Bowmore 1964 and 1985 released

Morrison Bowmore has released the 1964 and 1985 vintages from its Bowmore distillery to global markets.

Of the £8,000 1964 Islay single malt, 72 bottles have been made available, while there are 747 bottles of the £300 1985 expression. 

Bottled at 42.9% abv, the 1964 follows in the footsteps of the 1964 Trilogy series, released from 2007-2009.

The whisky was matured in bourbon barrels and finished in a fino sherry cask.

Produced by ‘glass artists’ Brodie Nairn and Nichola Burns, each bottle is made from hand-blown glass, to a design that took inspiration from the waves of Islay’s Loch Indaal.

The bottle is finished with silver neck collars and stoppers, crafted by Edinburgh jewellers Hamilton & Inches.

David Wilson, sales and marketing director of 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.”

Tasting notes include: peach and rose water on the nose, peaches, blood oranges, wood with coconut on the palate, with a finish of gentle peat.

Bowmore 1985 is a combination of whiskies from sherry and bourbon casks. It has an abv of 52.3%.

It is said to be “rich and fruity, balanced with sea-salt tang" and exhibits "more smoke and depth than the earlier vintage releases”.

Presented in a wooden gift box, each bottle is accompanied by a hand-signed and numbered certificate by the Bowmore distillery manager, Eddie MacAffer.