Bowmore has unveiled a new travel retail-exclusive series, The Changeling, with graphic artist Frank Quitely.
The Changeling comprises two single malt whiskies, aged 22 and 33 years, designed by Quitely and Bowmore’s master blender Ron Welsh. It is the second release in the Frank Quitely collection, which aim to capture the myths and legends of Bowmore’s island home of Islay. The new series is inspired by the folkloric story of a blacksmith who rescued his son from Islay’s ‘Fairy Folk’ after they kidnapped the boy and replaced him with a changeling.
The Changeling 22 Years Old and 33 Years Old single malts were first matured in American oak hogsheads before a finishing of around two years in port casks – white port for the 22 Years Old, and tawny port for the 33 Years Old. The expressions will be available at airport stores including Paris, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Dubai, Singapore, Taipei and London Heathrow, as well as at outlets across Hainan Downtown.
Ron Welsh said: “Taking this story of transformation as the inspiration, we’ve brought together different maturation styles to shape the character of each of these exquisite expressions. The choice of port casks to add a distinct dimension to their characters is an intentional, and vital, part of the creative process. Keeping the story firmly front of mind, the whisky tells its own story, defined by intriguing flavours and aromas which bring the story to life and immerse the senses.”
Glasgow-born artist Quitely rose to prominence through Scotland’s comic book scene and has since worked with both Marvel and DC Comics. He previously partnered with Bowmore on the sell-out two-part release No Corners to Hide. Of The Changeling series, he said: “To continue to tell these incredible stories through such awe-inspiring and special whiskies is both hugely exciting and rewarding for me. We started from a different place this time, with a very different narrative to bring to life but I needed to make sure this was an evolution from No Corners to Hide. The whiskies themselves are captivating and its vital to me that I do them justice in my work.”
Manuel González, marketing director of global travel retail for Beam Suntory, said: “We are very excited to continue bringing to life the legends from Islay and Bowmore and after [the] success of the first edition No Corners to Hide, we’re delighted to launch Bowmore The Changeling exclusively to global travel retail. The award-winning Frank Quitely has once again captured the rich history of Bowmore and brought the myths and legends to life in the same vein as he did with the immense Marvel and DC Comics. The Frank Quitely collection continues to demonstrate our commitment to offer our customers consumers incredible exclusive collectible opportunities across our portfolio.”
The Changeling comprises two single malt whiskies, aged 22 and 33 years, designed by Quitely and Bowmore’s master blender Ron Welsh. It is the second release in the Frank Quitely collection, which aim to capture the myths and legends of Bowmore’s island home of Islay. The new series is inspired by the folkloric story of a blacksmith who rescued his son from Islay’s ‘Fairy Folk’ after they kidnapped the boy and replaced him with a changeling.
The Changeling 22 Years Old and 33 Years Old single malts were first matured in American oak hogsheads before a finishing of around two years in port casks – white port for the 22 Years Old, and tawny port for the 33 Years Old. The expressions will be available at airport stores including Paris, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Dubai, Singapore, Taipei and London Heathrow, as well as at outlets across Hainan Downtown.
Bowmore The Changeling 33 Years Old single malt whisky
Ron Welsh said: “Taking this story of transformation as the inspiration, we’ve brought together different maturation styles to shape the character of each of these exquisite expressions. The choice of port casks to add a distinct dimension to their characters is an intentional, and vital, part of the creative process. Keeping the story firmly front of mind, the whisky tells its own story, defined by intriguing flavours and aromas which bring the story to life and immerse the senses.”
Glasgow-born artist Quitely rose to prominence through Scotland’s comic book scene and has since worked with both Marvel and DC Comics. He previously partnered with Bowmore on the sell-out two-part release No Corners to Hide. Of The Changeling series, he said: “To continue to tell these incredible stories through such awe-inspiring and special whiskies is both hugely exciting and rewarding for me. We started from a different place this time, with a very different narrative to bring to life but I needed to make sure this was an evolution from No Corners to Hide. The whiskies themselves are captivating and its vital to me that I do them justice in my work.”
Manuel González, marketing director of global travel retail for Beam Suntory, said: “We are very excited to continue bringing to life the legends from Islay and Bowmore and after [the] success of the first edition No Corners to Hide, we’re delighted to launch Bowmore The Changeling exclusively to global travel retail. The award-winning Frank Quitely has once again captured the rich history of Bowmore and brought the myths and legends to life in the same vein as he did with the immense Marvel and DC Comics. The Frank Quitely collection continues to demonstrate our commitment to offer our customers consumers incredible exclusive collectible opportunities across our portfolio.”
