Black Bowmore, a name whispered with reverence among whisky lovers, represents the pinnacle of Islay single malts. From its unexpected origins in a batch of 1964 sherry casks to its final, legendary 50 Year Old expression, Black Bowmore’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of time and craftsmanship.
This article traces the evolution of Black Bowmore from its initial release in 1993 to the coveted collector’s item it is today. We’ll delve into the unique maturation process in Bowmore’s legendary No.1 Vaults, explore the marketing strategies that propelled Black Bowmore to cult status, and examine the soaring value of these rare bottlings. Whether you’re a seasoned whisky investor or simply curious about the allure of Black Bowmore, this exploration will uncover the mystique behind this iconic collection.
A Brief History Of Bowmore Distillery
Originally founded by David Simpson in 1779, Bowmore is the oldest surviving distillery on Islay. The Bowmore Distillery is located on the shores of Loch Indaal, a sea loch opening into the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1816, Bowmore was officially licensed for whisky production when John Simpson applied for a distilling license. The Simpson family operated Bowmore until 1837, when the distillery was sold to Glasgow-based blenders and distillers W. & J. Mutter, the previous proprietors of the Jura Distillery. James Mutter considerably expanded the Bowmore Distillery site, as Bowmore’s whisky gained a reputation, increasing demand amongst blenders.
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Bowmore would pass between a number of owners before it was purchased by whisky broker Stanley P. Morrison in 1963. Morrison substantially modernized Bowmore, installing an innovative heat recovery system, while many of Bowmore’s whiskies from the 1960s-70s distilled or bottled under Morrison’s management have attained cult status. In 1989, Japanese distiller Suntory bought a stake in Bowmore before taking full control in 1994.
A significant percentage of Bowmore’s whisky is matured on Islay in the Bowmore Distillery’s No.1 Vault. Bowmore’s No.1 Vault is considered to have an extraordinary microclimate, the result of the vault being below the level of Loch Indaal. This gives the warehouse vault a chilled and damp environment, which is seen as ideal for long-term whisky maturation.
Black Bowmore: From Cask To Single Malt
Distilled on the 5th of November 1964, the future Black Bowmore whisky was filled into a batch of first-fill ex-sherry casks and then laid to rest in Bowmore’s No.1 vault for maturation. At the time Bowmore was under the ownership of Stanley P. Morrison, who had begun the modernization of the distillery and experimentation with different cask types. In time many of the whiskies distilled or bottled during Bowmore’s Morrison era would gain legendary status, but none more so than Black Bowmore.
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In 1993, Bowmore made a bold marketing move releasing the first edition of Black Bowmore, a 29 Year Old expression of 2,000 bottles marketed between £80 and £110 a bottle. The single malt market had only recently emerged as a category, while blended malts continued to dominate the whisky market. The bottle was released through the UK specialty market, including the Oddbins spirit merchant retailer where, despite being one of the most expensive single malts available at the time, the expression sold out in a matter of weeks.
The growing popularity of sherry cask whisky also contributed to the demand for the expression, which emphasized the sherry influence – the ‘blackness’ derived from using first-fill ex-sherry casks for long-term maturation. Black Bowmore’s release also contributed to the beginnings of the Islay whisky boom, as a growing number of single malt enthusiasts sought to sample smoky and peaty malts from the island’s distilleries.
Building on the success of the first edition, a second limited edition Black Bowmore 30 Year Old expression of 2,000 bottles was released in 1994. Intended to be the final release, a third edition 31 Year Old expression of 1,812 bottles followed in 1995. The retail price increased slightly with each Black Bowmore release, £90 – £100 for the second edition and £100 – £150 for the third edition, evidence of a growing single malt market.
The 4th Edition Revival
In 2007, a fourth Black Bowmore bottling was released as part of the Bowmore Trilogy of limited-edition single malts distilled in 1964. The fourth release was a 42 Year Old expression consisting of 827 bottles, with a retail price of £2,400.
As the single malt market had continued to evolve following the early Black Bowmore releases, the whisky industry saw the emergence of a luxury and collectible category of single malts bottled from rare and well-aged casks and released as limited editions. As knowledge of whisky, cask types, and maturation increased amongst enthusiasts the industry redefined the means by which limited edition bottlings were marketed and promoted.
While the first three Black Bowmore releases had focused on the sherry, for the fourth edition emphasis shifted to the Bowmore Distillery – specifically the extraordinary conditions of the No.1 Vaults. Matured in the cold and damp environment of Bowmore’s No.1 Vault, where evaporation is minimal and cask elements preserved, Black Bowmore confounded the widely accepted beliefs of whisky making; that whisky can’t be kept that long without quality declining, and certainly not in a first-fill ex-sherry cask. The whisky’s quality showed how the right alignment of cask wood, spirit, and maturation conditions could produce a unique and sought-after whisky.
The first bottling in the Bowmore Trilogy, Black Bowmore fourth edition was followed in 2008, by the White Bowmore 43 Year Old expression of 732 bottles filled from six bourbon casks distilled in 1964.
A final bottling completed the trilogy in 2009, the Gold Bowmore 44 Year Old expression of 701 bottles was created by vatting a mix of bourbon and ex-sherry casks distilled in 1964. Following the fourth Black Bowmore release the remaining two Oloroso ex-sherry casks were vatted together and returned to the warehouse vault to continue maturation, apparently forgotten.
The Final Black Bowmore: A Luxury Whisky
In 2014, the remaining ex-sherry cask whisky was ‘rediscovered’ and removed from Bowmore’s No.1 vault. Launched at Halloween in 2016, the fifth Black Bowmore 50 Year Old edition consisted of 159 bottles, with a retail price of £16,000.
Reflecting the dramatic shift in the whisky market regarding rare and well-aged single malts, the fifth edition was clearly positioned in the luxury segment of the malt market. This was evident by the changes in the packaging and presentation for the fifth release.
The first three Black Bowmore bottlings were presented in plain bottles and simple wooden boxes. Whilst the fourth edition gained a more elaborate presentation box as part of the limited edition Bowmore Trilogy, the bottle remained simple to reflect the quality and importance of the malt contained inside.
For Black Bowmore’s fifth edition, the 159 bottles were handmade using traditional glass-blowing techniques by Glasstorm Studios. Glasgow-based cabinet maker John Galvin Design was commissioned to produce the presentation cases for each bottle. Constructed from Scottish Oak with silver inlays representing the five releases as growth rings of a tree, each presentation case took 70 hours to handcraft using 80 different hand skills.
The Black Bowmore collection has always existed at, and challenged the existing boundaries of the whisky market in terms of flavor, age, and price. From the emergence of the single malt market to the presentation of rare luxury bottlings, Black Bowmore has driven the evolution of the whisky industry whilst attaining cult status.
All five Black Bowmore editions are amongst the most sought-after Islay whiskies and are legendary amongst whisky collectors and investors with the final 50 Year Old edition now advertised by some specialist whisky retailers for a price of up to £80,000.
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