North Star Bowmore 11 Year Old
Key Facts About This Single Malt Scotch
Bottler: North Star Spirits
Founder: Ian Croucher
Distillery: Bowmore
Region: Islay, Scotland
Age: 11 years old
Distilled: February 2015
Bottled: March 2026
Cask Type: Bourbon barrel
Alcohol by Volume: Cask strength, 56.1%
Outturn: 163 bottles
Bottled: Natural colour and without chill filtration
Bottle Size: 700ml
Bowmore 11 Year Old Tasting Notes
Nose: A half-used Cuban cigar down the back of a Chesterfield (in a good way).
Palate: Liquorice & aniseed hard sweets with a waft of smoky fruits.
Finish: Salty, peppery, gingery lemon slice.
About this North Star Whisky
This Bowmore 11 Year Old from North Star Spirits, founded by Ian Croucher, is a bold and characterful Islay single malt that captures Bowmore’s distinctive balance between smoke, fruit, and coastal influence.
Distilled in February 2015 and bottled in March 2026, this whisky has been matured in a bourbon barrel, a cask choice that allows the distillery’s signature style to shine through with clarity. Bowmore is often recognised for its more elegant, fruit-forward peat style, sitting somewhere between the medicinal intensity of southern Islay and the lighter coastal malts of the north.
At 11 years old, this is Bowmore in a vibrant, energetic phase - where the peat is still fresh and expressive, but beginning to integrate with developing fruit and oak character. The bourbon cask adds gentle vanilla sweetness and structure, without masking the whisky’s natural complexity.
On the nose, the whisky opens with a distinctive and slightly nostalgic note, a half-used Cuban cigar resting in worn leather, giving way to a mix of smoke and subtle sweetness. The palate brings liquorice and aniseed sweets to the fore, alongside a soft wave of smoky fruit that adds depth and intrigue. The finish is classic Islay: salty, peppery, and bright, with a gingery lemon note that lifts the smoke and leaves a clean, lingering impression.
Bottled at cask strength, with natural colour and without chill filtration, this is a whisky that delivers intensity, texture, and personality in equal measure. With an outturn of just 163 bottles, it remains a tightly limited release.
A lively and expressive Bowmore: smoky, slightly savoury, and beautifully balanced with fruit and spice.
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Meet The Founder
Iain Croucher