Suntory Global Spirits has partnered with design studio Snarkitecture to launch Bowmore Captivo Sherry Cask Pursuit, a limited-edition 20-year-old single malt, in global travel retail.
The travel retail-exclusive (TREX) expression will be available in China, India and South Korea from November, ahead of a wider channel roll-out from January 2027. Bottled at 51.8% ABV, it has a recommended retail price of US$380.
Sherry Cask Pursuit forms part of the Captivo Collection. It sits alongside Bowmore Captivo Oak Voyage, a second 20-year-old single malt available exclusively in domestic markets.
The TREX whisky was matured in Spanish oak Oloroso sherry and American oak ex-bourbon casks, followed by an Oloroso sherry hogshead finish. Tasting notes feature tropical fruit and cracked black pepper, balanced by soft oak and smoked toffee, with sweet peat smoke and charred mango on the finish.
“The Captivo Collection brings together Bowmore’s exceptional whisky-making heritage with a contemporary creative perspective from Snarkitecture,” said Suntory Global Spirits Managing Director, Global Travel Retail, Middle East and Africa Vanessa Widmann.
“As a TREX, 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.”
“Bowmore Sherry Cask Pursuit explores a deeper relationship with sherry-seasoned oak and Bowmore spirit,” added Suntory Global Spirits Master Blender, Scotch and Irish Dr Calum Fraser.
“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.”
Snarkitecture Co-founder Alex Mustonen created individual bottle and packaging designs for the two whiskies. The designs draw from Islay’s natural landscape and Bowmore’s distillery, including its No.1 Vaults maturation warehouse.
Mustonen translated the cask journey from New York to Islay and the wider influences into colourful portal motifs. The designs explore themes of provenance and discovery and celebrate the whiskies’ decades-long maturation.
“Stepping into the world of whisky is a first for Snarkitecture,” commented Mustonen. “I drew similarities between how Bowmore’s whisky is made, and how I approach an architectural environment. In architecture, spaces and objects invite people to look again and question their assumptions. I discovered whisky-making shares a similar philosophy, rewarding time, patience and curiosity.
“I think about my projects as moments for people to cross thresholds into spaces that feel unlike day-to-day experiences. I approached the Captivo creative in a similar way, with the artwork acting as a portal into the world of Bowmore; into something extraordinary.” ✈
