Bowmore releases £22,000 Scotch whisky

Islay’s Bowmore has released the third and rarest expression yet from its Vault Legends Collection – the Bowmore 1966 50 Years Old – which is priced at US$30,000 (£22,000) a bottle.

Only one cask of the single malt whisky was set aside in 1966 – the same year that Bowmore Single Malt Scotch was first officially bottled – tended to by distillery Manager Eddie MacAffer.

Just 74 bottles have been produced carrying an RRP of US$30,000 (£22,000) as part of the distillery’s Vault Legends Collection.

“I am honoured to celebrate such a pivotal year in Bowmore’s history and launch this incredible whisky, which was not only nurtured by Eddie himself but also created the very year Eddie joined us,” said David Turner, Bowmore Distillery Manager.

“The Bowmore 1966 50 Years Old demonstrates the rewards of our meticulous aging process and proves the unparalleled quality of the whiskies coming from our passionate and dedicated distillery team. This single malt whisky is set to be treasured among Bowmore fans and will undoubtedly build upon Bowmore’s legendary collectors status.”

Aged for 50 years in a single ex-Bourbon hogshead cask, on the nose Bowmore 1966 50 Years Old is said to offer “elegant bursts of lychee, pineapple, and watermelon, developing into light floral notes and a dry finish on the palate.”

It comes in a handmade crystal decanter with sterling silver adornments housed within a hand crafted cabinet made from Scottish oak. At the center of the each cabinet lies five hand laid silver tree rings depicting the five decades of the rare vintage’s maturation.

Bowmore 1966 50 Years Old is the third expression to debut from the Bowmore 50 Year Old Vault Legends Collection, a series dedicated to the rare single malts distilled during the 1960s. Bowmore 1961 50 Years Old was introduced in December 2016, and Black Bowmore 1964 50 Years Old was introduced in June 2017.