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1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$199.99
We're not sure where this case of Bowmore Vault Ed. No 1 came from, but we're tickled pink to have it back on the shelf! This was launched in 2016 as the first release in a four bottle series. The second edition came out in 2019, and we are yet to see a third or fourth. It seems Bowmore is more interested in fancy cars nowadays than in finishing what they'd started, so who knows if we ever will? But at this point, all we can say is 'buy it!' Only a handful of bottles available. They won't last long.
51.5% abv
700 mlOUT OF STOCK
If you'd like us to try to order it, add it to your cart. We can't promise, but we'll do our best!
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: creamy, maritime, fruity and malty with clean smoke; lush creamy vanilla, warm sconed buttered with rich salted creamery buttery; soft melons to start with a fresh burst of citrus; a fainte whiff of lavender along with clean ashy smoke, and Licorice Nibs.
Palate: creamy, maritime, and fruity, with a base of chewy malt and firm but clean smoke; more lush vanilla, and warm buttered scones, with creamy heather honey; the fruits start with citrus and melon, and quickly morph into mango and papaya; the smoke is firm, ashy, and just a touch acrid; salted caramel, Licorice Nibs, and a touch of parma violets to round things out.
Finish: ashy, smoky, and just a little tarry to start, before the fruits and cream take you on the final leg; tropical with a hint of lavender and more Licorice Nibs,,, I should really track down a bag of those.
Comment: this was bottled in 2016, and although the firm smoke on the palate hints at some youthful components, overall this has the feel of something a little older, probably late teens, meaning there is almost certainly some early 90s Bowmore in this, and possibly even a dash from the 80s; not matter, 9 years in the bottle hasn't done it any harm, if anything its likely just amped up the tropical tones!
Producer Tasting Note
Breathe In: The zest of sun-ripened fruits drizzled with the sea
Sip: Salted honeycomb with zingy spiced cocoa and the tang of iodine-soaked blood orange
Savour: The never-ending salt finish of ocean-spiced blackberry, sea-salt and lingering kumquat, going on and on like the depth of the ocean
Bowmore Distillery is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland and is the oldest on Islay that still exists, having been founded in 1779. It currently vies with Lagavulin to be the 2nd best-selling Islay Single Malt brand.
The Distillery itself lies within the town which shares its name and is right against the shoreline of Loch Indaal. Even though the distillery is on the coast, it can still be considered closest to the centre of Islay. The town of Bowmore only predates the distillery by less than two decades, and it was the first planned settlement in Scotland.
The town’s gridlike layout and construction were initiated in 1768 by Daniel Campbell the Younger, who was the owner of the Islay and part of Jura. He resided in the famous Islay House and planned the town of Bowmore to resettle residents from the village of Kilarrow. Kilarrow was situated close to Islay House, near what is now called Bridgend. It is said that Daniel the Younger felt that Kilarrow spoiled the view between Islay House and Loch Indaal. All that remains of the old village is a cemetery on Islay House property.
On the upside, Daniel the Younger did also build the now-famous Kilarrow Parish that is atop the hill in Bowmore. The church is famous for being entirely round so that it gives to corner for the devil to hide in. Bowmore and the Kilarrow Parish lay a little over 4km south of Bridgend and where the previous village existed. Currently, the town of Bowmore is populated by around 800 residents.
As for the distillery, Bowmore’s nearest neighbour is Bruichladdich, which is a 15-minute drive West along the coastal road A847 to the other side of Loch Indaal. Caol Ila Distillery is about a 20-minute drive to the East along the A846. If you head South from Bowmore the Port Ellen Maltings (and soon the rebuilt Port Ellen Distillery is about a 20-minute drive as well, and from there you can get to Laphroaig Distillery, Lagavulin and Ardbeg which all lie within 10 minutes drive from there.
Like Laphroaig, the Bowmore distillery is owned by parent company Beam Suntory. Also like Laphroaig, Bowmore is one of three distilleries on Islay to have its own on-site floor maltings and peat kilns, which are able to produce just about one-third of Bowmore’s needs for mashing and distillation.
Insert Peat Here: One of the Kilns At Bowmore Distillery
The 12 Year Old has been one of the core expressions in the Bowmore range for quite a while. Included in the core range are the no age statement Bowmore No.1, the 12 Year, 15 Year, 18 Year, and 25 Year Old. Various limited expressions have been available over the past few years, including the ongoing Vaults series, the Winemaker’s Trilogy. Currently, there are sparse independent bottlings available of Bowmore, and they tend to be expensive when they are released.
$117.99
The 15 Year Bowmore is finished for 3 years in Oloroso Sherry before bottling at 43%. Bowmore Distillery, est. 1779 is the oldest distillery on Islay and one of the oldest in Scotland. The whisky is moderately peated by the standards of most other Islay whiskies, and malts 40% of their own barley. 43% ABV.
Producer Description
"Matured first in bourbon barrels then Oloroso casks, there's no finer example of a sherry cask finish than our 15 Year Old. It's the final three years spent in Oloroso sherry casks that gives Bowmore 15 Year Old the rich, deep colour and robust warming finish."
$167.99
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We could have left it at that, but sometimes the distillery has such a special place in our hearts that we need to take it a step or two further. Bowmore is Islay's oldest distillery. It was founded in 1779 along the shores of Loch Indaal, the body of water that nearly bisects the isle of Islay. The waves literally lick the walls of the warehouses, and whether or not you believe in the idea of whisky terroir, there is simply no debate when it comes to acknowledging that the barrels rolling out of these ancient dunnage warehouses truly are something special.
Bowmore 18 has had its ups and downs throughout the years, but in the past few releases we've been privy to, show the distillery back at the top of its game. Seemingly gone are the lavender-heavy days of distillation; we're back in full-on fruit mode. And the smoke? Bold enough to provide an unwavering backbone, yet gentle enough to expand the appeal well beyond the peat-addicted masses. Great to have Bowmore back where it should be.
43% ab
$4149.99
Producer Note: "This 29-year-old single malt has been created from a combination of sherry seasoned European oak casks and ex- bourbon American oak barrels filled in 1991 and 1992, offering complexity and promising a mouth warming, yet dry and lengthy finish." Only 3000 bottles worldwide. We are... ummm.... drooling.
Natural colour, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 53.7% abv.
$799.99
This quarter century old bottling of Bowmore has been a staple in their range for decades. Bottled at 43% after maturing in ex-Bourbon and Sherry casks.
Producer Description: "A whisky to be savoured slowly, every delicious drop of this exquisitely balanced malt has been matured for a quarter of a century in North American bourbon and Spanish sherry casks. Exceptional even by Bowmore's standards, our highly acclaimed Bowmore 25 Year Old exhibits the finest qualities of each."
