BOWMORE UNVEILS TWO EXCEPTIONAL LIMITED EDITION WHISKIES
THE ULTIMATE COLLECTABLES FOR THE WHISKY AND OUTDOORS ENTHUSIAST
Bowmore, the first Islay Single Malt whisky, has launched two outstanding limited edition expressions – Bowmore 40 Years Old and the Bowmore 1981. Unveiled at the National Geographic flagship Regent Street store in London, the two rare Single Malts have been lovingly handcrafted for the discerning Single Malt and outdoor lover. Priced at £6,500 and £270 a bottle respectively, the whiskies are true collectibles.
The unique location that is Islay shapes the unique taste and character of Bowmore Single Malt. Both whiskies began life as the finest raw ingredients: water from the Laggan River flavoured by the rich Islay peat, the finest barley, and nature’s miracle worker – yeast. Matured in hand-selected casks below sea level in the legendary Bowmore No.1 Vaults, both whiskies have been nurtured by the Distillery Manager and his specialist team to create the best balanced Islay Single Malt whisky.
Bowmore 40 Years Old
Just 53 bottles of the limited edition Bowmore 40 Years Old will be released for sale worldwide. Priced at £6,500 per bottle, this is the ultimate luxury gift for the Single Malt whisky connoisseur.
Handcrafted to perfection, this remarkable spirit has been maturing since 29th March 1969 in the specially selected American bourbon cask (cask number 2161 to be precise), gently imparting its unique and finest flavours into the malt. Inspired by the rugged Islay coastline, every bottle is a work of art. Painstakingly designed by two of Scotland’s foremost glass-blowers Brodie Nairn and Nichola Burns, each one is hand-blown and sculpted using molten glass and stones collected from the Islay shore – no two bottles are the same.
Brodie Nairn comments on the partnership: “We are delighted to have been commissioned by Bowmore to create the Bowmore 40 Years Old. Our approach to creating glassware is very similar to the approach Bowmore take with their whiskies; hand-crafted and born from the environment. All our work is free-blown and very organic in nature. For us, the Islay coastline was the natural inspiration for the bottle design.”
Hamilton and Inches, Warrant Holder to The Queen and one of Scotland’s most prestigious jewellers, were also enlisted to add the finishing touches to the bottle with a hand-engraved solid silver collar that adorns each bottle. Finally the whisky is presented on a beautifully polished slab of natural slate providing a fitting plinth to display the bottle at its best.
David Wilson, Sales and Marketing Director at Morrison Bowmore, said: “We are extremely proud of the Bowmore 40 Years Old and the Bowmore 1981. They are the result of a huge amount of care and skill by our dedicated and devoted team of craftsmen, and are a valued addition to our unrivalled collection of limited editions.”
On the nose, Bowmore 40 Years Old is smoked oak, sweet vanilla cream, poached pears and a gentle earthy peatiness. The palate reveals wood spice, orange peel, fresh pink grapefruit and sweet pear, with the mild influence of peat smoke, bringing balance to the sweet and fruity characteristics.
Bowmore 1981
Also launched this month is the Bowmore 1981, the first in the Bowmore vintage series. This rare and limited release of only 402 bottles worldwide makes it a collectors’ must-have. Presented in a wooden gift box with a ‘weather-beaten’ brown leather strap and copper buckle, each bottle is also accompanied by a hand-signed and numbered certificate by the Distillery Manager.
On the nose, the Bowmore 1981 reveals treacle toffee, ripe figs, smoked vanilla pods and a lightly fragrant fruitiness. On the palate, anticipate a whisper of earthy peat-smoke, giving way to more fruity notes, perfectly balanced with the tang of Atlantic sea-salt.
Both limited editions will be available at specialist whisky suppliers through October and November.
For more information visit www.bowmore.com
UK Distributor: Cellar Trends or enquiries@cellartrends.co.uk
Notes
Bowmore
The best-balanced Islay Single Malt whisky is the perfect reward after your outdoor experience.
Founded in 1779, Bowmore is the oldest Distillery on Islay, one of the Scottish isles which make up the region known as the ‘Islands’ in the lexicon of Whisky. The other regions are the Highlands, Speyside and the Lowlands. Islay malts are famous for their characteristic smokiness and Bowmore is no exception; we carefully smoke our malt and use skills handed down from generation to generation to craft a perfectly balanced Single Malt.
Bowmore’s adherence to traditional production methods helps to shape the character of our Single Malts. We’re one of only a few distilleries anywhere which still produces its own floor malted barley, hand-turned by traditional wooden malt shovel. For our whiskies we draw water from the Laggan River, with its rich peaty overtones, and it’s the same Islay peat that fires the malt drying kiln.
Bowmore Distillery’s close proximity to the sea is also vital in determining the final character of our spirit. The legendary Bowmore No. 1 Vaults is where most of our whiskies spend their long lives resting quietly in the cool, dark, damp cellars below sea level, oblivious to the waves thrashing the Vault’s sea-facing wall.
They mature in oak casks, previously used for bourbon, sherry or claret, gradually developing rich and mellow flavours.
It’s this combination of peat, barley, sea breeze, water, wood, people and tradition that together create the perfectly balanced warm and smoky character of Bowmore Single Malt Whiskies.
The Bowmore domestic product range:
• Bowmore Legend
• Bowmore 12 Years Old
• Bowmore Darkest 15 Years Old (sherry cask finished)
• Bowmore 18 Years Old
• Bowmore 25 Years Old
Islay
Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, and is also known as “The Queen of the Hebrides.” Its mild climate and rich peaty soil make it ideal for creating whisky, and despite having a population of not much more than 3,000, it’s home to no fewer than eight distilleries.
