Bowmore releases limited 1985 & 1964 vintages

Morrison Bowmore has released two new limited edition whisky vintages: Bowmore 1964 and Bowmore 1985 to global markets.

Bowmore 1964 Vintage whisky release

With just 72 bottles produced, Bowmore 1964 expression (42.9% abv), which has been aged in American oak bourbon casks and finished in fino sherry casks, is priced at £8,000.

It’s presented in a hand-blown bottle, crafted by glass artists Brodie Nairn and Nichola Burns, with hand-engraved spirit information and a solid silver neck collar.

The rare whisky’s launch follows that of the Bowmore 1964 Trilogy: Bowmore 1964 Black, Bowmore 1964 White and Bowmore 1964 Gold released in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively.

An auction for the Trilogy at Christie’s in New York in November 2009 saw the three whiskies sell for US$21,600.

David Wilson, sales and marketing director at Morrison Bowmore, said: “We’re proud to present what is 46 years of craftsmanship and Islay’s essence in a bottle. Every Bowmore limited edition bottling is special, but the ever-dwindling stock from the 1960s means that the Bowmore 1964 is truly exceptional and rare.”

Bowmore 1985

Following on from the Islay distillery’s 1980s series, the Bowmore 1985 expression has been created from a combination of hand-selected sherry and bourbon casks.

It has a taste described by Bowmore as “rich and fruity, balanced with the trademark Bowmore sea salt tang, and possesses more smoke and depth than the earlier Vintage releases”.

Priced at £300 and with an abv of 52.3%, Bowmore 1985 is presented in a wooden gift box and hand-signed and numbered certificate by Bowmore distillery manager Eddie MacAffer.

Both expressions will be available in the US, Canada, and key countries in Europe and Asia.