Bowmore 1988 / Bot.2017 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Luna Chavez — Lovely but hard to justify the price

7/10

Look, this is a genuinely excellent whisky. Honey, gentle smoke, maritime salinity, long warm finish. But £900 is a lot of money and I've had younger Bowmores that got me 80% of the way there for a quarter of the price. If someone else is pouring, absolutely — but I probably wouldn't buy another bottle myself.

Clara Johansson — Lovely but hard to justify the price

7/10

Look, this is a genuinely excellent whisky. Honey, gentle smoke, maritime salinity, long warm finish. But £900 is a lot of money and I've had younger Bowmores that got me 80% of the way there for a quarter of the price. If someone else is pouring, absolutely — but I probably wouldn't buy another bottle myself.

Tyler Bennet — Elegant old Bowmore

8/10

Had a dram of this at a whisky bar before committing to a bottle. It's refined Islay — the peat is there but it's wrapped in dark chocolate and stewed stone fruits. Thirty years in cask has smoothed everything out beautifully. I drink it neat and just slowly, because at £900 every sip counts.

Gianluca Ferro — Elegant old Bowmore

8/10

Had a dram of this at a whisky bar before committing to a bottle. It's refined Islay — the peat is there but it's wrapped in dark chocolate and stewed stone fruits. Thirty years in cask has smoothed everything out beautifully. I drink it neat and just slowly, because at £900 every sip counts.

Priya Sharma — Elegant old Bowmore

8/10

Had a dram of this at a whisky bar before committing to a bottle. It's refined Islay — the peat is there but it's wrapped in dark chocolate and stewed stone fruits. Thirty years in cask has smoothed everything out beautifully. I drink it neat and just slowly, because at £900 every sip counts.

Natasha Volkov — One of the best drams I've ever had

9/10

A friend brought this to our tasting group and it stopped the conversation. There's a richness to it — figs, dark toffee, gentle brine, and the smoke is so well integrated it just feels like warmth rather than peat. The 47.8% ABV is spot on, strong enough to carry the complexity without any burn. Genuinely memorable whisky.