Bowmore bottled this whisky in 1979 to mark 200 years since the distillery's founding. It is a vatting of very old stock, with casks reported as distilled between 1950 and the mid 1960s, and it is keenly collected today.
About This Bottling
Two Bicentenary bottlings appeared in 1979; this is the multi-vintage version, presented in a decanter and labelled 75° proof in 26 2/3 fl oz (757mL), the old British measures. Seventy-five proof on the British scale is about 43% ABV. Trade descriptions record a vatting from around ten different years between 1950 and 1966, mostly from sherry casks with some American oak, matured in the No. 1 Vaults.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Passion fruit, mango and dried citrus over soft smoke, old leather and a coastal, mineral edge
- Palate: Silky and layered, with tropical fruit, gentle sherry, waxy malt and mild peat
- Finish: Long and elegant, with fruit, sea salt and fading smoke
Serving & Food
Check the cork and fill level before opening; old closures can crumble. Pour small measures neat and give the glass time, as old whisky can take a while to wake up. Best on its own, perhaps with plain almonds or a sliver of mild hard cheese.
How to Enjoy
Old-Islay collectors, and landmark birthday or anniversary tastings.
Product Details
Distillery: Bowmore
Edition: Bicentenary bottling (1779 to 1979), multi-vintage decanter
Release year: 1979
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Strength: 75° proof (British), about 43% ABV
Volume: 757mL (26 2/3 fl oz)
About the Distillery
Bowmore sits on the shore of Loch Indaal and dates its founding to 1779, making it the oldest licensed distillery on Islay. At the time of this release it was owned by Stanley P. Morrison, whose company bought the distillery in 1963.
The distillery still turns part of its barley on traditional malting floors and matures stock in its No. 1 Vaults, a warehouse set partly below sea level on the loch shore that ranks among the oldest in Scotland. Bowmore's 1950s and 1960s distillate is widely regarded among collectors for its tropical fruit character.