1956 Bowmore Islay Pure Malt (Single Malt) Scotch Whisky (750ml)
An immensely rare official bottling of Bowmore distilled in 1956 by its third owners in William Grigor & Sons Ltd, matured in sherry casks. This would later be bottled in the early 80's by Stanley P. Morrison Ltd. (Now Morrison Bowmore) who famously oversaw the modernisation of the distillery in 1960's; increasing its capacity and implementation of savvy marketing.
The obvious scarcity of these historical bottling’s alone shouldn't be the only consideration that compels a buying decision such as this. This bottling represents a pre-industrial, some even consider golden era for Scotch Whisky, when the production methods were vastly different from today’s standards. In short, the great expressions that last the test of time are complex, completely unrefined yet full of character. This Bowmore certainly has the pedigree to be one of the ultimate whisky experiences.
*One bottle available only - This bottle can be inspected at our Doncaster store in Melbourne.
Other Reviews...(From prolific whisky blogger Serge Valentin in November, 2008)
Bowmore 1956 (43%, OB for Soffiantino, 1980s) - No need to introduce this series I guess, it put together many of the best malts ever distilled and bottled by man in our opinion. Colour: gold. Nose: otherworldly. Look, let’s keep this short and sweet: it’s a class of its own, different from the Bowmores from the 1960s in the sense that the latter were fruitier and less peaty, whilst this displays the most exceptional combination of peat smoke and tropical fruits (mostly citrus this time). A S.T.U.N.N.I.N.G. combo. Mouth: this is why we’re into whisky. Grapefruits, spearmint, peat, lemon marmalade, angelica, woodruff, high-end walnut liqueur, 3,765 different spices, 4,623 different fruits, 7,598 different ‘phenolic’ aromas… Well, I’m sure you get the picture. Finish: does ‘the peacock’s tail’ several times in a row, like the greatest old wines, the most wonderful peatiness being a permanent feature. Comments: we had always thought that straight peat did not stand long ageing – including bottle ageing – but this is an example of a very old whisky (a 30+20, that is to say 30 years in wood plus 20 years in glass) that kept all of its peatiness. Drawback: this makes many recent whiskies taste a tad, say ridiculous and pretentious. SGP:666 (devilish indeed) - 96 points.