Bowmore

Bowmore lays on two extremes with one thing in common: both are matured in the same Islay. The distillery is praised for their excellent microclimate that is said to be ideal for long-term maturation.
On one hand, we see a distinct salinity note with flowers, cereal, citrus, and a touch of tropical fruit underneath. Top it off with a smoke reminiscent of beach bonfires. This is the base character that becomes the primary aroma when matured in refill casks for a long time then the smoke disappears. On the other hand, we see a character born from a spirit aged in ex-Sherry...dark fruits, chocolate, coffee, citrus and smoke.

History of Bowmore whisky distillery

Bowmore Distillery was established in 1779 by a local merchant, John P. Simson, before passing into the ownership of the Mutter family, a family of German descent. James Mutter, head of the family, also had farming interests and was Vice Consul representing the Ottoman Empire, Portugal, and Brazil through their Glasgow consulates. The distillery was then bought from the Mutter family in 1925 by J.B. Sheriff & Co. and remained under their ownership until being purchased by Inverness-based William Grigor & Son, Ltd. in 1950.

During the World Wars the Bowmore Distillery halted production, and hosted the RAF Coastal Command for much of World War II, Coastal Command operated flying boats from Loch Indaal on anti-submarine warfare missions.

Stanley P. Morrison and James Howat formed Stanley P. Morrison Ltd. in 1951, and this company formed Morrison's Bowmore Distillery, Ltd. in 1963 in order to take over the Bowmore Distillery. Stanley P. Morrison died in 1971, and control of the companies passed to Brian Morrison. The company name has changed slightly, and, following minor restructuring, the distillery is now owned by Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd., which is in turn owned by the Japanese distiller Suntory, following their takeover of Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd. during 1994. 

Whisky from Bowmore

Bowmore Distillery tries to use as much barley as possible from on the island of Islay, some of which is malted on its traditional floor malting, but it does also import malted barley from the mainland to supplement supplies. The distillery has an annual capacity of two million litres, with fermentation undertaken in traditional wooden washbacks before the liquid is passed through two wash stills and then through two spirit stills.

Bowmore is a typical Islay whisky, with heavy peat smoke and sea salt. Hidden underneath these bold flavours are subtler characteristics, such as violet flowers. Bowmore use a variety of cask maturations, including sherry and wine.

Buy a cask of Bowmore whisky

The Single Cask has some great Bowmore casks in our warehouses.  If you're interested in buying a cask of Bowmore, please contact us today for a free, no obligation quote.  We can also offer a range of bottling services, making the whole process of creating your very own whisky easy.

Sell a cask of Bowmore whisky

The Single Cask has a great history of buying and bottling single cask Bowmore whisky.  Often we buy our casks direct from the distillery, but we are also pleased to buy Bowmore casks from private individuals.  If you have a Bowmore cask that you're looking to sell, please contact us today for a free, no obligation, quote on how much we could pay you for your cask.

Bowmore distillery details