Your gifting concierge | Bowmore

A Bowmore for all occasions

Now you know a little more about the art of gifting, it’s time to choose a whisky. Though no Bowmore expression will lead you astray, two stand out to me as being especially gift-worthy. While young and spritely Bowmores like the Feis Ile 2025 Release have lots to enjoy, for me the distillery really comes into its own as it gets a little older.

18 Year Old

A whisky I quite literally have open on my sideboard at all times, the permanent collection’s 18-year-old strikes the perfect balance of complexity and easy-drinking. Delivering much of the nuance and complexity of significantly older whiskies in the distillery’s line-up, it has undeniable appeal for whisky connoisseurs but will not intimidate less experienced tasters. It’s precious, yes, but not so much that the recipient should feel the need to ration it. Its permanent availability also makes the 18-year-old well suited to repeat, annual gifting, allowing you to build your own tradition.

Tasting notes

Nose: Dried fruit — think raisins, sultanas, and apricots — with chopped almond and desiccated coconut. There’s medjool date, dried prunes and milk chocolate. A little toffee and just a touch of black cherry. Polished oak and delicate woodsmoke.

Palate: Medium-full bodied. Cacao nibs and espresso give way to candied orange and ginger. Black cherry jam and damson plum jam. Smoked almond and black olive.

Finish: Medium-long, on cacao nib and caramel.

Comments: A whisky that can be enjoyed without deep analysis but plays with the best in this age bracket when slowly contemplated. This is a sideboard staple.

18YO Coates

Bowmore Whisky Dram

Bowmore 30 Years Old

A spirit that once tasted, is never forgotten. It’s well known that Bowmore’s delicately smoky distillate comes into its own once it passes 30 years old, as its legendary tropical fruit notes begin to take centre stage. The annual releases of Bowmore 30 Years Old balances supreme elegance and complexity in the glass with beautiful presentation, making it the ultimate gift for the whisky connoisseur.

Tasting notes

Nose: A core of beeswax is backed by citrus top notes of Sicilian lemon and chinotto orange. This is supported by dark fruit and almond, reminiscent of blackberry compote and Maraschino liqueur, with a cup of cassia seed tea. There’s mint leaf, specifically perilla, a little fresh thyme, and just a touch of aromatic cedarwood. Bass notes offer a touch of natural, light-roast coffee bean, black treacle, vanilla pod, and oiled leather. Wafting through it all is ephemeral ash and wood smoke.

Palate: Bottled at perfect drinking strength, the body is medium-full, and balances concentrated ripe tropical fruit with dark berries and a distinctive umami note. Earthy papaya and stewed blackberries emerge first, revealing overripe mango and pineapple with time. Lemon oils dance atop dark miso and cinder toffee, with the rich, nutty smoke of a well-aged cigar and a touch of roasted chestnut rounding out the palate.

Finish: Long, with delicate smoked almond, dark chocolate, and hint of cloud ear mushroom umami.

Comments: Immensely complex, it’s a dram best savoured slowly, if one can resist long enough. This whisky wears its age well, striking the perfect balance between age, oak, and spirit character.

The entourage effect

They say good things come in threes, and I’m a firm believer that this applies to gifts. As we get older, I think it’s fair to say the number of gifts we receive tends to go down, even if their value might (if we’re lucky) go up.

In my household, we generally give smaller presents in the run-up to the ‘main’ gift, and far from being a tactic of delayed gratification, I think complimentary gifts have an important role to play in the experience when chosen with intention. I call this the ‘entourage effect’.

Though some might say less is more, there’s an undeniable joy that comes from receiving a clutch of well-wrapped parcels, and helping the recipient recapture a youthful thrill as they build toward their final gift is easier than you might think.

As with any pairing, finding complementary items is key to success here.

Read "The lost art of gifting" by Christopher Coates

18YO

Something for the mind

It will come as no surprise to you that, though a writer by trade, I am first and foremost a reader. Whisky appreciation goes hand in hand with learning and reflection, and reading widely around the subject of whisky is undoubtedly the best way to deepen one’s appreciation for the spirit.

For the newcomer: The World Of Whisky by Felipe Schrieberg

Published this year, Felipe’s latest book offers the newcomer and enthusiast alike a thorough grounding in world of whisky, summarising the spirit’s history before profiling the pre-eminent distillers of Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Japan, the USA, and the rest of the world. Cloth bound and packed with excellent photographs, this tome is an educational primer disguised as a coffee-table book.

For the established enthusiast: The Story of Whisky by Charles Maclean & Gavin D. Smith

An engaging read charting a fairly comprehensive history of whisky from the origins of distillation to today, The Story of Whisky is as entertaining as it is insightful, promising to impart knowledge to even the established enthusiast. Penned by two of the whisky world’s most experienced authors and presented in an attractive coffee-table format, it’ll deepen the enthusiast’s appreciation for whisky while looking good on the sideboard, too.

For the collector: Collecting Scotch Whisky by Emmanuel Dron

An immensely in-depth tome covering more than 2,500 rare bottles, this illustrated encyclopaedia contains in excess of 12,500 photographs and is the result of countless hours of work by the lauded whisky collector Emmanuel Dron. As much a reference guide as a coffee-table centrepiece, Collecting Scotch Whisky is both a useful tool for the collector and a genuinely fascinating read for the enthusiast looking to brush up their knowledge of old bottlings and labels.

For all whisky appreciators: Whisky Magazine membership

It would be remiss of me not to mention Whisky Magazine, the title I’ve worked for since 2013. Founded in the late 1990s with the mission of ‘celebrating the whiskies of the world’, each edition includes distillery focus features; interviews with distillers, blenders, and bartenders; blind tasting reviews; production deep-dives; and a regular column by yours truly. Published six times per year, it’s a year-round gift and perfect for those looking to deepen their knowledge of the spirit.

Something for the spirit

All whisky enthusiasts know that the glass can make or break a dram. A great piece of delicate crystal can elevate the experience, while something too thick or large can mask the aroma and distract from the mouthfeel. I recommend supplying a pair of glasses with every bottle gifted — one for the recipient, and one for whomever they choose to share a dram with. (It also covers for inevitable breakages.)

For the newcomer: The Cut Glencairn Gift Set

An elevated form of the quintessential whisky glass we all know well, these heavyset mouth blown and hand-cut crystal Glencairn glasses offer the weight and visual appeal of a crystal tumbler while remaining true to the classic whisky glass design. No aficionado’s sideboard should be without them.

For the established enthusiast: The Riedel Sommelier’s Single Malt Whisky Glass

Designed in the early 1990s, this design actually pre-dates the Glencairn Glass by several years and demonstrates a different approach to the experience of nosing and tasting. Handcrafted from ultrathin crystal, its delicate edge makes it especially pleasant to drink from, while its elongated design does a fine job of holding and concentrating aromas. This is the choice for the established enthusiast looking to experience something a little different.

For the collector: The 1920s Professional Blender’s Glass

Modelled on the hand-blown blender’s glasses of the 1920s, this glass is visually striking and offers a more concentrated aroma experience than any other glass I’ve tried to date, making it especially suited to the nosing of delicate old whiskies. For the same reason, I generally advise against nosing higher-strength drams with this glass. Aside from being a useful tool for nosing old and rare whisky, its striking design offers undeniable novelty and visual appeal.

Bowmore whisky in a glass

Something for the chill

Wool is perhaps Scotland’s second most iconic product after whisky, and I find a gift of one is never harmed by the addition of the other. Whether a scarf, blanket, or throw, I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t appreciate receiving a yard of cloth, and for the whisky lover, look no further than the artisanal crafts of Islay Woollen Mill. First opened in 1883 and reopened in 1981, the mill is located at Bridgend and well worth a visit while on Islay

Inner of a whisky cask

The gift of time

For those closest to you, time spent together is often the greatest gift of all. And the ultimate expression of this for the whisky lover is a shared pilgrimage to Islay. An itinerary tucked inside the box behind the bottle can transform the gifted spirit from a dram shared into a taste of what’s to come — and a promise of time to be well spent together. Bowmore Distillery is ready to welcome you with a range of unforgettable experiences, should you take the time to visit.

Whatever your gifting plans this festive season, and whether you’ll reach Islay in person or only in spirit, be sure to take the time to give well this winter, and gift with intention. Those closest to you will never forget it.