Skip to main content

Bowmore Releases Vintner’s Trilogy, Marrying the Best of Wine and Whisky

bowmore
We’re big fans of Bowmore Scotch whisky here at The Manual. Remember that $25,000 Bowmore release? We do. This is why we were so excited when it was announced that Bowmore would be releasing a new trilogy of whiskies between this year and next named the Vintner’s Trilogy.

The whiskies, all aged Bowmore’s storied No. 1 Vaults, were matured in a mix of ex-wine, sherry, and port casks (in addition to ex-bourbon barrels).

Related Videos

The unique, sea-buffeted atmosphere inside one of the oldest scotch maturation warehouses in the world has created three perfectly balanced whiskies full of flavor, with each whisky offering an individual taste journey through their time maturing in manzanilla sherry, wine, bourbon and Islay malt casks, Bowmore distillery manager David Turner said in a statement.

Bowmore 18 Years Old Double Matured Manzanilla

The first two releases are an 18-year-old and a 26-year-old. The Bowmore 18 Years Old Double Matured Manzanilla is aged in both ex-bourbon barrels and ex-manzanilla sherry barrels. On the nose, you’ll find salted caramel, blackcurrants, stone fruits, and vanilla fudge notes that melt into a palate of bitter orange and peat smoke. It comes in at 52.5 percent ABV will retail for around $127.

Bowmore 26 Years Old Wine Barriques Matured

The Bowmore 26 Years Old Wine Barriques Matured spent the first 13 years of its maturing process in ex-bourbon barrels followed by a second thirteen years in wine barriques (barriques typically hold 59 gallons). This gives the full-bodied whisky a nose rife with redcurrant jam, camphor, cherry pie, and smoke, and a palate of spiced oak and tropical fruits intermingle with earthy smoke on the nose, developing into spiced oak, tropical fruits such as papaya and mango and a honeyed sweetness with the addition of water. A full-bodied whisky, on the palate the flavors develop into oak spiced smoke and rich dark chocolate with a long finish and a hint of salt typical of Bowmore.

Bottled at 48.7 percent ABV with a suggested retail price of $540. Both whiskies are bottled at cask strength.

You may be saying, “But you said trilogy. Where is the third whisky?”

The third whisky in the trilogy, a 27-year-old expression, will be released in fall 2018. (Need some more aged Scotch in the mean time? You could still try to get your hands on a bottle of this 40-year-old Dalmore.)

Feature image courtesy of Bowmore.

Editors' Recommendations

Warm up with these 10 stellar Tiki cocktails
From tropical fruit to vibrant colors, these delicious Tiki drinks will knock your socks off
mai tai

Tiki culture is a wealth of riches, not to mention elaborate drinks. For the out of touch, it's mere escapism, a way to feel like you're somewhere warm and cozy. But for those in the know, Tiki is an art form, a genre, an entire culture.

It all began in the South Pacific and gradually spread to famous hotel bars and, ultimately, the best recipe books. Yes, it's a vacation in a glass, and that glass might just be a pineapple, coconut husk, shared bowl, or Tiki mug, but it's also a category of some of the most interesting drinks on the planet (with a devout following, we might add).

Read more
This is how to mix cocktails with honey for a flavorful drink
Honey is a great way to add a little sweetness and texture to a cocktail. Here's how to mix with the stuff.
Buckwheat Honey Old Fashioned on table.

Like tasty maple syrup or demerara, honey is a great cocktail ingredient that can impart flavor and sweetness. With much more character than, say, simple syrup, honey can improve drinks across the board, from a steaming Hot Toddy to a Bee's Knees cocktail.

We like a nice dose of honey in everything from a great hot cocktail to a classic bourbon creation like an Old Fashioned. But not just any honey will do and, often, you don't just want to throw it in last minute. Instead, honey can be prepped a bit so it can enter a drink seamlessly. Moreover, you can source some delicious higher-end honey that will offer lovely floral components and easy-to-mix-with flavors. Here's how to mix cocktails with honey.

Read more
The ultimate guide to world-class seafood paella, according to an executive chef
Chef Miguel Molina of La Pulperia NYC shares his culinary insight on the perfect seafood paella
Paella from La Pulperia.

Perfectly al-dente rice flush with fresh shellfish, a properly made seafood paella is one of the greatest foods in the world. This delicacy from Valencia, Spain, is the perfect dish for a festive gathering, a fun family meal, or a romantic dinner for two. While it can be made with poultry and game meat in Spain, some of the most popular versions of paella often lean heavily into seafood.

At La Pulperia, a pan-Latin American restaurant in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, they've mastered the seafood paella. Executive Chef Miguel Molina is a native of Guerrero, Mexico, and is lending his creativity and culinary background to the restaurant menu, which includes a stellar paella made with black squid ink. The food here is a blend of cultures, combining influences from Latin and South American countries like Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, creating totally distinctive flavor combinations. So what better guide is there to help us on the journey of making a world-class paella?
The foundation: The rice
Octopus paella from La Pulperia in NYC.

Read more