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1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$4,149.99
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.
700 ml Low StockProducer Tasting Note
Breathe In: Leading with dark fruits akin to sherry-soaked raisins, sweet aromas come to the fore as cocoa, bitter orange merge with cherry blossom and liquorice.
Sip: The immersion on the palate is rich and layered, again reflecting a depth of sweetness contrasted with peat and sea salt flavours.
Savour: Mouth warming followed by peat drying and salt on the lips with a long lasting finish.
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.
$1149.99
This is the 4th and final release in the Bowmore Aston Martin Masters' Selection, this 21 year old Bowmore was bottled at 51.4% after maturing in ex Tawny Port American Oak Casks and Refill Sherry Butts.
Producer Description
"Bringing together whiskies matured in Tawny Port American Oak casks and Oloroso Sherry butts, thi s single malt pays homage to the true intentionality which defines Bowmore. With nutty sweetness on the nose, opening to a rich and spicy flair to taste, this single malt gathers momentum, flavour and intensity at every stage."
$1524.99
This 38 year old malt is a Bowmore which dares not speak its name... 1985 vintage, bottled at 44.6% from a Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel. 87.92pts Whiskybase & 90pts Whisky Fun
Producer Description
"As any visitors to Whiskyland will be aware, Flowermore is a curious single malt, renowned for producing some of the world’s worst whisky during the 1960s and early 1970s, it miraculously recovered for a violet-flavoured quality boom in the 1980s. This is one such cask of that amazing liquid. One of the very best 1980s Flowermore you are ever likely to taste! Soft violets, exotic fruits, intricately detailed peat smoke and less perfume than a branch of Boots that’s been hit with a 50-megaton Tsar bomb!"
$5299.99
Bottled at 43%, this 2023 Edition, is the annual limited release of "The Macallan" matured exclusively in Sherry Oak casks.
Producer Description
"The Macallan Sherry Oak 25 Years Old forms part of our Sherry Oak Collection which features a series of single malt whiskies matured exclusively in hand-picked sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez for richness and complexity. This special single malt delivers an intensely rich and full flavour character, citrus, dried fruits and wood smoke."
$8899.99
It's been a while since we've had a Port Ellen in the shop. Bottled under Hunter Laing's newish Eidolon range, the whisky was distilled in 1982, and bottled in 2022 after 40 years at 56.5%. 1982 Port Ellens are somewhat rare, as Serge notes in his tasting note, Diageo has never bottled a 1982 Port Ellen! 94pts WhiskyFun & 93.3pts Whiskybase
Eidolon in Ancient Greek referred to a recollection of something memorable from the past.
