Bowmore’s delight as it scoops a host of gold medals

Bowmore has been awarded a host of medals in the whisky category at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2019.

There were gold medals for its 15-Year-Old and 18-Year-Olds, the 12-year-old, the 25-year-old, plus travel retail exclusives, as well as silvers for Bowmore 15-year-old and Bowmore 10-year-old Travel Retail Exclusive.

The Bowmore 15-Year-Old and 18-Year-Old passed a scrupulous blind tasting by a world-renowned expert panel of specialist judges to beat strong competition to win the prestigious accolade of gold. The quality of Bowmore’s craftsmanship and liquid is reflected in this superb result.

Matured first in bourbon barrels then Oloroso casks, it’s the final three years spent in Oloroso sherry casks that gives Bowmore 15-Year-Old the rich, deep colour and robust warming finish.

Bowmore was awarded a total of seven medals at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, including a coveted Double Gold for its 18-year-old expression.

The Bowmore 18-year-old, which scooped the much-coveted Double Gold for its masterful combination of ripe fruit, dark chocolate and Islay smoke. Cosseted away in the finest, hand-selected oak casks and allowed to mature at its own sedate pace, this bottle is one of the most remarkable, perfectly balanced single malt Scotch whiskies of its kind. One of the rarest whiskies, bottles of Bowmore 18-Year-Old may be limited, but there’s no end to its enjoyment.

Bowmore’s 15-year-old

Chiara Giovanacci, international marketing manager malts for Beam Suntory, said: ‘Both the Bowmore 15-year-old and Bowmore 18-year-old are exceptional whiskies meticulously matured and sitting proudly at the heart of our portfolio. To be recognised by such a prestigious and respected awards organisation demonstrates their qualities as two of the finest aged single malts in the world.’

Gold medals were also awarded to Bowmore’s 12-year-old and 25-year-old expressions, demonstrating the breadth of quality in the distillery’s production from one of its youngest core offerings to one of its oldest.

The 12-year-old is both complex and perfectly balanced with subtle lemon and sweet heather honey complementing Bowmore’s trademark peat smoke.

The 25-year-old offers a joyful union of toffee and hazelnut, bound together by sweet peat smoke. It is a whisky that has been patiently matured for a quarter of a century in North American bourbon and Spanish sherry casks and is exceptional even by Bowmore’s standards.

Alongside these awards for the core range, Bowmore’s 15-year-old and 18-year-old Travel Retail Exclusives also picked up gold medals.

Bowmore 15-year-old Travel Retail Exclusive is a golden and elegant whisky, exquisitely married in first fill Bourbon casks and hogsheads for a refreshing, inspired and uplifting character.

The Bowmore 12-year-old

Bowmore 18-year-old Travel Retail Exclusive is deep and complex. Perfectly balanced, with a dignified maturity through time well spent in the depths of the finest Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks.

David Turner, Bowmore Distillery manager, said: ‘San Francisco World Spirits Competition is one of the top awards for the industry so it’s an honour to have picked up so many medals across our range. To have been awarded Double Gold for our 18-year-old core expression is a moment I will forever be immensely proud of – it’s superb whisky and having it recognised like this really makes for a rewarding moment for everyone at the distillery.’

Alongside the Double Gold award and four Gold medals, Bowmore 15-year-old and Bowmore 10-year-old Travel Retail Exclusive also picked up Silver medals to round off an impressive showing from one of Scotland’s most esteemed distilleries.

Now in its 24th year, the ISC is the premier event in promoting outstanding quality spirits from across the globe. The competition is founded on a rigorous and independent judging process, which serves to encourage the high calibre of spirits and designs entered into the competition each year. Receiving more than 1,700 entries from nearly 70 countries worldwide, the ISC is a truly global competition. It is supported by many of the world’s leading spirits producers as the international standard for quality and excellence.

Awards organiser Justin Smith said: ‘This ISC grows every year, with producers entering a diverse mix of spirits from across the globe who are looking to benchmark their spirit at the very highest level.’