Bowmore Distillery retails £2,500 limited edition whisky

Written by Claire Weekes

Tuesday, 09 September 2008

Bowmore Distillery, home to the oldest Islay single malt whisky has launched the eagerly anticipated limited edition White Bowmore - the second instalment in the iconic trilogy of legendary vintage expressions.

White Bowmore follows the introduction of 42 year old Black Bowmore last year and with only 732 bottles released, the coveted 43 year old single malt is the oldest Bowmore released to date.

Retailing at £2,500, White Bowmore has been gradually maturing in six bourbon casks in the distillery's famous No 1 vaults since 1964; they have now been bottled as a coveted collector's item for whisky connoisseurs throughout the world. As the second of three limited edition colour releases, each bottle has been individually numbered by hand and is presented in a premium Maple cabinet.

Black Bowmore was originally released as a series of limited edition expressions over a decade ago. Two thousand bottles were released in 1993 at 29 years old, followed by a further 2000 bottles in 1994 at 30 years old and 1812 bottles in 1995 at 31 years old. These bottlings have now reached iconic status over the years and are some of the most collectable whiskies in the world.

The ‘new' series of expressions, including the exclusive White Bowmore, originate from the same 1964 distillation offering a true reflection of the outstanding, original Black Bowmore.

The precious spirit has slowly extracted a subtle golden hue from the bourbon casks, offering amazing aromas of Gallia melon, mango and papaya. The palate is rewarded with delicate, exotic fruity notes with hints of vanilla, maple syrup and just a trace of the famous Bowmore peat smoke. The finish is surprisingly clean and long.

Glen Moore, Bowmore brand director commented on the release: "Since the release last year of the 42 year old, there has been a huge amount of interest regarding this year's release.

"Bowmore is committed to releasing outstanding expressions and the White Bowmore more than surpasses these criteria. It is extremely rare to find a single malt scotch whisky of this age, quality and calibre."

For those who are looking for that special Christmas gift and whose budget does not run to £2,500, the distillery will be offering a bottle of the White Bowmore, absolutely free, as a competition prize on their website www.bowmore.com from September through to December.

The new limited edition White Bowmore is available from the distillery on Islay and specialist retailers throughout the world.

White Bowmore tasting notes:

Colour: Golden syrup.

Nose: Amazing aromas of Gallia melon, mango and papaya.

Palate: Hints of mixed exotic fruits, vanilla and maple syrup with just a trace of Bowmore peat smoke.

Finish: Surprisingly clean and incredibly long.