Bowmore releases 54 Years Old single malt

Bowmore, the first Islay single malt whisky, will release its oldest expression this October – an exceptionally rare Bowmore 1957, 54 Years Old. Not only is this the oldest whisky the distillery has ever released, it is also the oldest Islay single malt ever released.

Distilled in 1957 and bottled in 2011, this marvel has been lying in wait in the finest oak for over half a century in Bowmore’s legendary No. 1 Vaults, the oldest maturation warehouse in Scotland. With only 12 bottles in existence worldwide, this is the rarest Bowmore and will no doubt become one of the most sought-after and collectible single malt Scotch whiskies in the world.
 
Bottles No. 1 and No. 2 will be offered at a public auction at international auction house Bonhams in Edinburgh on October 10 and in New York City on Oct 28 with a minimum reserve set at £100,000 per bottle (approx. US$155,000). All net proceeds from both sales will be donated to five Scottish charities.

Only 12 bottles of the rarest Bowmore 1957 have been created. Two of these will be auctioned, two have been retained for the Morrison Bowmore archives and the remaining eight will be available for purchase by the public solely at the Bowmore Distillery on Islay. Each of the 12 bottles has been hand-blown and sculpted by two of the world’s foremost glass artists Brodie Nairn and Nichola Burns, into the shape of waves reminiscent of those that constantly crash against the No. 1 Vaults’ sea-facing walls, while the glass is inlaid with shimmering flecks of platinum.

Adorning each bottle is a platinum neck collar, hand-engraved with the bottle number and spirit strength, and platinum stopper hand-crafted by Hamilton & Inches. The bottle and accompanying glasses and water pitcher, also hand-blown by Nairn and Burns, are nestled in a presentation box created by woodworker Peter Toaig, using hand-selected pieces of Scottish Oak.

1 September 2012 - Felicity Murray