Bowmore
1957 54 year old, the oldest ever Islay
whisky has sold for
£100,000. Five Scottish Charities will
each receive £11,000 for Christmas from
this sale.
Bowmore
have announced that the No. 1 bottle of
its oldest ever expression, the
exceptionally rare Bowmore 1957, 54 Year
Old has been sold for £100,000
(approximately $160,000) at the Bowmore
Distillery on Islay. This bottle is not
only the oldest whisky the distillery
has ever released, it is also the oldest
Islay Single Malt ever released. As
promised by Morrison Bowmore Distillers,
owners of Bowmore, all the net proceeds
will be donated to five Scottish
charities. The buyer of this
exceptionally rare Bowmore 1957 is a
resident of the United States and would
like to remain anonymous.
Distilled in 1957 and bottled in 2011,
this 54 year old marvel has been
maturing in the finest oak in Bowmore’s
legendary No. 1 Vaults, the oldest
maturation warehouse in Scotland. Only
12 bottles exist in the world, two of
which are kept in the Morrison Bowmore
archives and nine now remain for sale at
the Bowmore Distillery.
Bottle No. 1’s profit will be donated to
five Scottish charities that encompass a
variety of worthy causes: Alzheimer
Scotland (care for people with dementia,
their caregivers and families); The
Beatson Oncology Centre (care for cancer
patients receiving treatment in the west
of Scotland); Chas (children’s hospice
services); Erskine (medical care for
Armed Forces); and Marie Curie Cancer
Care (cancer care and research).
Says Mike Keiller, Morrison Bowmore
Distillers Chief Executive Officer, “We
are delighted to have sold bottle No. 1
of our Bowmore 1957 just before
Christmas allowing us to keep our
promise to donate all the net proceeds
to charity as our gift to those in need
in Scotland.”
A collection of 1957 casks were bottled
in 1995 but one in particular was held
back because it was more exceptional
than the rest. Since 1995, the whisky in
that cask has been examined every six
months to check the quality, the taste,
the developments and changes the spirit
was taking on its aging voyage. In 2011
it was determined that the liquid had
reached its potential and was bottled.
In addition to the stunning liquid
inside, the new owner will also own the
artwork that contains it. The bottles
that hold Bowmore 1957 have 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 and 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, Warrant Holder to the
Queen. The bottle and accompanying
glasses and water pitcher, also
hand-blown by Nairn and Burns, are
nestled in a presentation box created by
acclaimed woodworker Peter Toaig, using
hand-selected pieces of Scottish Oak.
View artisans’ videos here:
Bowmore 1957 54 Year Old Tasting Notes
Bowmore 1957 (42.1% ABV) is a symphony
of aromas and flavours never before
experienced. After distillation, the new
spirit was placed into a second fill
sherry cask (where it spent 43 years)
and then in 2000 was moved into a second
fill bourbon cask.
Producer's Tasting Notes:
Nose: At first breath, an elixir of blueberries and wild figs
with mellow almonds, tropical fruit and
rich oaky overtones hits the nose.
Taste:
The palate reveals layer upon layer of
sweet and refined ocean tastes with soft
blueberries, cassis and figs, sea salt
and fresh eucalyptus. Next, a wisp of
teasing smoke and traces of dark
chocolate fuse with notes of grapefruit
and juicy oak, carried along by a
warming marine breeze.
Finish:
This sensory journey ends with a long
and whispering finish of cassis,
bergamot and star anise.
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