Bowmore 1996 Hidden Spirits 22 Year Old / LMDW

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements. The unique microclimate in their iconic No.1 vaults shares very little with the angels, meaning casks are readily available for independent labels like this, many of which are spectacular.

A single cask bottling of Bowmore from Italian firm, Hidden Spirits. Released in collaboration with La Maison du Whisky in Paris. Distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2018.

Following the lead of esteemed countrymen such as Samaroli and Moon Import in the 1980s, Hidden Spirits is part of a new generation of independent Italian bottlers. Founded by Andrea Ferrari, the company operates an online store for fine and rare collectible spirits, as well as bottling some very respected independent single malts and rum.