Scotland, Isle of Islay. Distillery operational. Owner: Beam - Suntory

Located on the Isle of Islay, in the heart of the village of the same name, in 1963 Bowmore became, under the aegis of Stanley P. Morrison (owner of the distillery until it was bought by the Japanese company Suntory in 1994), one of the greatest commercial successes in the Scotch whisky industry. Vault #1, responsible for some of its greatest releases, including Bowmore 30 Year Old 1963 and Bowmore Bicentenary, played an important role in forging its international reputation. Built below sea level against a natural dyke, its walls and beaten earth floors are constantly steeped in sea spray. Rooted in tradition, Bowmore is one of the last remaining distilleries to malt part of its own barley on-site. Whether matured in bourbon casks (White Bowmore 1964) or sherry casks (Black Bowmore 1964), its spirit, characterized by notes of liquorice, peat and eucalyptus, never fails to reveal the trademark hint of exotic fruit for which the distillery is known.

Black Bowmore was distilled in 1964 and bottled in 1994, following sherry cask maturation in the distillery’’s famous Vault No.1, which is located below sea level and where the angels’’ share is very low (approx. 1% per year). This is the second edition of Black Bowmore, released one year after the first. Legend has it that these casks caught management’’s attention when they discovered the staff working at Bowmore were occasionally helping themselves to a dram. Black Bowmore marked a turning point in the history of whisky, due to both its quality and its price, which was especially high for the time, retailing at £110, a price we could only dream of today. A limited edition of 2,000 bottles.