Bowmore

In 1779 John Simpson founded the distillery in the village of Bowmore — the heart of the Isle of Islay. This makes Bowmore the oldest of the island's currently operating distilleries, though illicit distillation here was carried on, in all likelihood, even earlier. Throughout the 19th century the enterprise changed hands several times, but the character of production was preserved — traditional Scottish technique, local barley, local peat.

In 1963 the distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison — a passionate whisky enthusiast who revived traditional on-site grain malting and restored the former quality of production. Morrison Bowmore Distillers became a symbol of independent Scottish whisky. In 1994 the Japanese corporation Suntory acquired Morrison Bowmore, and later Suntory merged with Beam to form Beam Suntory — one of the world's largest players in the whisky market.

Bowmore is known for a number of legendary limited releases — above all the Devil's Cask series (first-fill sherry casks), as well as archive bottlings going back to the 1950s and 60s. Notably, the distillery was the first on Islay to open its own visitor centre.

Bowmore uses around 25 PPM — a «medium» level of peatiness for Islay, deliberately more restrained than Ardbeg, Laphroaig or Caol Ila. The goal is balance: peat should be present in the character but not dominate over the fruitiness and complexity of maturation.

Around 30% of the barley is still malted at the distillery itself — in the old floor maltings building by the village square. Peat for smoking is sourced on Islay. The remaining grain arrives from external suppliers already malted.

Bowmore's greatest unique feature is the No. 1 Vaults cellars. They are located below sea level, directly on the shore of Loch Indaal. The damp, salty air, the constant coolness and slow temperature fluctuations create an exceptional microclimate for whisky maturation. Casks absorb the maritime atmosphere over years — and this is perceptible in the character. It is no surprise that No. 1 Vaults is considered one of the most photographed warehouses in the whisky world.