Distilled: 20.09.1997
Bottled: 05.06.2020
22 Years Old
ABV%: 52.6%
Refill Sherry Butt
Production: 642 Bottles
Bowmore, the capital of Islay and name of the island's oldest whisky distillery, was officially built in 1779, but like other established Scottish distilleries, it is said that David Simson, the founder of the distillery, bought the site earlier than 1766.
Over the past two centuries, distilleries have changed hands several times and were used as air bases during World War II. In the 1980s, the Suntory Group's stake began to take on Asian overtones. This led to the subsequent launch of the Sea Dragon series, which was made specifically for the Asian market, and Dragon Edition which was sold exclusively in China.
Dragons have always had a lot to do with the history of Bowmore and Islay. Legend has it that Scotland's greatest warrior, Fionn mac Cumhal (also known as Fingal), had been walking his dog to Islay Island when he picked up a large stone and threw it at Loch Indaal for the two hounds retrieve it. The splash from the stone woke up the sea dragon Kranna Dubh, who then swam to the Bowmore shore to fight him. Fionn defeated the dragon with his magical sword and asked it to return to the bottom of the sea.
HKW "Old Master Q" Bowmore 1997, the headline bottling in our "Classic Hong Kong Comic" series, was selected with Old Master Q's classic cover of the Dragon's ball. The vibrant colours reveals the complex layering of this 22-year-old collection. This single cask malt was distilled by Bowmore Distillery on 20 September 1997. After extensive maturation in a refill Sherry cask, only 642 bottles were produced.
Renowned Whisky expert, Charles MacLean, spoke highly of this dram: "An excellent example of Bowmore: robust and full of character, I wish the sample had been bigger!"
