Tain based creative duo Brodie Nairn and Nicky Burns have recently been holed up working on a top secret whisky based project, shrouded in mystery it is now time to open the bottle and announce the details.

The world renowned glass artists, known collectively as Glasstorm, have been collaborating with Bowmore’s Whisky, honing their many years of glass based talent and producing the exquisite piece of art that is the Bowmore 1957 bottle, containing 54 Year Old single malt and infused with history and magic. Not only is this the oldest whisky the distillery has ever released, it is also the oldest Islay Single Malt ever put on sale. Glasstorm are fast becoming both experts and pioneers in the niche field of luxury bottle creation. The bottles have been beautifully hand-blown and sculpted into the shape of the waves reminiscent of those that constantly crash the walls of No. 1 Vault’s sea facing walls by renowned glass artists Brodie Nairn and Nichola Burns. The glass has also been flecked with platinum to create a shimmering sea-like effect. The small vibrant creative team at Glasstorm specialise in creating bespoke works in glass for the commercial drinks, film and architectural industries, as well as working with private clients, and are going from strength to strength.

“We can really identify with the craftsmanship it takes to produce this special dram and that to the craft of glassmaking. Last year we made the Glenfiddich ‘s – Janet Sheed Roberts bottle a very rare reserve. That bottle reached the record breaking price of £60,000 and it is great to hear that the proceeds from this £100,000 sale will go to five Scottish charities.” – Nicky

Bowmore 1957 (Glasstorm)

The project is a collaboration between one of the finest whisky makers in Scotland, and thus the world, and a creative team of artists including Peter Toaig, the acclaimed woodworker, who fashioned the stunning presentation box, Hamilton & Inches, Warrant Holder to the Queen, who hand engraved the platinum neck and stopper , and of course Highlands based Nichola and Brodie, who designed and put together this one-off majesty of a bottle. Inspired by the cascading waves that constantly batter the sea-facing walls of the legendary number 1 Vault where the whisky resides, the oldest maturation warehouse in all of Scotland.

“Our inspiration for this bottle has come from seeing the waves crashing up on to the island of Islay. We have tried to capture this energy and we really believe that it truly beautiful.” -Nicky

Detail of bottle (Glasstorm)

The bottle summarises the unique magic and allure of ancient whisky, and all the craft and history that goes into every single drop. Matching the whisky itself is the artisan nature of the craft involved in producing this stunning bottle. The ethos of wild Scotland distilled in a bottle is solidified with the fact that everything involved in Glasstorm’s creation is made in Scotland, including Nicky and Brodie themselves!

“We are delighted and honoured to be involved in this highly prestigious project. It’s amazing to think that someone may look at this work in a hundred years from now and still see the beauty. It certainly would be interesting to know if the seal had been broken!!” – Brodie

The Auction

Bowmore is considered one of the leading collectible Single Malts in the world. With Bowmore 1957 not only being the oldest Bowmore released but also the oldest Islay Single Malt ever released, the Bonhams’ auctions are certain to quicken the heartbeats of whisky collectors around the world. Auctions are set for Edinburgh on October 10 (www.bonhams.com/auctions/19871/) and New York City on October 28 (www.bonhams.com/auctions/20459/) with bids accepted live in each location as well as live internet bidding. Inquiries regarding bidding can be directed to bids@bonhams.com. The minimum reserve set by Bonhams is a cool £100,000 per bottle, the highest reserve ever set for a Single Malt Whisky. Says Martin Green, Bonhams’ Whisky Specialist, “We at Bonhams are very excited to offer at auction the rarest and oldest expression of Bowmore. This iconic bottling, the most mature spirit ever to come from Islay, has been watched over for 54 years and is in impeccable condition.”

The historic nature of the bottle cannot be underestimated, only 12 of these hand sculpted individually crafted works of art will be created, with the first two going up for sale at auction in Edinburgh and New York with all proceeds being donated to five Scottish Charities. Two have been retained for the Morrison Bowmore archives and the remaining eight will be available for purchase by the public solely at the Bowmore Distillery Visitor Centre on Islay. The retail price for Bowmore 1957 from the Visitor Centre will be £100,000 (approx. $155,000).

The Charitable Donation

Morrison Bowmore Distillers, producers of Bowmore, have chosen to donate all the net proceeds of both auctions to five Scottish charities that encompass a variety of worthy causes: ALZHEIMER SCOTLAND (care for people with dementia, their caregivers and families); THE BEATSON ONCOLOGY CENTRE (care for cancer patients receiving treatment in the west of Scotland); CHAS (children’s hospice services); ERSKINE (medical care for Armed Forces); and MARIE CURIE CANCER CARE (cancer care and research). Mike Keiller, Morrison Bowmore Distillers Chief Executive Officer, says: “The notion of having a cask from 1957 that can still produce something so glorious shows the acute attention to detail and care that we pride ourselves on at Morrison Bowmore. The fact that we can take some of the precious cargo from this cask to help the lives of so many across many different communities through our charitable contribution, we thought we should help Scottish charities with this rare piece of Scotch whisky history.”

For more information on Glasstorm and their work go to www.glasstorm.com.

Source: Glasstorm