The Distillery

Bowmore is one of those names that everybody vaguely familiar with whisky will recognize. No wonder! It has a long and rich history and can boast that it was the first distillery on Islay to obtain legal status back in 1779.

This Islay distillery sits on the shore of Loch Indaal in the centre of the town of Bowmore from which the distillery takes its name. Bowmore is also distinguished for producing the oldest ever Islay malt, being a 1957 malt bottled at 54 years old in a crystal decanter with a price tag of around £100,000. That's expensive whisky!

The company has changed hands a number of times in the 200+ years since it was founded. The current owner is the Japanese beverage giant Suntory, who acquired 100% ownership in 1994 after an initial purchase of a 34% stake five years earlier.

On top of owning Bowmore, Suntory also owns Laphroaig, Ardmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch along with American and Japanese brands.

The distillery is one of the few that still have a working malting on site, malting a large portion of the barley which goes into making its whisky.

Style wise Bowmore is peated and lighter than many of the heavier Islay whiskies. Typical flavours are light smoke, sherry sweetness and dried fruits but many older bottlings also contain floral notes, especially violets. While these are the traditional flavours of Bowmore, it's worth remembering that they might not be the ones that you find in indie bottlings!

16-25 Years

Bowmore 21 Year Old First Editions (Hunter Laing, 1996)

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$199.99

This incredible Bowmore 21 Year Old is part of Hunter Laing’s First Editions label. It is a single cask whisky that was matured in a refill hogshead cask, making it fruity with a little whiff of smoke. Only 196 bottles of this cracker were ever released. More from Hunter Laing More from Bowmore

26-30 Years

Bowmore 27 Year Old Vintner’s Trilogy Port Pipes

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$631.99

This 2018 release Bowmore 27 Year Old is the latest edition in their Vintner’s Trilogy. The whisky has been matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon casks and Port pipes to create a well-rounded drinking experience that any fan of Bowmore whisky will adore. Salted caramel, toffee and dark fruits from the Port pipes are the […]

16-25 Years

Bowmore Distillery Manager’s Selection

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$829.99

The Bowmore Distillery Manager’s Selection is a distillery exclusive bottling released in 2019. It was matured in 12 first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks for 21 years, each of them hand picked by Distillery Manager, David Turner. This has resulted in a rich depth of flavour that is both complex and well-rounded. This is a truly fantastic […]