Bowmore launches a single malt scotch finished in highly revered Japanese Mizunara casks
Only 2,000 bottles of Bowmore Mizunara Cask Finish available globally
Abv 53.9% / 700mL
TORONTO, Nov. 13, 2015 /CNW/ - Bowmore Islay Single Malt Whisky is proud to announce the launch of Bowmore Mizunara Cask Finish in Canada, the first-ever Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky to be finished in precious, handcrafted Japanese Mizunara oak casks. Set for release in Canada mid-November, the limited edition Bowmore Mizunara Cask Finish brings together two of the world's most renowned whisky islands – Islay, Scotland and Japan – to create a refined, elegant and complex Single Malt unlike any other before it. A total forty-two bottles of Bowmore Mizunara Cask Finish will be available in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
With only 2,000 bottles produced, Bowmore Mizunara Cask Finish is a skilled marriage of Scottish strength and passion with Japanese elegance and refinement. Although cultures and languages differ, craftsmanship is revered and understood in both Islay and Japan. As the first Islay Single Malt distillery and a pioneer of innovation, Bowmore is proud to combine the best of the east and west as the first distillery to mature Scotch whisky in Japanese Mizunara oak casks.
East Meets West
Bowmore's renowned Malts have been distilled on the Scottish island of Islay since 1779, making it the first of Islay's eight distilleries and one of Scotland's oldest. Produced exactly the same way for over 200 years and matured in Bowmore's legendary No. 1 Vaults, Bowmore is widely acknowledged to be among the finest, most beautifully balanced Single Malts in the world.
On the other side of the globe, Japan has also become renowned for its superior quality of Single Malts and excellent craftsmanship. In the north of the country, Japan's revered Mizunara oak is left to grow for up to 300 years before being handcrafted into casks using time-honoured techniques known only to a select few. Notoriously difficult to work with but prized for its flavours, casks made from Mizunara are among the most rare, treasured and sought after in the world.
To create Bowmore Mizunara Cask Finish, a selection of the very finest Mizunara oak casks handcrafted in Japan embarked on the 9,600 kilometre journey across two oceans to Islay before being laid to rest in Bowmore's No.1 vaults. This limited-edition release represents one of the first occasions in which Japanese distillers have spared their precious Mizunara casks for a whisky outside of Japan. Bowmore was chosen due to its long and proven history of innovation and craftsmanship reflecting the same skills and values that have been passed down from generation to generation to create the Mizunara oak casks.
Tasting Notes
The legendary Mizunara casks became home to Bowmore's celebrated Single Malt, taming its tempestuous mix of peat smoke, spice, vanilla and citrus fruit. The enchanting result combines a spicy, mellow taste of sweet vanilla, cedar wood, exotic mango and honey rose blossom along with Bowmore's signature peatiness to create a refined, elegant complexity of floral spice and fragrant smoke, carried on a fresh ocean breeze.
Availability
A total forty-two bottles of Bowmore Mizunara Cask Finish will be available mid-November in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. Check your local liquor store for up-to-date pricing and availability.
For more information on Bowmore Mizunara, please visit www.bowmore.com
About Bowmore
Founded in 1779, Bowmore is the oldest distillery on Islay, one of the Scottish isles, which make up the region known as the 'Islands' in the lexicon of Whisky. The other regions are the Highlands, Speyside and the Lowlands. Islay malts are famous for their characteristic smokiness and Bowmore is no exception; the malt is carefully smoked in a peat-fired kiln, using skills handed down from generation to generation to craft a perfectly balanced Single Malt.
Bowmore's adherence to traditional production methods helps to shape the character of its Single Malts. Today, it prides itself as one of the rare distilleries that still produces its own floor malted barley, hand-turned by a traditional wooden malt shovel and hand drawn machinery. Water for the whiskies is specially drawn from the Laggan River, with its rich peaty overtones – the same Islay peat that fires the malt-drying kiln.
Bowmore Distillery's close proximity to the sea is also vital in determining the final character of its spirit. The legendary Bowmore No. 1 Vaults is where most of the whiskies spend their long lives resting quietly in the cool, dark, damp cellars below sea level, oblivious to the waves thrashing the vault's sea-facing wall.
They mature in oak casks, previously used for bourbon, sherry or claret, gradually developing rich and mellow flavours. It is this combination of peat, barley, sea breeze, water, wood, people and tradition that together create the perfectly balanced warm and smoky character of Bowmore Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.
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About Islay
Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, and is also known as "The Queen of the Hebrides". Its mild climate and rich peaty soil make it ideal for creating whisky, and despite having a population of not much more than 3,500, it is home to no fewer than eight working distilleries.
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About Beam Suntory Inc.
As the world's third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits Brands that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon brands and Suntory whisky Kakubin, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek bourbon, Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher's, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka, and Midori liqueur.
Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and commitment to Growing for Good. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.
SOURCE Beam Suntory Inc.
Image with caption: "Bowmore Mizunara Cask Finish is the first-ever Islay Single Malt Scotch to be finished in Japanese Mizunara oak casks. (CNW Group/Beam Suntory Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151113_C7616_PHOTO_EN_544375.jpg
Media Contact: Alex Thomas, PRAXIS, [email protected], 416-617-4498
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