Bowmore Black Rock Whisky will open your eyes to new ideas of what an Islay single-malt Whisky can be.
The Bowmore Distillery is one of the oldest in all of Scotland and lies on the Isle of Islay, on the banks of the Western coastline. The sea brings it its famous character, which in combination with peat gives birth to one of the most recognized flavours in the Whisky World.
The techniques that Bowmore employs have remained the same for centuries. The water they use is from the adjacent Laggan river, the kiln is heated with Islay peat and they still use the traditional wooden malt shovel to turn the barley
Islay is special. For centuries, all they had was the local barley, clear spring water, cut and dried peat to heat their homes, and the sea … always there was the sea. If you take all that and wring it into a barrel, you get Bowmore … a Whisky spirit that clings to the memory of the barley, the peat, and the sea.
The Black Rock of Islay rises jaggedly out of the waters of Loch Indaal in full view of the Bowmore Distillery. It’s namesake—Bowmore Black Rock Whisky—is a twist on the classic Bowmore single-malt Islay whisky. It has a deep, bronze color that it gets from aging in Sherry casks. And that means that this smoky dram has a sweeter side.
Make no mistake … if you are a fan of Islay Whisky—and Bowmore in particular—you will NOT be disappointed. All of the savory “sea-spray-smokiness” that you expect form a premium Islay Whisky is there. But those old Sherry casks work a magic on the spirit that refuses to be ignored. The result is an intense, yet balanced savory-smoky-sweetness that will open your eyes to new ideas of what an Islay single-malt Whisky can be.