Bowmore Distillery
Bowmore
Islay
History: The Bowmore Distillery was supposedly established in 1779 by a local merchant, called John Simson, it then fell into the ownership of the Mutter family, There are no exact dates to when Mutter acquired the distillery from Simpson. James Mutter would introduce a number of innovative processes to the distillery during his tenure and even had a small iron steam ship built to import barley and coal from the mainland and to export the whisky to Glasgow. Since the 1960’s the distillery was owned by Scottish distillers Morrison & Bowmore until several years ago when it was purchased by Japanese distiller Suntory who own several Scottish distilleries.
The Whisky – Isaly is world famous for is peaty (smoky) style of Single Malt with only one of its distilleries producing a non-peated Whisky as part of its core range. Bowmore is an award winning Single Malt that has loyal supporters all over the globe. Its style is still smoky but not as much as some of the others on the island. This was the Whisky that got me to appreciate peated Single Malt all those years ago. The range is extensive with many unique bottlings available.
Favourite Tipple: For me you cannot go wrong with the Bowmore 15 year old which has been finished in Spanish Oloroso Sherry casks giving a rich spicy and toffee flavour with the ubiquitous smoke aroma, this has been “my go to” Islay Single Malt for many a year and you can pick this up for around £70.
Why Visit? – Bowmore is one of 8 famous distillerys on the Island known as “The Queen of the Hebrides” its a truly magical place and a must visit for anyone that is even slightly serious about their Single Malt. The visit centre and distillery is one of the best tours there is on the island and a must visit in my opinion. It is open all year round and worth booking ahead to secure a slot (www.bowmore.com) and if you are really wanting to push the boat out then go for the Craftman's Tour.
Interesting fact – Bowmore is the islands capital and home to almost 1,000 inhabitants. Other major villages are Port Ellen, Port Charlotte and Portnahaven. Bowmore distillery is located near the town of Bridgend. A flint arrowhead that was found near Bridgend dated from circa 10,500 BC, which makes it the earliest evidence of human presence found so far in Scotland.
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