[Serious Black] The Divine Balance of Peat and Sherry, Whispered by the Bloodline of the Legendary “Black Bowmore”
2026.10.05
In short: Bowmore 12 Year Old Sherry Oak, said to carry the spirit of the legendary Black Bowmore — dried fruit and dark chocolate from sherry casks, balanced with Bowmore’s soft peat smoke and sea salt. Plus a memory of the Black Bowmore that got away at the distillery shop around 2008. From Bar Little Happiness, Hiroshima.
The much-talked-about Bowmore 12 Year Old Sherry Oak has arrived!
If you love Islay, this is one bottle you can’t miss.
It isn’t just a limited release: Bowmore, the queen of Islay malts, is said to have given it the spirit of the ultra-rare “Black Bowmore.”
Why is it so talked about, and why does everyone want it? Let me share the reasons!
The black legacy and the secret of its divine balance
Bowmore Distillery is a venerable distillery founded in 1779.
Its philosophy is “perfect balance, where every element lifts the others to their best.”
A “depth of black” that impresses from the very look of it
You can’t talk about Bowmore without the legendary, ultra-rare “Black Bowmore.”
Released in the 1990s and matured for a long time in deep oloroso sherry casks, “Black Bowmore” — with its overwhelming richness and concentrated taste — is now an ultimate legacy that commands extraordinary prices.
The new bottle design of this 12 Year Old Sherry Cask seems to inherit that “black legacy,” sending expectations through the roof just from the look of it!
A “divine balance” of peat and sweetness
What Islay malt lovers want from a sherry cask is for peaty smoke and fruity sweetness to sit together perfectly without clashing.
This bottle is truly “divine” at exactly that!
[Official tasting notes]
Nose: dried fruits from the sherry cask (raisin, fig, date); bitter sweetness like dark chocolate and cacao; Bowmore’s characteristic soft peat smoke and sea salt
Palate: ripe plum, orange peel and a rich, toffee-like sweetness; with the depth of the sherry cask, Bowmore’s saltiness and smoke coexist
Nutty toastiness and spice (cinnamon, clove) in the middle
Finish: long, smoky bittersweetness, with an aftertaste of dark chocolate and salted caramel
(At Bowmore Distillery around 2008. Black Bowmore was on sale in the shop. I had so many bottles to ship that it wouldn’t fit in the box, so I gave up on it. I should have dropped the others and bought the Black Bowmore…)
Come and check out the much-talked-about taste with us at Bar Little Happiness 🥃
Every encounter is meant to be. Welcome to the world of Rum&Whisky.
Mika Tanimoto, Bar Little Happiness
[About the author]
Mika Tanimoto
CEO, Little.m Inc. / Owner-bartender
Since 2006, I have run Bar Little Happiness, a whisky and rum bar in Nagarekawa, Hiroshima. I visit distilleries in Japan and around the world and write about the people who make the spirits. Recipient of the Hiroshima City Excellent Skilled Worker Award.
“Whisky and rum taste even better when you know the hearts of the people who make them.”
[Visit the bar] 📍 Bar Little Happiness
Rolling Nagarekawa 1F, 5-14 Nagarekawa-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima
Mon–Sat 7:00 pm – 12:30 am / Sun 7:00 pm – 12:00 am (closed when I travel to visit distilleries)
No cover charge, no reservation needed
