Bowmore 15 Year Old Mariner Screen Print 75cl 1990s

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.

The Mariner is a 15 year old expression, introduced to the distillery's core range in the early 1990s. This version of the product was produced until 2007 when it was repackaged as a travel retail exclusive alongside the 17 year old and popular Cask Strength offering. All three were eventually discontinued in 2014.

These famous screen print bottlings were introduced in 1988, following the rebranding of the Stanley P. Morrison company as Morrison Bowmore Distillers, and the revamping of their distillery core ranges as a result. The classic 12 year old was joined at the time by the first appearance of the Bowmore 10 year old, with this, the travel retail Surf, Cask Strength and 17 year old added in the 1990s.