconceptions.

Blinds. You’ve gotta do them. Mandatory. Ask your partner to pour yourself blind from the whisky shelf, cabinet, stash, or vault. Ask a friend to pour some in Boston Round sample bottles when they’re over and work through them in your own time. Heck, go to a whisky bar and ask the barkeep to give you a random whisky to try. Find a way to make blind tastings happen. You’ll be better off for it. Prejudice is a nasty thing and it creeps in when you aren’t even looking.

So after this blind tasting I had my eyes on Bowmore, albeit very casually. Money doesn’t grow on trees and I always try to buy on sale or discount as I’m in no rush to buy a bottle just to review it here on Dramface. Fast forward only a few weeks from this blind tasting and the newer, black label Bowmore’s went on discount so I thought I would pull the trigger. After enjoying the first couple drams and mentioning it to my friends, one pulled out an older white label iteration and this comparison was born.

Review 1/3

Bowmore 15yo, Sherry Oak Cask, Official bottling, newer ‘black label’ branding, 43% ABV
CAD$130 paid on discount (£70) UK retail typically £75 - £95

The new new. Great looking label and I love the touch of flair the little swoosh brings to the top of the bottle. Is the new juice worth the squeeze though? Let’s take a look.

In case you’re wondering, here is the marketing lingo on the back of the box:

Bowmore 15 year old Sherry Oak Cask embraces another layer of distinctly ripe, yet elegant sweetness to our signature style, with an initial maturation in first-fill European Oak Oloroso sherry casks and confident richness from a further selective maturation in first-fill European Oak Oloroso sherry casks. This allows our expressive signature style, natural smoke, and minerality to combine alongside a woodier, sweeter, and fruitier finish.

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*The ‘Campbeltown’ of Islay?*

Nose

Well that’s a surprise. Some surprising funk here. Oil soaked wood benches. Tarry dockside ropes. Fudgy baked dates. Dark chocolate. Baked raisins. Chocolate covered mango and papaya. Raw Brazil nuts.

Palate

Distinctively Oloroso casks involved here, but quite a decent weight on the tongue at only 43%. Mango and papaya again, but more along the lines of nicely ripe. And you just dipped them in dark chocolate. Sawn cedar. Baked dates again. Background cinnamon and clove keep this from being too sweet. The finish is quite long and is a nice decline of sweet, fruity, and cinnamon notes. Highly drinkable stuff.

The Dregs

This is between 6 and 7 for me. Ya, it’s that close folks. I bet if I tossed this in front of most people blind, they’d be asking for another pour. And most would not believe it’s a Bowmore to boot. It is missing some of the magic little extra things that would garner an illustrious 7/10 from me, but this is most definitely a 6.6/10. This is highly quaffable, drinkable stuff and, combined with the pleasantly long finish, I was frankly surprised. I’d written off Bowmore many many years ago, finding their older bottlings unpalatable and worthy of cooking whisky (I drained 80% of a bottle making preserved Christmas cakes).

But this new iteration has turned me around. Perked me up. I’m now curious about the cheaper, but potentially dark horse Bowmore 12 yo Sherry Cask (black label), but I’m hesitant with its 40% abv. I’ll probably wait to sample that one for I’m wary about ruining my rekindled interest in Islay’s most shamed distillery.

There is a level of ripe tropical fruit that is hard to find in most modern whiskies here, and also a funkiness on the nose that holds a modicum of intrigue. This bucks the trend of typical Islay whiskies with subtle smoke and a surprising funkiness on the nose that is reminiscent of Campbeltown whiskies.

Score: 6/10

Review 2/3

Bowmore 15yo, Official bottling, previous ‘white label’ branding, Canadian market labelling, 43% ABV
UK retail typically £75

I’m grateful I didn’t need to buy this; it’s generously ‘on loan’ from a friend.

Score: 3/10

**Disappointing.**
***TL;DR***
*Acrid and burnt, don’t even buy on discount*

Nose

Tones of wet peat smoke. Touch of acrid coal dust. Slightly sour sweetness. Cooked dates.

Palate

Thin entry. Burnt caramel. Light touch of wet earthy peat. Sourness creeps in, much like sour cherries. Barest hints of dark chocolate covered mango’s peeking out from under the peat and caramel. After successive sips, I don’t want to finish the glass, a telling sign.

The Dregs

Don’t trust me on this one? Our Charlie reviewed a very similar 15yo earlier, awarding it a lowly 3/10. I’m not up to speed on my Bowmore label variations so it could be that my loaned bottle here is older or just simply a North American variation. This walks the line of a 3 or a 4 for me. I think I will round down because these are not cheap and, lacking a decent drinking experience, have several facets that I deem to be detractors or flaws - and this is discontinued. So even if you spy it on clearance blowout pricing, don’t do it. Spend it elsewhere. I will say that this older discontinued release is significantly peatier than the newer iteration.

Score: 3/10

Review 3/3 - Bonus Review

Bowmore Vaults Edit1on, Atlantic Sea Salt, Official bottling, 2017 release, 51.5% ABV
Largely sold out but occasionally available, UK retail typically £75

A bonus review! Why did I include this one you might think? Well, this is perhaps one of the more reputable Bowmores of the previous generations and I wanted to see how it compared to the 15 yo’s, and also if there are direct connections to the Bowmore spirit.

We’ve reviewed this one before; twice in fact! Our Charlie took a swing at it in early 2025, awarding it a 6/10 and my Aussie spirit animal Tyree awarded it a prestigious 7/10 in his Tour of Islay mega review.

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*Bowmore’s DNA laid bare, albeit youthful*

Nose

Salty. Whiff of bright wood smoke blowing alongside a seashore. Undertones of vanilla and oak. This is a pure smelling whisky. There are some underlying aromatic spices as well, much like tossing spices into a hot pan and that near instant effusion of lovely smells.

Palate

Great entry. Bright and fresh. Peppery tickles anchor the bright peach, saline, and underlying wood smoke. Toasted oak. Retronasal helps bring some mango and vanilla into the experience. It is a smidge peppery for the ABV but I don’t mind in this instance, it doesn’t get in the way.

Objectively simple sounding, but ultra clean in the experience.

The Dregs

Why did I wait to open this? I’ve had it for two years and have no excuse. Well maybe because I have too many whiskies. Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone that is such a thing! This is bright, fresh, and dare I say pure unfettered whisky. It does present as somewhat youthful but it does show glimmers of Bowmore’s tropical notes. This is a DNA whisky with nothing fancy but the core attributes laid bare for all to enjoy and links to their core range are evident. It is youthful and a little jagged around the edges, but well worth a foray if you find one in the wild, collecting dust on a random shelf for a decent price.

Score: 6/10

The Final Dregs

So is Bowmore back? It’s hard to answer that question off the back of a single whisky, but I’d wager that they have most definitely changed trajectory and are working back towards a product that is worthy of their name and legacy. It would appear that the rebrand was not a simple Botox facelift, but rather a change in quality of the whisky inside too. The pricing is about on par with other heavily sherried 15 year olds such as Glenallachie and I generally don’t fuss about the missing ABV when the mouthfeel and finish are as good as this one.

What have been your experiences with Bowmore? Did you get along with the older white label versions? Have you tried these new iterations? Do you think Bowmore is back? Let us know in the comments below because I’m just one person and your feedback is just as important for others reading Dramface and looking for recommendations.

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. BB

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