This ‘one of one’ decanter holds a unique 52-year-old Bowmore whisky from the 1960’s, an iconic era of Bowmore distilling. Auctioned at Sotheby’s on 26th May 2023 with a final hammer price of £225,000. Proceeds from the auction were donated to a long-term, dedicated fund to support the people of Islay across a range of vital initiatives with the key goal of supporting and future-proofing Islay’s distilling industry. The decanter is accompanied by a one-off presentation case created in an all-black colour way.
The unique edition decanter takes its name from the Japanese metalworking technique ‘Mokume-Gane’ which produces a mixed-metal laminate with distinctive layered patterns. Through various trials, this technique was applied to the layering of carbon fibre sheets to create the ‘Mokume’ lid of the decanter.The final result is a stratified and contoured effect which looks both futuristic and like the natural black rocks found in the bay of Loch Indaal, home to the Bowmore Distillery. The irregular, swirling silver pattern is created by light catching the different angles of the carbon layers.