Bowmore, the history and quality of its whiskies

On the west coast of Scotland lies a small island famous for the distillation of its whisky: the town of Islay. It was in the middle of the island's large bay and facing the sea that the Bowmore distillery decided to set up in 1779. Its name means "sea rock". For 242 years, the company has continued to produce a wide range of refined, well-balanced whiskies of varying ages. Let's take a look at the history and characteristics of Bowmore whiskies

Bowmore, Islay's oldest official distillery

The creation of this distillery, located in the town of Bowmore, is attributed to David Simpson, a farmer, sailor and merchant. The distillery was founded in the 18th century. It is one of the oldest licensed whisky-making establishments on the island. The island is a small island of some 3,000 inhabitants off the west coast of Scotland. It remained in the ownership of the Simpson family until 1837, when it was bought by William and James Mutter. The latter was consul to the Ottoman Empire. After the takeover, he developed the business before selling it to Joseph Robert Holmes, who introduced the name Bowmore Distillery Ltd. The company changed hands again in 1950 and went bankrupt in 1963 before being bought by Stanley P Morrison. In 1987, the company name was changed to Morrison Bowmore. In 1994, the company became part of the Japanese alcoholic drinks manufacturer and distributor, Suntory.
The village of Islay is located in a cove called Loch Indal. Thanks to its geographical position, this pioneering distillery has everything it takes to produce exceptional whiskies. The distillery works with the finest oak casks and uses fresh water from the nearby River Laggan. The barley is grown and malted in the distillery's own maltings in accordance with the required conditions and fermentation process. The meticulous maturation of the single malt takes place in one of the oldest stone maturation warehouses in the world, No. 1 Vaults. All this contributes to the peaty character of Bowmore whiskies. These spirits are also distinguished by their hand-crafted quality, beautiful harmony and extreme finesse. Most of the whisky is marketed as single malt, but some is also used in blends such as King Pride, Cland Roy, Island Legend and others. The latter brand was created in the 1990s, when the Japanese group acquired a stake in the distillery

Bowmore whiskies: high quality products

Over the centuries, the distillery has continued to pass on its expertise and traditions in making Scotch whiskies. Bowmore Scotch whiskies come in a wide range of aromas and flavours, ages and alcohol levels. These spirits are made exclusively from 100% malted barley.
It is interesting to note that single malt and helmet strength whiskies that have aged longer are more expensive. The term single malt refers to a whisky made by blending malt whiskies from the same distillery. A cask-strength product is a whisky bottled from the cask without having been diluted with water. It can contain up to 60% alcohol. These rare, top-quality spirits are also quite expensive, as they are sometimes produced in limited editions. This means that there is not enough stock to meet demand. Their rarity and quality naturally influence their price. But let's get back to the whiskies from this distillery