Gold Bowmore: The final stage of a 45 year long journey

The most collectable whisky in the world

Bowmore, Islay, Scotland, 21st September 2009: First there was White, then Black and now the exquisite trilogy is complete with the release of the exclusive Gold Bowmore – a 44-year-old single malt whisky from Bowmore’s famous weather beaten distillery on the Scottish Island of Islay.

A highly collectible and multi-award winning whisky, with previous trilogies selling at auction for as much as $18,000, Bowmore has long been coveted by whisky lovers worldwide and today sees the release of just 701 bottles of this unique Gold Bowmore spirit, each lovingly hand-numbered and encased in a stunning Burr Elm box.

44 years of quiet maturation in the famous number one vaults, has allowed an exceptional and rare example of Bowmore single malt to develop – the oldest one ever to be released from the distillery. Gold Bowmore has been created from the same hand-crafted spirit as the first two in the trilogy with the individual taste of each influenced by the different casks they were matured in. Gold Bowmore is uniquely matured in three Bourbon casks and a single Oloroso cask then carefully married together to make a spirit richly gold in colour with a finish that is beautifully balanced yet incredibly complex.

The trilogy began in 2007 with Black Bowmore. Matured purely in Oloroso casks, ebony in colour with aromas of exotic fruits, ginger and cinnamon, there were just 827 bottles produced. This was followed last year by the release of White Bowmore, matured in Bourbon casks, the colour of golden syrup and scents of galia melon, mango and papaya and launched with just 732 bottles. All three spirits come from the same year – the first time a Bowmore trilogy has been created this way.

Eddie McAffer, Distillery Manager at Bowmore commented: “I am so proud to see this last and very special part of the trilogy released. At Bowmore we put everything we have into every single bottle but this Gold Bowmore is something quite unique, embodying everything that is special about the whisky and from a year when things at the Bowmore distillery really went into a new era.”

The trilogy reflects Bowmore’s heritage of whisky created by people so passionate that nothing stands in the way of perfection. The whiskies are now some of the most collectable in the world and on release Black and Gold impressed critics across the globe.

Gold Bowmore (42.4%)  will be on sale from 23rd September at £3000 RRP.

Notes to editors:

The original trilogy

Whisky lovers will be familiar with the original Black Bowmore trilogy, released in 1993, 1994 and 1995. These highly acclaimed limited editions are some of the most collectable in the world and in 2007 an original set sold for $18,000 at Christies – the highest amount ever reached for whisky at a world auction.  The new Black, White and Gold trilogy are a reflection of this original trio, taking the last of the spirit from this amazing distillation.

Tasting Notes

Black Bowmore

Ebony in colour with aromas of exotic fruits, ginger and cinnamon.

A palate combining ripe mango, toffee and dark chocolate with the faintest hint of signature Bowmore smoke

White Bowmore

The colour of golden syrup with amazing aromas of Gallia melon, mango & papaya.

On the palate, mixed exotic fruits, vanilla and maple syrup with a trace of Bowmore peat smoke   

 Gold Bowmore

Rich gold in colour with aromas of passion fruit, papaya and vanilla.

An explosion of ripe exotic fruits, creamy vanilla and only a hint of peat smoke on the palate

  1964

Gold Bowmore is the final part of the trilogy which began back in 1964, and has a fascinating history. This milestone year for Bowmore marked a new era in the crafting of the famous single malt. The distillery had newly converted the original coal-fired pot sills to stills that run on steam enabling far better control of the temperature. At the same time as the first batch of distillate dropped from these new stills, 17 sherry butts from Williams and Humbert arrived at the distillery. Unlike the traditional bourbon casks, which impart a golden hue on their contents, the oak Oloroso casks, retain the sherry taste and colour, which results in a much darker, reddish amber whisky.

Visit Bowmore Distillery at http://www.morrisonbowmore.co.uk/

Visit Gold Bowmore at http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/

Highland Park Rebus OB 20yo 44.7%alc.

From Loch Fyne Whiskies;

To commemorate twenty years of Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels, Highland Park bottled 160 bottles of one of the Inspectors favourite drams, as a 20yo. All were given to the Edinburgh author to enjoy or distribute as he saw fit, this was given by way of a thank you and now we have the happy task of liquidating those thanks on behalf of the beneficiary.

Visit Loch Fyne Whiskies at https://www.lfw.co.uk/

ADELPHI DISTILLERS PRE-SALE

Here’s a little word-to-the-wise for all you Scotch-lovers: the single-cask, single malts of Adelphi are catching.  And here at CSN, we’re pretty much sold out of our enitre stock of Adelphi.  Due to such high demand, we are pre-selling our next shipment.  Here is what’s arriving  in time for Christmas:

1998 Ardbeg
1992 Rossend
Fascadale 10 Year Old
1978 Glenlivet

Please contact the store at 403.296.0240, or via email at wineroom@csnwine.com for pricing and availability.

Visit CSN at http://www.csnwine.com/

From Andrew at Kensington in Calgary

There are no more than 90 total bottles of each coming into the province, and some of them like the Brora and Mannochmore are limited to only 36 bottles.  I have provided the approximate retail prices.  They may be slightly more or less than indicated.

1.      Port Ellen 30Yr 1978 – $457

2.      Brora 30Yr – $471

3.      Talisker 30Yr –  $489

4.      Mannochmore – 18Yr – $276

5.      Benrinnes – 23Yr – $320

6.      Pittyvaich 20Yr – $299

7.      Caol Ila 10Yr Unpeated – $105

Visit Kensington at http://www.kensingtonwinemarket.com/

Laphroaig’s Newest (older) Bottle Is Now At The Park Ave Liquor Shop

Greetings, Fall. A time of new releases. Fall fashions, TV Shows, a new NFL season and most  importantly…new scotches. This Fall many exciting Single Malts will be arriving and some of which will be exclusive to the Park Avenue Liquor Shop. You, our loyal website and Twitter subscribers will be the first to know about them as they arrive. Today’s bottling is the new 18 year old from one of Islay’s most beloved distilleries, Laphroaig. See below for details on this bottle as well as what this means for Laphroaig 15 year old.  Thanks for taking a look. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact the store.
Cheers!
Jonathan & Eric
Park Avenue Liquor Shop
292 Madison Aveune
New York, NY 10017
212-685-2442
info@parkaveliquor.com
www.parkaveliquor.com

Laphroaig 18 Year Old

This 18 year old expression of Laphroaig is new to the U.S. market as a replacement to the 15 year old bottling. It is the very definition of a soft, sweet and spicy Islay. Peat smoke and soft toffee greet you when you first open the bottle.  The  immediate taste is an oak sweetness with nutty and floral hints from 18 years in the barrel. A faint hint of the sea can be detected, testimony to its time maturing on the remote island of Islay. It has a long-bodied finish with a luxurious smoothness. Bottled at 48% ABV and non-chill filtered for a depth of taste and texture.

Our Price:$160

Laphroaig 15 Year Old

Sadly, it is ‘last call’ for this multi-award winner from Laphroaig. We have been told we can no longer order the 15 year old, so our current stock is it.
The 15 year old is rumored to be one of Price Charles’ favorite single malts and  it is no surprise why. The nose is mildly smoky, toasty and pleasantly sweet, like new hay. Full bodied  zesty oak, warm peat with sweet undertones fill the palate. Fresh nutmeg, toasted almonds and faint salt are also present. It all ends in a prolonged yet mellow finish. Grab a bottle while they last.

Our Price:$83

Scotland – Malts

2000 Caol Ila 8 Year Old, Murray McDavid Ridge Zinfandel Finish Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($49.99)

A golden amber color, with a slight rose tint. This independent bottling of Caol Ila is powerful with rich toffee and spicy notes on the palate. Besides the color, the red wine influence from the Ridge Zinfandel casks also shines through in the nose, where dried red fruits intermix with subtle chocolate flavors. The flavor profile is very complex for such a young Islay malt, but the price tag is very low for something so interesting. This is one of the most exciting whiskies we’ve found in a while.

Highland Park 8 year old, Gordon & Macphail, Isle of Orkney Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($34.99)

There’s only one thing you need to say about this bargain-priced dram from the Isle of Orkney’s finest producer Highland Park – you really get your money’s worth of whisky. The straw colored spirit is soft, elegantly sweet and gentle on the entry. It gives way to notes of dried fruits and hints of caramel on the finish. It has all the grace of the twelve year, despite its younger age, and is one of the most easy going whiskies we’ve tasted all year. Every staff member who has tried it has reserved at least one bottle for themselves, so you’re going to have to compete with them. Undoubtedly a great bottle for yourself and so generally pleasing that it would make a great gift for any whisky lover.

1999 Laphroaig 10 Year Old, Murray McDavid Chateaux Margaux Finish Islay Single Malt Whisky 750ml – 12 available ($72.99)

One of the most revered Islay malts married with perhaps the most beloved wine in all of France: a young Laphroaig whisky meets the decadent Chateau Margaux. The color is a delicate amber and rose tint, but that’s where the delicacy ends. Big smoky flavors dance with iodine, seawater, saline notes, and seaweed with rich meaty flavors on the finish and hints of dried red fruits – this is as Islay as it gets without succumbing to the heavy influence of peat. A second taste allows you to prepare yourself for the flavor onslaught and see past it into the rich Cabernet flavors of the Margaux wine. Not for the weak of heart and not for the uninitiated – this is a serious dram!

Visit K&L at http://www.klwines.com/

Loch Fyne Whiskies reports that Bowmore Distillery is to soon release a new 10 year old cask strength bottling called “Tempest”

Visit Loch Fyne Whiskies at  http://www.lfw.co.uk/  and Bowmore Distillery at http://www.bowmore.co.uk/

Our latest release, just arrived, is now available at £125.00 per bottle

Here is the ninth edition of our annual “Single Cask Bottlings” this time a great single cask from that famous Islay distillery, Bowmore.

Cask Number 85163 was distilled at Bowmore Distillery on Islay on 4th October 1982 and held in their bonded warehouses until July 2009 when it was specifically selected from several cask samples at a nosing and tasting by Duncan Elphick, Tatsuya Minagawa, Rachel Richard and, of course, Mark Watt, at Duncan Taylor & Company’s warehouses in Huntly.

 When bottled on 10th August 2009 at its natural cask strength of 49.4% alc/vol, the Angels gave us only 186 bottles (700ml). I hope they let Michael sample it!

As good friends of The Highlander Inn will know, our good friend Michael Jackson wrote the tasting notes on the back label for us for 7 years, until St. Peter ‘called him through the pearly gates’ in August 2007.

From 2008 onwards, we decided to invite a different person each year to write the tasting notes for us. The criteria are that they must have a great reputation in the “whisky world”, and have been Michael’s true friends. Last year, Hideo Yamaoka, Japan’s foremost Malt Scotch Whisky “otaku” and the translator of Michael’s books into Japanese wrote the notes.

This year, John Hansell, agreed to write his comments for us.

John Hansell is one of the foremost drinks writers in the United States. He is a contributor to The Wall Street Journal and has appeared in USA Today, The New York Times, Smart Money, Business Week, Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Stuff, Cosmopolitan, Playboy, Food & Wine, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, and numerous other publications.

He is the creator, Publisher, and Editor of “Malt Advocate”, the USA’s leading magazine for the whisky enthusiast.

In 1997 he created WhiskyFest, the America’s largest independent festival featuring the world’s greatest whiskies and the people who make them with annual events in New York, Chicago and San Fransisco.

 Included with each bottle is a Certificate of Ownership, like the one on the left, that can be framed and hung on your study / office / drawing room wall.

As in all previous years, each label was individually applied to the bottles and hand numbered by Duncan Elphick ~ none of this automatic labeling & numbering for us!!

It is now available to be purchased by the bottle (700ml) from the Highlander Inn for £125.00 and also by the nip (25ml) in our bar at the introductory price of £8.40 so you can taste it without breaking the seal of your own bottle.

Visit the Highlander Inn and their exciting new bottling of Bowmore at http://www.whiskyinn.com/whisky2009.html

The Bladnoch 8-Year-Old Launch
03 October 2009 – 18:00 pm – Main Hall – £10.00

Join us for the launch of Bladnoch’s 8-year-old malt, the first since the distillery reopened. The celebrations will include a tasting by John Lamond, while the Robert Burns Fellow, Rab Wilson, will toast the new arrival in verse. Music is provided by Willie Drennan and members of the Ulster-Scots Folk Orchestra.

Visit both the distillery and the festival at;

http://www.bladnoch.co.uk/

http://www.wigtownbookfestival.com/

Federal Wine & Spirits 
September 9, 2009  
 
Malts We Loved
Classic Islay 21 Y.O. 46% Un-chill-filtered

A few years ago people started to talk to me about a new release from an un-named Islay distillery. It was not available in Massachusetts,. The buzz was so strong that when I went to a Whiskyfest in Chicago I had to pick up a bottle. It was as good as people said. The nose was soft, seductive and intriguing. The palate was velvety and brought me straight to Islay, glorious harmony with the malted barley, sea air, a touch of iodine. It had only just begun. Then to a crofter’s cottage in front the peat fire,when the peat starts slow and gets bigger and bigger but stays tame and alluring, never overbearing, with the smoke coming like soft mist to dovetail with the peat at the back of the palate.The finish: soft, warming, lingering. It was simply brilliant. I still remember the first time I tasted it !!
At the beginning of October we are getting the last of the stock of what I think is a classic bottling of pure Islay. The word is that it is a rare bottling of Lagavulin, rare because the distillery is so small and demand so great that almost none gets out to independent bottlers.
My palate says that too, from a classic bourbon cask. I tried the last of my precious bottle against a Lagavulin 21 Y.O. Cask Strength distillery bottling and I preferred the Classic Islay. I feel 100% certain what this is. Even if I am wrong, it is an amazing whisky not to be missed, one of the year’s best Islays in both taste and value. This will be a one-time, the only opportunity to get it. You will never have this chance again.

Pre Arrival price $140.00 – Reg Price $189.99
Arrival late September or early October.

Please pass this on to any friends who are scotch enthusiasts.

Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits

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Email: joe@federalwine.com
Phone: 617-367-8605
Web: http://www.federalwine.com/