Bowmore Distillery

Bowmore is the oldest distillery on Islay. It was officially founded in 1779 by the local merchant David Simpson, although it is believed Simpson was already distilling whisky at the site for about a decade previously. The distillery’s current owners, Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd., took over the company in 1963. Morrison Bowmore became a subsidiary of the Japanese distilling giant Suntory in 1994. Fun fact: Bowmore is one of the three remaining Islay distilleries that still operates its own traditional floor maltings!