Bowmore 24 Year Old 1988 – Fèis Ìle 2013 Exclusive | First-Fill Bourbon Casks | 51% ABV | 300 Bottles | 70cl

Fèis Ìle — the Festival of Malt and Music — is Islay's annual celebration of the island's whisky heritage, drawing collectors and enthusiasts from around the world each May. Every distillery on the island releases a special expression exclusively for the festival, and these bottlings are among the most sought-after in the whisky calendar. This is Bowmore's 2013 Fèis Ìle release: a 1988 vintage, 24 years old, drawn from first-fill bourbon casks and bottled at 51% ABV with an outturn of just 300 bottles. The 1988 vintage places this in the widely celebrated late 1980s era for Bowmore distillate — the period most often cited by collectors and aficionados as among the finest in the distillery's modern history.

Key Details
- Distillery: Bowmore, Islay
- Expression: 1988 Vintage 24 Year Old — Fèis Ìle 2013 Exclusive
- Vintage: Distilled 1988
- Age: 24 Years Old
- Bottled: 2013
- Style: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Cask: First-fill bourbon casks
- Bottling strength: 51% ABV
- Bottle size: 70cl
- Outturn: 300 bottles
- Availability: Fèis Ìle festival exclusive — not available at retail
- Condition: Perfect, with original packaging

Tasting Notes
Nose: Tangy sea-salt and sweet vanilla open alongside coconut, ripe fruits, and orange rind — the full Bowmore coastal complexity in fine form, with gentle peat smoke and dark chocolate weaving through everything.
Palate: The first-fill bourbon casks shine here — concentrated vanilla, ripe tropical and orchard fruit, salted caramel, and the unmistakable Bowmore smoke and brine. Rich, layered, and beautifully poised at 51% ABV.
Finish: Long and coastal — peat smoke, dark chocolate, orange, and sea-salt fading slowly and leaving a lasting impression.

Why This Bottle Is Worth Bidding On
- Fèis Ìle exclusives are among the most collectible category of Islay whisky — produced specifically for the festival, not available at retail, and disappearing from the secondary market with every passing year.
- With only 300 bottles produced, this is a particularly rare festival release; the combination of 1988 vintage, first-fill bourbon casks, and 24 years of maturation delivers one of the most characterful Bowmores from a generation of collectors' favourite distillate.
- The late 1980s is consistently cited as a golden era for Bowmore production — 1988 vintage spirit bottled at festival strength and cask type is exactly what collectors of serious Islay whisky actively pursue.