12 Year Old Screen Print 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 prior (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.

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. This classic 12 year old was joined at the time by the first appearance of the Bowmore 10 year old, with the Mariner, Cask Strength and 17 year old added in the 1990s. Interestingly, screen print bottlings in the same aesthetic were designed for Glen Garioch and Authentoshan too, but were never put into production.