March 2019 Auction

Bowmore 1966 Samaroli Bouquet

Islay's Bowmore distillery and renowned Italian bottler, the late Silvano Samaroli, are both legends in the world of the whisky. The 1966 Bouquet is the glittering supernova that is created when these two key elements of whisky history collide, at just the perfect moment in time. Regarded by many as the one of, if not the best whisky ever bottled, it is not often one of these absolute gems is brought to market.

The Bouquet is rated in first place on WhiskyBase.com's Top 1000 whiskies of all time, occasionally trading places only with another Samaroli epic, the Laphroaig 1967, also bottled for him by R.W. Duthie. Emmanuel Dron, whisky author and owner of the famous Auld Alliance bar in Singapore recently opened a bottle of the Bouquet for customers in that very venue, with enthusiasts and connoisseurs flocking from all over Asia to sample a drop of this liquid gold. And if you still need convincing, the seasoned palate of Serge Valentin of WhiskyFun.com awarded this Bowmore a staggering rating of 97 points. He writes:

\"Wow! Not an easy, sexy old Bowmore at all, almost a ‘bugger’ and you have to sort of tame it, but when you manage to do so, it’s just splendid. One of the very few total winners I’ve been lucky to be allowed to taste.\"

The coming together of this cask of Bowmore and Silvano Samaroli is one of those rare, chance meetings that go on to write the greatest stories. The aptly named Bouquet represents almost the resplendent blossoming of the long-growing Italian love affair with single malt Scotch whisky. Distilled in 1966, a golden era in production at Bowmore distillery, and the time when Armando Giovinetti was hard at work pushing single malt whisky in his native Italy. Samaroli founded his bottling company in Rome just two years later, in 1968. Giovinetti believed lighter, younger whisky, the Glen Grant 5 year old specifically, was best positioned to capture the hearts and taste buds of the Grappa favouring Italian public. The forward-thinking Samaroli had other ideas though. A kindred spirit with his contemporaries at W.M. Cadenhead, he believed wholeheartedly in the bottling of cask strength whisky, and Silvano's first releases were a collaborative effort with Scotland's oldest independent bottler. These were released in 1979, and were closely followed by the acclaimed Flowers series in 1981, a direct precursor to this, the Bouquet. The Flowers series, bottled with ornate illustrative labels (hand-drawn by Samaroli himself), were a sensation and finally provided Samaroli with the platform and audience he knew his whisky deserved, and in 1984, he rewarded their faith in his product with a whisky he felt they deserved, and it is possibly the greatest ever bottled.

Bottle number 91 of 720.

Bowmore 1965 Oloroso Sherry Cask 52 Year Old / Bottle #2

A spectacular whisky, this 1965 vintage Bowmore was produced just after the distillery had its steam heated stills installed. Since then it has been maturing at the distillery in a single Oloroso sherry cask for over 52 years!

This is the third release in Bowmore's fifty-year Vault series and is immaculately presented in a hand crafted Scottish oak cabinet.

The decanter is number 2 of only 232 released globally.

Bowmore 1964 Black Bowmore 42 Year Old

Arguably the most famous of all Bowmore's, one of the most collectible and most memorable whiskies on the market.  The Black Bowmore is an icon of whisky collecting, whisky drinking and whisky investing!

This is the first of the more recent releases from this famous Bowmore vintage, officially released in 2007 at 42 years of age in an impressive wooden presentation case.

The Black Bowmore was followed by the slightly older, Gold and White Bowmore.

Bottle number 184 of only 827 produced.

Bowmore 1964 White Bowmore 43 Year Old

The second in this famous series, the White Bowmore was matured exclusively in Bourbon casks to create a comparison to the more famous Oloroso Sherry casked Black Bowmore.

Bottled at 42.8%

Bottle number 235 of 732 bottles.

Bowmore 1964 Gold Bowmore 44 Year Old

Bottled in 2009, the third and final in this famous series, the Gold Bowmore was matured in a mixture of bourbon and sherry casks, to provide a comparison to the more famous Oloroso casks.

Bottled at 42.4%.

Bottle number 644 of 701 bottles.

Bowmore 1964 Gold Bowmore 44 Year Old

Bottled in 2009, the third and final in this famous series, the Gold Bowmore was matured in a mixture of bourbon and sherry casks, to provide a comparison to the more famous Oloroso casks.

Bottled at 42.4%.

Bottle number 631 of 701 bottles.

Bowmore 1957 38 Year Old

Distilled back in January 1957, this was matured in Bowmore's Number One Vault. The whisky was matured for 38 years and then bottled due to the risk of the liquid falling bellow 40% ABV.

This is bottle number 522 of 861.

Bowmore 18 Year Old Sherriff's 1960s

An incredibly rare Bowmore, presented in a wonderful pear shaped glass bottle. Likely released in the 1960s, with a similar capsule to that found on the 7 year old Sherriff's bottling.

The liquid inside has been bottled at 18 years of age, making it likely to have been distilled in the late 1940s when the distillery was owned by J.B. Sherriff & Co.

Bowmore 1964 Black Bowmore / Final Edition / Leaking

An icon of the whisky world, it's hard to fathom where whisky collecting would be today without the Black Bowmore. 

Distilled in 1964 and matured within Oloroso sherry casks before bottling in 1995. This is the last of three Black Bowmore released in the mid-nineties. 

This is bottle number 997 of 1812.

Bowmore 1963 30th Anniversary

An incredibly special 30 year old bottling of single malt from Islay's oldest distillery, Bowmore.

This was distilled in 1963, the same year the distillery was purchased by Stanley P. Morrison, and was bottled to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this event, at as many years old.

This is bottle 518 from the limited edition run.

Brora 1972 Rare Malt 22 Year Old / 58.7%

The Rare Malt Selection is a historic selection of single malt whiskies from operational and lost distilleries that were released by Diageo between 1995 and 2005.

It is often said that 1972 Brora is exceptional, and this is one of five Rare Malts of that vintage. The 1972 continued to be an important vintage when Diageo also released a 40 year old of the same vintage. 

The formerly named Clynelish distillery was reopened, after a brief hiatus, in 1969 to produce heavily peated single malt for blending, owing to a shortage in Islay spirit caused by drought that year. Vintages from 1973 onwards reverted to the lighter peated Highland style.

Since its closure in 1983 the popularity of Brora has soared, this is a fantastic opportunity to own an historic bottle.

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch #1 (Distillery Exclusive)

The original Balvenie Tun 1401  hand-selected by Malt Master David Stewart. Four traditional whisky casks and two sherry butts are combined and rested for several months in Tun 1401 – The Balvenie’s traditional oak marrying vessel.

Batch 1 of the Balvenie Tun 1401 was only available at Balvenie distillery and consists of the casks shown below.

Bottle Ref No. 33 / 336

Seven traditional whisky casks
(1966, 1974, 1978 and 1988)
#2385
#17707
#13234
#3402
 

Two sherry butts
(1973 and 1972)
#5238
#8555

Bowmore 1967 Sherry Casks Full Strength / Soffiantino Import

A 1967 vintage sherry cask matured Bowmore bottled at full strength.

1960's sherry cask Bowmore vintages come highly recommended by those lucky enough to try them. 

Soffiantino import for the Italian market. 

Brora 1972 Rare Malt 22 Year Old / 58.7%

The Rare Malt Selection is a historic selection of single malt whiskies from operational and lost distilleries that were released by Diageo between 1995 and 2005.

It is often said that 1972 Brora is exceptional, and this is one of five Rare Malts of that vintage. The 1972 continued to be an important vintage when Diageo also released a 40 year old of the same vintage. 

The formerly named Clynelish distillery was reopened, after a brief hiatus, in 1969 to produce heavily peated single malt for blending, owing to a shortage in Islay spirit caused by drought that year. Vintages from 1973 onwards reverted to the lighter peated Highland style.

Since its closure in 1983 the popularity of Brora has soared, this is a fantastic opportunity to own an historic bottle.

Bowmore Bicentenary Cask Strength / Fecchio & Frassa

An extremely rare Bowmore released for their Bicentenary in 1979. This was created for Fecchio & Frassa and the Italian market.

The whisky is rumoured to be from 1969 but this is not stated on the bottle. 

Bottled at a cask strength of 56.2%. 

There are two other releases bearing this label as well, a pair of 1969 vintage single sherry casks bottled exclusively for Mr. Federico Minnetti.

Brora 1972 Douglas Laing 30 Year Old

One of Brora distillery's legendary 1972 vintages. This was bottled in 2003 by Douglas Laing for their Old & Rare range, when it was still part of their portfolio. The label has been bottled by Hunter Laing since 2013.

Brora was reopened after a brief hiatus in 1969 to produce heavily peated single malt for blending, owing to a shortage in Islay spirit caused by drought that year. Vintages from 1973 onwards reverted the lighter peated Highland style.

Brora distillery, formerly known as Clynelish has been closed since 1983, after a new distillery was built next-door in 1967, and eventually assumed the Clynelish name and sole distilling responsibilities. The original distillery bottlings are now increasingly sought after.

Bottle 160 of 222.

Bowmore 1973 43 Year Old​

A 2016 super-premium Bowmore bottling.

Vatting the last 6 remaining bourbon hogsheads of 1973, this joins the ranks of some impressive bottles from that vintage. 

Casks 3883-3888 were distilled on the 10th of May 1973 and bottled on the 2nd of June 2016 at a staggering 43 years old.

Bowmore 1957 Moon Import / Crest Label

Moon Import was founded by Pepi Mongiardino in 1980 and he bottled his first whisky in 1982. Always beautifully labelled, Pepi is acclaimed for designing the packaging for Moon Import bottles himself, often using images found in old books. These iconic designs, coupled with the quality of the liquid saw Moon Import steadily grow in popularity. The company is still going strong, and their early releases are some of the brightest gems in any whisky collection.

A 1957 vintage bottle of Bowmore. This is one of two from Islay's oldest distillery bottled in this series, the other being what is believed to be the only 1962 vintage Bowmore ever released. The series was bottled in 1990.

Bottle number 91 of 120. 

Bowmore 1965 Sherry Casks Full Strength / Soffiantino Import

A 1965 vintage sherry cask matured Bowmore.

1960s sherry cask Bowmore vintages come highly recommended by those lucky enough to try them. 

Soffiantino import for the Italian market.

Bowmore 1957 Moon Import / Crest Label

Moon Import was founded by Pepi Mongiardino in 1980 and he bottled his first whisky in 1982. Always beautifully labelled, Pepi is acclaimed for designing the packaging for Moon Import bottles himself, often using images found in old books. These iconic designs, coupled with the quality of the liquid saw Moon Import steadily grow in popularity. The company is still going strong, and their early releases are some of the brightest gems in any whisky collection.

A 1957 vintage bottle of Bowmore. This is one of two from Islay's oldest distillery bottled in this series, the other being what is believed to be the only 1962 vintage Bowmore ever released. The series was bottled in 1990.

Bottle number 102 of 120. 

Brora 1970 Douglas Laing 34 Year Old

This is one of only two casks ever bottled from 1970, a year of very low production (apparently), and is particularly sought after as no other bottling of Brora exists (that carries the name 'Brora') from before this date.

Douglas Laing were fortunate enough to bottle two casks, this 34 year old and another two years earlier as a 32 year old.

Brora was distilling heavily peated single malt at this time, to make up for a shortfall in Islay whisky caused by a drought. Vintages from 1973 onwards revert to the lightly peated Highland style.

Bottle 59 of only 157 filled in 2004.

Brora 1972 Douglas Laing 29 Year Old

A cask strength Brora, distilled in 1972 and bottled in 2002 at 29 years old by Douglas Laing as part of their Old and Rare Platinum Selection. 

Brora was reopened after a brief hiatus in 1969 to produce heavily peated single malt for blending, owing to a shortage in Islay spirit caused by drought that year. Vintages from 1973 onwards reverted the lighter peated Highland style. The distillery, formerly known as the original Clynelish, has been closed since 1983

One of 240 bottles,

Bowmore 1965 Sherry Casks Full Strength 

A 1965 vintage sherry cask matured Bowmore.

1960s sherry cask Bowmore vintages come highly recommended by those lucky enough to try them. 

Bowmore 1965 Intertrade 20 Year Old

A rare vintage Bowmore, distilled 8th February 1965 and bottled in November 1985 for the Italian market by Intertrade.

Intertrade was established in Italy in the early 1980s by Nadi Fiori, a contemporary of Silvano Samaroli and Moon Import's Pepi Mongiardino. His company is perhaps less well known than theirs, but bottled some of the most well-regarded and collectible whiskies on the market.

Very Xtra Old Fitzgerald 1955 Bonded 10 Year Old 100 Proof / Stitzel-Weller

We don't see vintage Old Fitzgerald very often, so we are particularly excited about this bottle which was distilled in 1955 and bottled in 1965.

Distilled at Stitzel-Weller distillery when it was under the management of the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle and bottled in the year of his death by his son, Julian II who had taken over the year prior.

These pure Van Winkle era Stitzel-Weller bottlings are rare gems and incredibly sought after.

Presented in a lockable fel-lined box with two glasses.

Bowmore 7 Year Old Sherriff's 1960s / Cogis Import

This is an incredibly rare Bowmore from the 1960s, prior to the distillery's purchase by Stanley Morrison.

Aged 7 years, this was imported to the Italian market by Venetian importers, Cogis.

Balvenie 40 Year Old

A remarkable bottle, the Balvenie 40 year old is a stunning whisky that has been highly acclaimed around the World.  

Bowmore Bicentenary / Soffiantino Import

One of two Bicentenary bottlings that were released in early 1979.

This is the multi-vintage version, a legendary bottling of Bowmore contains whisky vatted from a selection of casks distilled in the 1950s and 1960s with the earliest distillate being from 1950. This is the Italian market release, imported by Soffiantino.

The selected casks were all matured exclusively in Bowmore's famous No.1 Vault, the original warehouse at the distillery, which dates back to 1779.

The bottle, bearing the Morrison clan coat of arms, is a replica of a hand blown decanter.

Please note that there is a design flaw with all Bowmore Bicentenary bottles. The cork is very thin and held in place by the wax, the wax is also soluble in whisky. This can create issues in transit where a bottle with no issues can start to leak, Whisky Auctioneer Ltd cannot be held liable for any leakage/damage caused whilst the bottle is in transit, including lots sent using Risk Free Shipping. Collection is advised.

Bowmore Bicentenary

Released in early 1979, this legendary bottling of Bowmore contains whisky vatted from a selection of casks distilled in 1964.  This Bicentenary release is widely considered to be one of the best Bowmore's ever bottled.

The selected casks were all matured exclusively in Bowmore's famous No.1 Vault, the original warehouse at the distillery, which dates back to 1779.

The bottle, bearing the Morrison clan coat of arms, is a replica of a hand blown decanter.

This particular bottle includes a certificate of authenticity. Bottle number 17392.

Please note that there is a design flaw with all Bowmore Bicentenary bottles. The cork is very thin and held in place by the wax, the wax is also soluble in whisky. This can create issues in transit where a bottle with no issues can start to leak, Whisky Auctioneer Ltd cannot be held liable for any leakage/damage caused whilst the bottle is in transit, including lots sent using Risk Free Shipping. Collection is advised.

Bowmore 1965 Sestante 20 Year Old 49.1%

A 1965 vintage bottling of Bowmore. The 1960s is considered by many to be a golden era for the distillery. This is oen of two 20 years olds of the same vintage bottled by Sestante, the other at 43% ABV.

The Sestante import company was founded in the 1970s by Ernesto Mainardi, and he bottled his first single casks under the name in 1985. Alongside his contemporary, Silvano Samaroli, Mainardi pioneered giving his customers a choice of both standard 40-46% bottlings, and cask strength releases from the same casks. Along with his other brand, Silver Seal, Mainardi's bottlings are incredibly sought after.

Bowmore Bicentenary / Soffiantino Import

One of two Bicentenary bottlings that were released in early 1979.

This is the multi-vintage version, a legendary bottling of Bowmore contains whisky vatted from a selection of casks distilled in the 1950s and 1960s with the earliest distillate being from 1950. This is the Italian market release, imported by Soffiantino.

The selected casks were all matured exclusively in Bowmore's famous No.1 Vault, the original warehouse at the distillery, which dates back to 1779.

The bottle, bearing the Morrison clan coat of arms, is a replica of a hand blown decanter.

Please note that there is a design flaw with all Bowmore Bicentenary bottles. The cork is very thin and held in place by the wax, the wax is also soluble in whisky. This can create issues in transit where a bottle with no issues can start to leak, Whisky Auctioneer Ltd cannot be held liable for any leakage/damage caused whilst the bottle is in transit, including lots sent using Risk Free Shipping. Collection is advised.

Van Winkle 1985 Family Reserve Rye / Un-Chillfiltered European Exclusive

Blink and you might miss it, but this is not the standard 13 year old Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye that at first glance it may appear. Labelled simply as the 1985 vintage, this was released in 2001 when the Family Reserve was actually 15 years old. Although it is commonly known as a 13 year old, the rye actually continued to age in cask until 2004 when it was eventually tanked at Buffalo Trace. 

The Family Reserve Rye is presumed to have been distilled at Medley in Owensboro, with Cream of Kentucky rye from Bernheim blended through it after it was tanked in 2004. More recent bottlings are also expected to contain whiskey distilled at Buffalo Trace. This however is the unblended Medley liquid.

Bottled by Julian Van Winkle III at Old Commonwealth distillery in Lawrenceburg, he has personally confirmed that this un-chillfiltered version was an experiment for the European market, at the request of a French customer. Un-chillfiltering is unheard of with bourbon in the US, but is the preference here. Van Winkle also noted that he believes this release does have some flavour lost in the regular chillfiltered product.

Bottled at the higher strength of 100 proof, this is a particularly rare gem.