Bowmore 54 Years Old sells for £100,000

Bowmore whisky distillery on Islay, Scotland, has sold its oldest single malt expression for £100,000 (approx US$160,000) to a US resident.

All net proceeds are being donated to five Scotish charities.

Released in October 2012, Bowmore 1957 is the oldest whisky the distillery has released, it is also the oldest Islay single malt ever to be 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 were offered at a public auction at international auction house Bonhams in Edinburgh on October 10 and in New York City on Oct 28. There was a minimum reserve set at £100,000 per bottle (approx. US$155,000) and all net proceeds from both sales are being donated to five Scottish charities.

Only 12 bottles of the rarest Bowmore 1957 have been created. Two of these were 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.

18 December 2012 - Felicity Murray