First there was the Black Bowmore in 2007, then the White Bowmore in 2008, and now the Gold Bowmore completes this scotch trilogy. Bowmore, the maker of full-bodied scotches, has kept the third scotch in this trilogy to high standards. We all know that the third installment of any trilogy runs the risk of being uninspired, but that is not the case with the Gold Bowmore.
Distilled on November 5, 1964 the 84.8% proof scotch has been matured in three bourbon casks and one Oloroso sherry cask in Bowmore’s Number 1 vault, tucked below sea level. When the resulting elixirs were married, the Oloroso cask’s sherry and walnut hues found their way into the mix, creating the final liquid with “a darker, reddish-amber” tint. Or perhaps it will remind you more of a fine nectar: the aroma is described a combination of passion fruit, papaya, and vanilla. Add that to Bowmore’s trademark smoky peat undertones, and you could have something special in your hands.
There will be 701 bottles of the gold version, the smallest number among the three. What will not be smallest is the price: $6,250 for a hand-numbered bottle in a Burr Elm box. Although that price might seem high, you can look at your bottle of Gold Bowmore as an asset, an unopened set of Bowmore’s first trilogy, released in the early nineties, sold for $17,530 at auction in 2007.