There are whiskies you open for a special occasion. And there are whiskies that are the occasion. A 21-year-old Bowmore from 1989, bottled directly from a single sherry cask — only 240 bottles, exclusively for the Danish market — falls unmistakably into the second category.
Expert's description
Bowmore 1989/2010 A.D. Rattray 21 Year is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a sherry cask (cask no. 1099) and bottled at 52.2%. A. Dewar Rattray is one of Scotland's most respected independent bottlers, and Tim Morrison behind the company knows Bowmore from the inside — his family owned the distillery from 1963 to 1994 before Suntory took over. This gives the bottling a particular credibility. Cask no. 1099, a sherry cask, received new make spirit on 18 February 1989 and was bottled exactly 21 years later, on 18 February 2010. That symmetry is rare. Non-chill filtered, natural colour, at natural cask strength of 52.2% and selected specifically for the Danish market — only 240 bottles in total.
Tasting notes
Nose
Dark fruit at the front — stewed plums, raisins and a trace of leather. Behind it, Bowmore's sea salt and gentle smoke, now wrapped in the warmth of old sherry oak.
Taste
Rich and layered. Dark chocolate, dried fig and orange peel with a warming peat smoke running through the middle. The sherry cask has left its mark deeply — yet the Islay character remains intact.
Finish
Long and complex. Smoke, dried fruit and gentle spice continue for minutes. One of the longest finishes you will find in a Bowmore of this age.
Specifications
Name: Bowmore 1989/2010 A. Dewar Rattray Individual Cask Bottling
Distillery: Bowmore
Bottler: A. Dewar Rattray
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 21 years
ABV: 52.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry cask (cask no. 1099)
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 18.02.1989
Bottled: 18.02.2010
Number of bottles: 240
Edition: Individual Cask Bottling – Danish exclusive
Flavour profile
Sherried · Aged · Peated · Maritime · Single Cask
Investment potential
High. A 1989 vintage Bowmore single cask with only 240 bottles, a Danish exclusive and bottled by a family with direct ties to the distillery. An exceptional and increasingly rare collector's bottle.
Did you know?
The Morrison family, who owned Bowmore from 1963 to 1994, also owned Highland Park and Auchentoshan. Tim Morrison — the man behind A. Dewar Rattray today — grew up with Bowmore as part of his family's heritage, giving these releases a personal dimension most independent bottlings lack.
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