Established in 1779 by local merchant John Simson, Bowmore Single Malt whisky is one of the earliest licensed distilleries on Islay, although it's likely that Simson had been distilling there for a number of years prior to obtaining his license. Today, Bowmore is owned by Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd, which is part of the Japanese Suntory portfolio. As an Islay distillery, Bowmore's whisky is peated and possesses the unmistakable characteristics of an Islay Malt. However, the whisky's notes lean more towards smoke and sweeter sugars, rather than peat and seaweed. Bowmore is located on the southeastern shore of Loch Indaal and sources its water from the river Laggan, which originates from limestone and sandstone hills on the east coast of Islay before picking up heather from the hills and peat from the Islay bogs. This water produces a light and subtle whisky with a good balance of mineral and vegetal flavors.
After passing the ownership of Bowmore to the Mutter family in 1837, the distillery flourished under their stewardship until 1892. The Mutters, who were 'scientific' farmers, focused on improving cultivation on the island, which helped them hone distilling practices and the flow of necessary elements to the site. In 1925, J.B. Sheriff & Co. purchased the distillery, which was then sold to Inverness-based William Grigor & Son, Ltd. in 1950. Although Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd substantially rebuilt and renovated much of the distillery, the original floor maltings and traditional whisky production methods were retained and are still in use today. Bowmore has won numerous awards and has been named Distillery of the Year on multiple occasions. Various expressions have also received Double Gold Awards at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition.