Bowmore 15 Years
The Bowmore for after dinner. The final three years in Oloroso sherry casks make it dark, warm and full-bodied: raisins, chocolate and toffee, with the house's gentle peat smoke draped over it like a blanket.
Where smoke and sherry meet
Bowmore 15 Years begins its life in bourbon casks and spends its final three years in casks that previously held Oloroso sherry. This finish is what sets it apart from the 12 Years: the whisky takes on a deep, sienna-red color and rich flavors of raisins, chocolate, toffee and cedarwood, while the peat smoke softens.
It is also bottled at a higher strength: 43% compared to 40% for the 9 and 12 Years. That little extra gives it more texture and a longer, warming finish. The result is a whisky that strikes a balance between smoky and warm, fruity and robust, making it the natural next step for anyone who already knows the 12 Years.
At a glance
Dark, rounded and warming
Raisins and cedar
Dried fruit and sherry-soaked raisins, with cedarwood and a soft layer of smoke. Richer and darker than the younger Bowmores.
Chocolate and toffee
Full and rounded, with chocolate, toffee and gentle peat smoke. The sherry makes it sweeter without making it cloying.
Long and warm
A warming, long finish in which chocolate and smoke fade together. Exactly what you want after dinner.
Bowmore 15 Years' flavor profile neat. A few drops of water bring out the raisins and cedarwood.
How to taste Bowmore 15 Years
This is a whisky to take your time over. Drink it neat or with a few drops of water, and feel free to have a piece of dark chocolate alongside.
Neat, after dinner
Pour 4 cl into a tulip-shaped tasting glass and let it sit for a few minutes. Smell near the rim first for the sherry, then deeper in the glass for the smoke. Take small sips and hold them in your mouth for a moment.
Glass: tasting glass →With chocolate
Let a piece of dark chocolate, around 70%, melt on your tongue first, then take a sip of whisky. The cocoa and Oloroso enhance each other, and the smoke takes on a hint of roasted coffee.
Glass: tumbler →In a Boulevardier
30 ml Bowmore 15, 30 ml Campari and 30 ml red vermouth, stirred over ice and strained into a chilled coupe. The sherry and smoke round out the bitterness and add depth.
Boulevardier recipe →Stirred cocktails with Bowmore 15
No sours or highballs for this bottle, but stirred, dark cocktails where the sherry and smoke take center stage.
Boulevardier
Whisky, Campari and red vermouth. Deeper and smokier with Bowmore 15.
Smoky Manhattan
Whisky, red vermouth and bitters. The Oloroso pairs beautifully with the vermouth.
Godfather
Whisky with amaretto on ice. Raisin and almond, dessert in a glass.
Scotch Coffee
Hot coffee, brown sugar and thick cream, with Bowmore instead of Irish whiskey.The right glass for Bowmore 15 Years
A tulip-shaped tasting glass or a small cognac glass keeps the sherry and smoke together. For stirred cocktails, use a coupe or a heavy tumbler.
More flavors of Bowmore
Bowmore
Where it all began. Read all about Bowmore on the brand page: origins, varieties and classic cocktails.
Go to Bowmore →
Bowmore 9 Years
Young Islay whisky from sherry casks: smoke with dried fruit and chocolate. Great neat as an introduction, and excellent in cocktails.
View Bowmore 9 Years →
Bowmore 18 Years
Smooth and refined: ripe fruit and dark chocolate, with smoke whispering in the background.
View Bowmore 18 Years →
Bowmore 21 Years Sherry Cask
Twenty-one years in sherry casks: smoke, sherry and ripe fruit, with molasses and tobacco. For a special occasion.
View Bowmore 21 Years Sherry Cask →Questions about Bowmore 15 Years
Can't find your question here? Read more on the Bowmore page or check out our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Bowmore →What is the alcohol content of Bowmore 15 Years?
What's the difference between Bowmore 12 and 15 Years?
Is Bowmore 15 Years smoky?
What's the best way to drink Bowmore 15 Years?
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Buy Bowmore 15 Years
Want the bottle delivered straight to your door? Order Bowmore 15 Years online from Gall & Gall.
Prices as of November 3, 2026, as provided by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; it costs you nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
