Bowmore 21 Years Sherry Cask
Twenty-one-year-old Islay whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 46.8% ABV. Smoke, sherry, and ripe fruit, with molasses and tobacco, in one glass: the bottle for a special evening or the collector's cabinet.
Old, strong, and all sherry
Bowmore 21 Years Sherry Cask matures for twenty-one years in sherry casks. You can taste that in the glass: sherry, ripe and dark fruit, molasses, and tobacco alongside the subtle Islay peat that characterizes Bowmore, with a salty, maritime undertone. Smoke, sherry, and fruit come together in one bottle.
Two things set it apart from the rest of the range. It is the oldest, and it is the strongest: 46.8% compared with 43% for the 15 and 18 Years. The higher strength gives it more texture and means you can open up much more with a few drops of water. While the 15 Years spends three years in Oloroso sherry casks after twelve years in ex-bourbon casks, the 21 spends its entire maturation in sherry casks.
In brief
Layer after layer: peat, sherry, and tobacco
Dark fruit
Ripe and dried fruit and the sweet aroma of sherry, underpinned by soft peat smoke and a hint of salt.
Molasses and tobacco
Full and rich: molasses, sherry, and tobacco, balanced by subtle Islay smoke. The 46.8% ABV adds weight without burning.
Long and maritime
A very long finish in which sherry sweetness, smoke, and a salty note continue to alternate.
Tasting profile of Bowmore 21 Years Sherry Cask neat. With a few drops of water, the fruit and tobacco open up further.
Tasting a 21-year-old whisky
Here, the glass matters more than the recipe. Take your time, start neat and then add water step by step.
First neat
Pour 3 cl into a tulip-shaped tasting glass and let it breathe for ten minutes. Take a small sip, hold it for a moment and notice how the smoke appears only after the sherry sweetness.
Glass: tasting glass →Then with water
Add two or three drops of cold water with a pipette or straw and taste again. At 46.8%, that makes a big difference: tobacco and dark fruit emerge, while the alcohol recedes.
Glass: tasting glass →Next to the 15 Years
Place it next to a glass of Bowmore 15 Years. This lets you taste the difference between a sherry finish and full maturation in sherry casks, and what six extra years and a higher strength do.
Bowmore 15 Years →Cocktails? At most one
We would not mix a whisky of this age ourselves. If you still want to make something, stick to stirred classics with few additions, in small quantities.
Old Fashioned
Whisky, a teaspoon of sugar and bitters over one large ice cube. This bottle needs nothing more.
Manhattan
Whisky with sweet vermouth and bitters. The sherry complements the vermouth.
Godfather
Whisky with a splash of amaretto over ice. Keep the amaretto to a minimum.
Rusty Nail
Scotch with honey whisky liqueur. A classic from the era when old Scotch was still mixed.The right glass for Bowmore 21 Years
A tulip-shaped tasting glass with a narrow opening is the only real choice for drinking neat. A small cognac glass also works; for a stirred cocktail, use a heavy tumbler or coupe.
More Bowmore flavors
Bowmore
Where it all began. On the brand page, you'll find everything about Bowmore: its origins, varieties and classic cocktails.
Go to Bowmore →
Bowmore 9 Years
Young Islay from sherry casks: smoke with dried fruit and chocolate. Great neat for beginners, and excellent in cocktails.
View Bowmore 9 Years →
Bowmore 15 Years
Three years in Oloroso makes it dark and warm: raisin, chocolate and toffee with gentle peat. For after dinner.
View Bowmore 15 Years →
Bowmore 18 Years
Smooth and refined: ripe fruit and dark chocolate, with the smoke whispering in the background.
View Bowmore 18 Years →Questions about Bowmore 21 Years Sherry Cask
Can't find your question here? Read more on the Bowmore page or check out our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Bowmore →