Bowmore distillery is offering a rare opportunity to its fans in the lead-up to Christmas 2023. Two whiskies, previously available only to distillery visitors, are being made available by ballot in early December.
The first bottle available is the Bowmore The Distiller’s Anthology 01, a 1996 vintage 25 year old whisky paying homage to David Turner, Bowmore’s Distillery Manager.
Secondly, the Bowmore Fèis Ìle 2023 Release will be available. An 18 year old whisky bottled to celebrate the annual Fèis Ìle festival held on Islay.
Bowmore The Distiller’s Anthology 01
The Bowmore Distiller’s Anthology 01 was matured for 25 years and feature Oloroso sherry influence that produces note of fruit cake, dark chocolate, and cherries as well as Bowmore’s characteristic peat smoke. The whisky was bottled at 50.2% ABV.
David Turner, whom the release celebrates, has worked at Bowmore distillery for his entire working life, entering the business at the age of 16 in 1990. Only 3516 bottles were produced. Each bottle that is won in the ballot will be signed by Turner, adding further rarity to the whisky.
Despite only being available from the distillery shop, the Bowmore Distiller’s Anthology 01 has found its way onto the secondary market through whisky auctions. The bottle is currently averaging around £400-£500
Bowmore Fèis Ìle 2023 Release
The second bottle to be made available is the Bowmore Fèis Ìle 2023 Release. Fèis Ìle is an annual whisky festival that is held on Islay. Islay distilleries including Laphroaig, Ardbeg, and Bowmore host tastings and tours. There is also live music and beach days, making Fèis Ìle an unmissable event for whisky fans.
Bowmore releases a limited Fèis Ìle whisky annually to coincide with the festival. The Fèis Ìle 2023 Release is an 18 year old whisky matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and bottled at 52.8% ABV. Just 3,500 bottles were released.
The tasting notes for this limited edition whisky feature salted caramel, brandy butter, and spices with smoke on the finish.
At auction, the Bowmore Fèis Ìle 2023 Release is averaging between £130-£200.
Watch Our Latest Videos
What do you think of the new Highland Park rebrand?
The Ballot
Both of these limited Bowmore bottles will be available via ballot, which opens on 30th November and closes on December 4th. Those who are lucky enough to win the chance to purchase one (or both) of the bottles will be notified on the same day. A maximum of 2 bottles per person are available.
There are no prices listed on the page currently. As ballot entrants will have to provide card details, it is assumed that the prices of the bottles will be available to view once the ballot opens.
If you are interested in entering the ballot, you can read more on Bowmore’s website.
