Bowmore Cask Collection 1989 · Individual Cask Bottling · Sherry Cask · Cask #1099 · 70CL · 52.2%
There are whiskies you open for a special occasion. And then there are whiskies that are the occasion. A 21-year-old Bowmore from 1989, drawn directly from a single sherry cask — only 240 bottles, exclusively for the Danish market — falls unambiguously into the second category.
Bowmore is Islay's oldest licensed distillery, founded in 1779 on the shores of Loch Indaal. The distillery sits literally on the edge of the sea, and you can tell — the salty, maritime air is part of the maturation process, not just a tourism tagline. The whisky matures in the iconic No. 1 Vaults warehouse, which sits partially below sea level. That's the kind of detail that actually makes a difference.
This is an individual cask bottling — one cask, one whisky, no blending. Cask number 1099, a sherry cask, received its new make spirit on 18 February 1989 and was bottled exactly 21 years later, on 18 February 2010. That symmetry is rarely seen and almost a little moving. The whisky is bottled non-chill filtered at natural cask strength of 52.2% and is — as stated on the label — specially selected and bottled for the Danish market. 240 bottles in total. No more.
The sherry cask has given this Bowmore a dark, warm character that balances the distillery's signature lightly peated and maritime profile with a deep, heavy fruitiness from years of contact with sherry-seasoned oak. It's the classic Islay-meets-sherry combination, and when it works — and it does here — there's not much that beats it.
Nose: Dark fruit upfront — preserved fruits, dried plums, figs. Behind it, a hint of Bowmore's characteristic coastal air and gentle smoke that never overwhelms but is always present. Suggestions of wax, leather and a light medicinal note — typical of the 1989 vintage from Islay.
Palate: Full-bodied and oily mouthfeel. The sherry sweetness is present but not cloying — raisins, dark chocolate, orange peel. The smoke arrives in a second wave, earthy and dry. Spices in the background: ginger, a touch of pepper.
Finish: Long and warm. The smoky, maritime character carries through and lingers. A little bitter oak right at the very end. Excellent length.
Smoky · Sherried · Fruity · Waxy · Maritime · Spicy · Oaky
Name: Bowmore Cask Collection 1989 Individual Cask Bottling
Distillery: Bowmore Distillery
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 52.2%
Size: 70CL
Cask Type: Sherry Cask
Cask Number: 1099
Distilled: 18 February 1989
Bottled: 18 February 2010
Age: 21 years
Number of bottles: 240
Edition: Individual Cask Bottling — selected for the Danish market
Filtration: Non-chill filtered, natural cask strength
"Specially selected and bottled in Scotland for the Danish market"
Investment potential: High. Only 240 bottles exist, and they are now 15+ years old. 21-year-old single cask Bowmore bottlings from the 1989 vintage — and the sherry expressions in particular — are sought after on the collector's market.
Did you know? Bowmore's No. 1 Vaults is one of the only active warehouses in Scotland that actually sits partially below sea level. The temperature is stable, humidity high and sea air ever-present — factors that over 21 years have undoubtedly left their mark on what came out of cask number 1099.
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