Bowmore has partnered with New York design studio Snarkitecture to launch the limited-edition Captivo Sherry Cask Pursuit, a 20-year-old single malt created exclusively for global travel retail. The expression will roll out across China, India and South Korea from November 2026, ahead of a wider channel launch from January 2027.
The release forms part of the wider Captivo Collection, which comprises two 20-year-old single malts.
The second expression, Bowmore Captivo Oak Voyage, is available in domestic markets only.
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READ THE STORYEach whisky carries vivid “portal” designs on its bottle and packaging, crafted by Snarkitecture co-founder Alex Mustonen. Mustonen is the co-founder of Snarkitecture, a collaborative design studio based in New York that investigates the boundaries between disciplines.
“I think about my projects as moments for people to cross thresholds into spaces that feel unlike day-to-day experiences,” said Mustonen. “I approached the Captivo creative in a similar way, with the artwork acting as a portal into the world of Bowmore; into something extraordinary.”
Bowmore Captivo Sherry Cask Pursuit is bottled at 51.8% ABV, with a recommended selling price of $380 (£285.41, ₹36,072).
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The whisky matured in Spanish oak Oloroso sherry and American oak ex-bourbon casks, with an Oloroso sherry hogshead finish.
According to the official notes from the brand, the expression delivers tropical fruit and cracked black pepper, balanced by soft oak and smoked toffee, with a lingering finish of sweet peat smoke and a touch of charred mango.
Dr Calum Fraser, master blender, Scotch and Irish at Suntory Global Spirits, said: “Bowmore Sherry Cask Pursuit explores a deeper relationship with sherry-seasoned oak and Bowmore spirit.”
He added: “The whisky’s smooth sweetness demonstrates the remarkable impact of time and cask selection, providing a different expression of Bowmore – rich and intense, but still with the tropical fruit, smoke and complexity that we want the distillery character to deliver.”
Vanessa Widmann, managing director, Global Travel Retail, Middle East and Africa at Suntory Global Spirits, said: “The Captivo Collection brings together Bowmore’s exceptional whisky-making heritage with a contemporary creative perspective from Snarkitecture.”
She continued: “As a GTR-exclusive, Sherry Cask Pursuit offers travelling consumers the opportunity to explore the world of Bowmore from a new perspective, while remaining true to the craftsmanship and character at its heart.”
For the designs, Mustonen drew inspiration from Islay’s landscape and the distillery’s Bowmore No.1 Vaults, one of the world’s oldest maturation warehouses.
Mustonen said: “Stepping into the world of whisky is a first for Snarkitecture.”
The project marks a departure for the studio. Snarkitecture is a Brooklyn-based, collaborative practice founded in 2008 by architect Alex Mustonen and artist Daniel Arsham.
Bowmore, meanwhile, carries deep heritage. Owned by Suntory Global Spirits, the distillery was founded in 1779 on Islay.
