The Vintner's Trilogy was a three-bottle series Bowmore released exploring the influence of different wine casks across an aged profile. The collection comprised a 10 Year Old finished in Spanish Inquisition (the first release), this 18 Year Old finished in Manzanilla sherry casks, and a 26 Year Old finished in French wine casks. The Manzanilla 18 was the centrepiece, and it is the bottling most often discussed when the trilogy comes up.
Manzanilla is a particular kind of Fino sherry, aged under flor in the cool cellars of Sanlúcar de Barrameda on the Atlantic coast of Andalucía. The flor — a layer of yeast on the surface of the wine — protects the sherry from oxidation and gives it its hallmark dry, saline, almost briny character. As a finishing cask for an Islay whisky already shaped by sea air, it is a thoughtful pairing rather than an obvious one.
Bowmore matured the spirit predominantly in bourbon and Oloroso sherry hogsheads before transferring it to Manzanilla casks for a finishing period. Bottled at 52.5% ABV and non-chill-filtered, it has the weight to carry the dryness of the wood. The peat is gentle — Bowmore's house style — and the Manzanilla amplifies the coastal note rather than perfuming it.
It is a serious bottling, and priced accordingly. For drinkers who like their Islay whiskies dry and savoury rather than sweet, this is one of the more rewarding wine-finished Bowmores of recent years.
