The Bowmore distillery was founded in 1779 by John Simpson, a local merchant who had arrived in the village in 1766 from Killarow.
Sometimes referred to as ‘The Gentleman of Islay’, due to it not being as peaty as its neighbours Ardbeg and Laphroaig, the distillery was the first on the isle of Islay to be granted a license in 1816. The distillery was sold in 1837 to the Mutter family who ran and established the brand until it was sold in 1892 to become the Bowmore Distillery Co.
In 1925, after a period of inactivity caused by WWI, the distillery was purchased by Sherriff’s Bowmore Distillery Ltd. It was later acquired by Wm Grigor & Son Ltd of Inverness in 1950 before being taken over by Stanley Morrison in 1963.
Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd were responsible for renovating and rebuilding much of the distillery and grounds, until the business was sold to the current owners, Suntory Beam, in 1994.
We are going to take a look at some of the best bottlings and series from the Bowmore archive here: -
Matured in Sherry Casks Cream Label
During the 1980s (and early 1990s), Bowmore released a series of cream-labelled vintages that have since been recognised as some of the distillery’s finest work. Matured in sherry casks, there have been magnificent bottlings distilled in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967 and 1969. A special mention goes to the wonderful Bowmore 1970 21yo vintage that scored a massive 95 points on WhiskyFun, but the jewel in the crown of this range is most definitely the Bowmore 1956 distillate that was awarded a mammoth 96 points on WhiskyFun and is considered by some to be the finest Bowmore ever filled.
Bowmore 1956 Sherry Casks. The Whisky Vault Price: net £12,500. Buy Here.
The Black Bowmore Series
This legendary series is one of the most collectible sets in whisky investing and collecting. Consisting of five bottles, highly revered yet often difficult to source, the inaugural entry was the Black Bowmore in 1993, available for just £120 and limited to 2000 bottles. Later releases would follow in 1994, 1995, 2007 and completed in 2017 with the release of the ‘The Last Cask’ – a 1964 50yo Black Bowmore that yielded just 159 bottles.
Black Bowmore 1964 31yo Final Edition. The Whisky Vault Price: net £18,750. Buy Here.
The Trilogy Series
In the early 2000s, a trio of 1964 vintages would be released, consisting of long aged single malts that were aged in three different cask types; Oloroso Sherry, Bourbon and Fino Sherry.
Then, coming almost 15 years after the Black Bowmore first hit the shelves, Bowmore released a new trilogy of 1964 distillates for three consecutive years; a 42yo Black Bowmore in 2007, a 43yo White Bowmore in 2008 and a 44yo Gold Bowmore in 2009.
Bowmore Bicentenary
Back in 1979, Bowmore released two bottlings to commemorate their 200th anniversary; a 1964 vintage and multi-cask version that contained 1950s and 1960s malt. Bottled in an ancient replica decanter, they have continued to be one of the most collectible Bowmore’s, understandably so when the 1964 version is picking up a huge 95 points on WhiskyFun!
Bowmore 1964 Bicentenary. The Whisky Vault Price: net £5,000. Buy Here.
The Prestonfield
A quite stunning 22 year old single Islay malt was laid to rest at the Bowmore distillery in 1965 and bottled for the prestigious Prestonfield House of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the late 1980's. Bottled from single cask number 47, this rare beauty scored a superb 94 points on WhiskyFun. Further vintages from 1966 and 1972 have also been released in the series.
Bowmore 1965 22yo The Prestonfield. The Whisky Vault Price: net £10,000. Buy Here.
Independent Bottlings
There has been a plethora of outstanding indie bottlings from Bowmore too, which include to name but a few; Bowmore 1968 34yo Hart Bros, Bowmore 1968 35yo Celtic Heartlands, Bowmore 1970 34yo Signatory Vintage, Bowmore 1974 Moon Import The Birds, Bowmore 1966 Samaroli Bouquet – one of the icons of the whisky world that has previously sold for over £60k – and the Largiemeanoch 1967, bottled from three sherry casks by the Howgate Wine Co. in the 1970s.
Bowmore 1970 34yo Signatory Vintage. The Whisky Vault Price: net £3,750. Buy Here.
These are just a few examples of the magic created at Bowmore over the years, and why it remains a favourite with connoisseurs and collectors alike.
Brief Timeline of Bowmore Key Events: -
- 1779: Bowmore distillery is founded by John Simpson
- 1816: License Granted, the first on Islay
- 1837: Mutter family acquire the distillery
- 1892: Sold to Bowmore Distillery Co.
- 1915: Distillery closed, mainly due to World War I
- 1925: Purchased by Sherriff’s Bowmore Distillery Ltd
- 1950: Bowmore is acquired by Wm Grigor & Son of Inverness
- 1963: Stanley Morrison takes over the ownership of the business
- 1994: The distillery is bought by Suntory
Click here to view all of our Bowmore single malts.