Bowmore 50-Year Old Collection

Located on the island of Islay, famed for its windswept coastal climate and distinct peat-driven whiskies, Bowmore is one of the paragons of the whisky world. Founded in 1779, it is one of the oldest distilleries in the world, with a tradition of quality spanning the length of its existence. A key component to this consistency is their No. 1 Vault dunnage maturation warehouse, constructed at the distillery's founding. Cooled by the Islay weather, No. 1 Vault is the world's oldest scotch maturation warehouse. Its structure and proximity to the sea create the perfect environment for aging whisky for extended periods, and as such, only Bowmore's best casks destined for prestige bottlings are kept in the No.1 Vault.

The whisky featured in this collection was not only aged in the No. 1 Vault but was done so for a half-century. Distilled in 1961 and bottled at 50 years of age, this whisky is one of the oldest Bowmore has ever released. Only 200 bottles were produced from two hogsheads which lay largely untouched for fifty years. The small yield of bottles from two casks is due to the evaporation and angel's share lost over five decades of maturation. While the volume loss may not seem advantageous for the distiller, as the liquid evaporates, the remaining flavors become more concentrated, thus producing a richer, more complex spirit for final bottling.

Of the two hundred bottles produced, only fifty bottles were allocated to the United States. The tiny volumes have been largely tucked away in collector’s cellars since release, which has led to sparse availability. Currently, there are only four sources for this bottle globally, with just a single bottle currently available for sale in the US. Thanks to Vint's global network of sourcing partners, we were able to acquire a bottle and offer it in this collection at 38% below the current US retail asking price.

This advantageous pricing provides a favorable entry point for investment as prices and international demand for Bowmore continues to grow. On Wine Searcher's list of most expensive whiskies in the world, Bowmore is the third brand on the list behind only bottlings of The Macallan and Yamazaki. This is supported further by Rare Whisky 101, which ranks Bowmore as the #3 Scotch whisky on its Whisky collector index. Vint has also seen demand for Bowmore as we were recently able to exit a cask of Bowmore for a 35.49% Net Annualized Return.

As the worldwide demand for whisky, especially Scotch whisky, continues to grow, limited edition bottlings from the most esteemed producers are becoming more and more challenging to acquire. Supplies are dwindling, and the fact that due to the aging dynamics at play most barrels cannot successfully make it to 25 years of age, let alone 50+, even if the distiller wanted to wait. With the combination of supply constraints, growing demand, and the power of the Bowmore brand, this collection offers an excellent opportunity to add a highly desirable bottle of Scotch whisky to your portfolio.