Bowmore distillery information
Bowmore is one of Islay’s earliest licensed distilleries, founded in 1779 by local merchant John P. Simpson. It takes its name from the town of Bowmore, which is the capital of the isle. The town is located in the middle of the island, along a sea loch called Loch Indaal. The distillery first changed hands in 1837, when it was purchased from the Simpson family by William and James Mutter, the latter of whom was acting consul for the Ottoman empire, Brazil and Portugal in Glasgow. The distillery again passed hands in 1925, this time to J.B. Sheriff & Co, who operated it under the name of Sherriff’s Bowmore Distillery Ltd. It remained in their hands until 1950, when it was purchased by William Grigor & Son, Ltd. from Inverness.
Bowmore Whiskies
The whisky made at Bowmore seems to be a bit of a complex mix between the peaty Southern Islay whiskies like Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Port Ellen, and the somewhat milder and fruitier northern Islay whiskies like Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila. The core range:- 12 Years Old; matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks and European oak Oloroso sherry casks, the benchmark expression of Bowmore’s house style.
- 15 Years Old; a mature, bright and sweet expression built on the same Bourbon and Oloroso sherry cask pairing, with candied orange and a gentle wisp of smoke.
- 18 Years Old; matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, offering a deeper, more powerful take on the house style.
- 25 Years Old; the oldest of the standard core releases, finished in sherry casks for a rich, mature character.
- 11 Years Old; matured in ex-Bourbon and Spanish oak sherry casks, launched in October 2025 as the newest travel retail exclusive.
- Appellations 14 Years Old; matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks and finished in Bordeaux wine barriques.
- Appellations 16 Years Old; matured in American oak ex-Bourbon and European oak sherry casks, finished in Ruby Port casks from the Douro Valley.
- Appellations 19 Years Old; matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks, finished in Pinot Noir casks from Burgundy.
- Appellations 22 Years Old; matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks, finished in Sauternes casks from Bordeaux.
- Black Bowmore (1993); 1st Edition. The whisky that started it all: distilled in 1964 and matured 29 years in Oloroso sherry casks. Only 2,000 bottles were released, and it quickly became one of the most sought-after single malts ever made.
- Black Bowmore (1994); 2nd Edition. Aged a further year to 30 Years Old from the same 1964 casks. Also limited to 2,000 bottles.
- Black Bowmore (1995); “Final Edition,” 31 Years Old. Limited to 1,812 bottles, and despite the name, not actually the last release.
- Black Bowmore (2007, 42 Years Old, matured in Oloroso sherry casks, 827 bottles)
- White Bowmore (2008, 43 Years Old, matured in Bourbon casks, 732 bottles)
- Gold Bowmore (2009, matured in a mix of Bourbon and Oloroso casks, 701 bottles).
- Black Bowmore 50 Year Old (2016); “The Last Cask.” The true final release, from the two remaining 1964 casks rediscovered in 2014 after being overlooked for decades. Only 159 bottles were produced.
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Bowmore |
| Region | Islay |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1779 |
| Water source | Laggan River |
| Malting floor | Yes |
| Owned by | Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd / Suntory Global Spirits |
| Address | Bowmore Distillery School Street, Bowmore, Isle of Islay, Argyll and Bute, PA43 7JS, Scotland |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.bowmore.com/ |
| https://www.twitter.com/bowmore | |
| https://www.facebook.com/bowmore | |
| Community | My Bowmore. |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 8 tonnes | 1 |
| Washback | 40,000 litres | 6 (Oregon pine) |
| Wash still | 30,940 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 14,750 / 14,637 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 1,860,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Bowmore was founded in 1779 by local merchant John P. Simpson, making it one of Islay’s earliest licensed distilleries. It takes its name from the town of Bowmore, the capital of the island.
Bowmore sits in the town of Bowmore, in the middle of Islay, along a sea loch called Loch Indaal.
Bowmore has been owned by the Japanese company Suntory (via Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd) since 1994.
Yes, several times. It was first sold by the Simpson family in 1837 to William and James Mutter, then passed to J.B. Sheriff & Co in 1925, William Grigor & Son in 1950, and Stanley P. Morrison Ltd in 1963 after Grigor went bankrupt. Morrison also bought the Highland distillery Glen Garioch in 1970, and the holding company was renamed Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd in 1987 before Suntory (who also own Auchentoshan) acquired the group in 1994.
Bowmore’s style sits somewhere between the peaty southern Islay whiskies, such as Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Port Ellen, and the milder, fruitier northern Islay whiskies, such as Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, and Caol Ila.
The core range includes the 12 Year Old (matured in ex-Bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, the benchmark house style), the 15 Year Old (bright and sweet, with candied orange and a wisp of smoke), the 18 Year Old (matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks for a deeper, more powerful character), and the 25 Year Old, the oldest standard release, finished in sherry casks.
Black Bowmore was distilled in 1964 and first released in 1993 after 29 years maturing in Oloroso sherry casks, limited to just 2,000 bottles; it quickly became one of the most sought-after single malts ever made. Further editions followed from the same 1964 casks, including the 1994 and 1995 releases, the 2007-2009 Trilogy (Black, White, and Gold Bowmore), and the 2016 Black Bowmore 50 Year Old, “The Last Cask,” the true final release from the two remaining 1964 casks, limited to just 159 bottles.
Yes, Bowmore Distillery has a visitor centre.