If there’s one Islay distillery which appeals to the imagination it must be Bowmore. We were one of the lucky guys who got the chance to visit the distillery back in 2018. Bowmore’s marketing strategy is on point, it was one of the distilleries I was really looking forward to.

What an experience, it’s the whole package, going round in the distillery during the tour, looking over Loch Indaal while sharing a dram. We wrote a whole article about the visit, make sure you check it out if you’re interested!

One of the things which impressed us the most were the so called vaults, we know most of Bowmore’s stock isn’t exactly stored right there, but it’s a fantastic location to see.

This First Release Vault Edition does reside there, according to their story. They say the sea is vital in determining the final character of the spirit, and the Atlantic Sea Salt spraying against their iconic sea-facing wall is a keynote in this release. Let’s see:

The (ofcourse) bright gold colour of this beautiful bottle fits perfectly well with the story. We can imagine the little ecosystem within the vaults makes this dram an outstanding representative of what the Bowmore Distillery has to offer with only the sea breeze and spray visiting the area. It’s a worthy opponent of the Bowmore Tempest and is giving lots and lots to the people. The fact that this release is part of the Vault Edition series makes it even more interesting. We’re already onto our third bottle, and with the Second Release ‘Peat Smoke’ decorating our shelves already we’re ready for more. Keep them coming Bowmore!