Bowmore 1964 37 Year Fino Cask

This is my first spirit review of the year, and it's a winner. Easily the most impressive aroma I've ever encountered, and undoubtedly the priciest spirit I've ever experienced. ( $30k/ bottle ) But first, some background. This tasting took months to arrange, perhaps even over a year. It all began last June. We took a family trip to the African safari…Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania. It was meant to be the trip of a lifetime, with three generations present: one 82-year-old, us adults, a teenager, and a middle schooler. On our return trip from Cape Town to NJ, our flight was unexpectedly cancelled because the entire aircraft was chartered by an American pop star. The next flight was the following day. In compensation, the airline offered us a complimentary hotel stay for the night. We lost 24 hours. The next day, we immediately faced a 6-hour delay. The only other flight option was from Cape Town to Nigeria to EWR. Six hours later, we were informed that flight was also cancelled. The next available flight was 5 hours later to Munich, with a 10-hour layover before EWR. By now, we had been stranded for 36 hours before even boarding. Then in Munich, the flight to EWR was cancelled. The next flight was 4 hours later. In total, 40 hours had passed before boarding. My 82-year-old father at this point looked as if his final destination would be Munich. He was physically exhausted. We genuinely believed this was it for him… the physical strain of the delays was more than he could endure. Somewhere in the midst of it all, we didn't realize our 11-year-old middle schooler had gone missing at the Munich airport. We were so focused on the 82-year-old that we lost track of the one person in our group without a mobile phone. Panic ensued. If you've ever been to the Munich airport, it's vast. Just as we were about to go through security, he reappeared. Apparently, he had gone to the airline's service desk at Munich airport and complained vehemently, even shouting, "if you try to remove me, remember I'm a minor, and that would constitute assault." He demanded the airline compensate us for the immense hardship inflicted upon the 82-year-old senior. He presented a scenario where he stated, "it won't reflect well on the airline if a senior citizen passes away here due to their delays. How much is avoiding that worth to you?" After 2 hours of negotiation, he somehow secured a $2,000 per person credit to be used within 1.5 years. That's $10,000! This brings us to this review... Our other dream trip was always to witness the northern lights over Christmas in the Norwegian arctic. However, flights can be costly, around $2,000 per person. But, guess what we needed to use before the end of the year? YES!!! Our $2,000 per person credits!!! As soon as we booked the arctic trip, I contacted a fellow spirit connoisseur, as he is in Oslo. Our itinerary allowed for one final night in Oslo before our flight back. So, we met for a sample exchange (I offered him some very hard-to-find American spirits and bourbon, and he shared samples of ultra-rare, well-aged grain and malt spirits with me). Additionally, he treated me to a few pours at a local spirit bar, where we enjoyed a 13-year-old Local Barley Springbank, a 1979 28-year-old Carsebridge, and the lifetime stunner, this 1964 37-year-old Bowmore. Without a doubt, my top nose ever by a significant margin, and a top three palate. Nose: a fruit basket galore! Mango, lychees, pineapple! This spirit was meant to be savored and nosed, not chugged. 100 out of 100. Palate: a step down from all the tropical fruits to a balance of earthy mushrooms, fruits, and a hint of smoke. Wow. The pour was approximately $100 USD, and a bottle costs over $30,000. Easily the most expensive spirit I've had, and it will forever be etched in my memory for that nose alone! Immense thanks for the experience and a great evening sharing stories over amazing pours! Attached is the picture of the bottle and a few of the amazing auroras

Who would miss the chance to taste and review one of the top 5 whiskies ever? The nose of this 1964 Bowmore is incredible, almost heavenly, with lychee, passion fruit, and lilies. Pineapple, tobacco, and some waxy notes appear; it's almost too special to drink. Silky, rich, and more acidic than expected, the palate is a tropical fruit fantasy, bursting with juicy oranges, guava, and a subtle hint of soot. It makes you want another sip, with the sophisticated finish lingering. I'm not just a fan of Bowmore, but this dram is divine! RATING: 5.0/5.0 stars ≙ 95 pts → PERFECT