Bowmore distillery occupies a very special place in whiskey lore. It is actually the first licensed Islay distillery. Opened since 1779, it stands in stark white on the shores of Lochindaal, a loch that opens into the Atlantic Ocean.
The distillery maintains its traditional styling and distilling methods. Unlike most distilleries, Bowmore still has its own Malt Barn, an airy shed containing soaking tanks to steep the grain, and stone malting floors for drying. It is here that Maltmen hand turn the wet barley every 4 hours using traditional large wooden shovels.
Once it’s ready, the barley – now called “green malt” s taken to the kiln for drying.
The kiln is where the barley is dried and given its subtle peat smoke character by adding peat to the furnaces.
The hot air is recycled and is the same system that heats the local swimming pool.
Home to one of the world’s oldest Scotch maturation warehouses, the No. 1 Vaults. It’s in this legendary warehouse that Bowmore whisky has been meticulously matured and transformed for over 240 years.
The distillery is owned by Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd, a holding company owned by Beam Suntory, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational drinks conglomerate Suntory. Morrison Bowmore also own the Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch distilleries and produce the McClelland’s Single Malt range of bottlings.
The most notable of these is probably the “Tempest” range of small batch whiskies which have exemplified all that is good about Bowmore. If things carry on in that vein, this ancient distillery will continue to be one to watch for new and exciting whisky!