Scottish distilleries - Bowmore

The Bowmore Distillery was built in 1779, making it one of the oldest distilleries in all of Scotland. It is located in the very center of the famous Islay Island, on Loch Indaal.

The water for the production of whisky is taken from the nearby Laggan stream, the source of which is located among the peat bogs for which Islay is famous. Bowmore is one of the few Scottish distilleries that still runs the entire production process on its own - even the floor for germinating the barley malt has been preserved there.

The whisky from this distillery is known for its peaty, smoky and sea accents characteristic of the Islay region. The maritime character of whisky is additionally enhanced by the fact that some of the Bowmore warehouses, where maturation takes place, are located below sea level.

The distillery is owned by Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd, a holding company owned by Beam Suntory, a subsidiary of the Japanese international Suntory beverage conglomerate. The Bowmore Distillery was founded in 1779 by a local merchant, John P. Simson, prior to being owned by the Mutter family, of German origin. The distillery was bought from the Mutter family in 1925 by J.B. Sheriff & Co. and remained its property until acquired by William Grigor & Son Co., Ltd. of Inverness in 1950.

An interesting fact is that during the World War II, Bowmore stopped production, making the factory buildings available to the military - they were used as the base of the coastal defense command. In 1963 the distillery became the property of Stanley P. Morrison. He expanded and modernized the plant. In 1989, the Japanese concern Suntory bought 35% of the company's shares, thus the company Morrison Bowmore Co. (along with three distilleries - Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Auchentoshan) became part of it. To this day, there is a chain of bars in Japan serving only drinks produced in Bowmore under the name "Bowmore Malt Houses".