Bowmore is one of the finest distilleries to be found anywhere, the quality and consistency is second to none, and their commitment to bringing to the world new flavours sets them a cask ahead of the rest. Stanley P. Morrison founded Morrison-Bowmore Distillers Limited in 1951 with a Mr. J. Howatt. In 1953 Stanley Morrison actually bought the entire Island of Islay for a sum of 451,000 pounds, certainly not paltry sum in those days.Suntory, the oldest and largest distiller in Japan, purchased morrison-Bowmore in 1994. One of Suntory’s Japanese distilleries is the largest malt distillery in the world, producing 14.5 million gallons per annum.
The population of Islay stands at 3,500 and holds a strong community. Farming, fishing and of course, whisky -there are 8 distilleries in active production at present- are the main sources of economy for the island, followed by a growing tourism industry.
Situated on the shores of loch indaal lies the village of Bowmore, located in the center of the island Islay. Known as the capital of the island, Bowmore is home to one of the great malt distilleries. It is thought that the distillery began just as the village itself began to take shape, in 1768. This distillery is one of the first legal distilleries on the island.
Bowmore is produced using the pure waters from the nearby Laggan River - waters that have spent 2,000 years percolating through the ancient rock of the hills of Islay. As the river flows to Bowmore, it gathers the flavors of the rich Islay peat that fires the malt-drying kiln.
These malts hold a complexity that differs from the southern malts due partly to the fact that the maturation warehouses that are four to five feet below the water level at high tide.
