Visit The Bowmore Distillery to Experience Tha Magic of Islay
There is growing demand for Single Malt Scotch Whisky and every year thousands of people visit the Scottish distilleries. The Hebridean island of Islay off the West coast of Scotland is famous for producing some of the best single malt whisky in the world. The island, warmed by the Gulf Stream, is a magical place with beautiful scenery and the locals are friendly.
It is not difficult to find excellent accommodation on Islay and at Bowmore distillery they even have their own holiday cottages where you can stay and enjoy a complementary tour of the distillery and sample their excellent single malt whisky. There are 130 miles of beautiful coastline, around which seven of the distilleries are sited. The inhabitants number approximately 3500 and there is a strong community spirit. There are a number of festivals throughout the year including the festival of Malt and Music in May, which celebrates the rich heritage in Whisky production on Islay.
The earliest record of whisky making in Scotland is in 1494 and it was thought to have been introduced by Irish monks. Many of the distilleries started out as farms producing a grain spirit made from an early strain of barley known as Bere. The abundant supply of pure water and peat made the island very suited to the production of whisky.
Bowmore Distillery in the town of Bowmore on the shores of Loch Indaal is the oldest on Islay and one of the oldest in Scotland; established in 1779 by David Simpson a local merchant and pioneer who built the distillery, produced the whisky and introduced Islay whisky to the world. Bowmore Distillery has changed hands four times in the last 200 years but traditional methods of production are still used and handed down by word of mouth.
The quality and flavour of Bowmore Single malt whisky is strongly influenced by the environment and the geographical position of the distillery on Islay. The distilleries in the south of the island produce the most powerful whiskies saturated with peat smoke, salt and iodine, with peat water used for every stage of production and those in the north producing the milder flavours with the use of clear spring water. Bowmore Distillery in the middle of the island produce single malt whiskies with flavours that fall between the two extremes Their whiskies range from zesty lemon and smoky with hints of sea air and honey at the lighter end to cedar wood and treacle, soft fruit and chocolate and then a delicious toffee and hazelnut with a hint of peat smoke for the 25 year old single malt.
During the winter gales sea spray carried on the wind soaks into the peat which covers the island and this adds to the distinctive quality of Islay malt whisky. Bowmore distillery uses the uncontaminated, peat laden water from the Laggan River, the peat is infused with the richness of the heather and other flora which grow on it and this enriches the flavour and colour of the whisky.
Bowmore is one of only a few distilleries to still produce their own floor malted barley in the traditional way. The island peat is also used in the malting process which further adds to the quality and flavour. The barley which is sourced from the east of Scotland is turned by hand by the maltman using a wooden shovel.
At Bowmore distillery the traditional methods are still used and passed down by word of mouth. There is a very low turnover in the men who work at the distillery and most of them have worked there for many years, with the three stills men alone having thirty years of experience each. Five high quality and often prize winning single malt whiskies are produced and exported around the world. The famous Bowmore vaults are below sea level and are especially suitable for storing the whiskies in the damp atmosphere which stays at a constant temperature all year round. The whisky is stored in casks of Spanish and American oak which means that fully matured whiskies can be stored for many years. The men of Bowmore distillery see themselves as caretakers of the distillery so that the knowledge can be handed down for the generations to come.
It is not difficult to find excellent accommodation on Islay and at Bowmore distillery they even have their own holiday cottages where you can stay and enjoy a complementary tour of the distillery and sample their excellent single malt whisky. There are 130 miles of beautiful coastline, around which seven of the distilleries are sited. The inhabitants number approximately 3500 and there is a strong community spirit. There are a number of festivals throughout the year including the festival of Malt and Music in May, which celebrates the rich heritage in Whisky production on Islay.
The earliest record of whisky making in Scotland is in 1494 and it was thought to have been introduced by Irish monks. Many of the distilleries started out as farms producing a grain spirit made from an early strain of barley known as Bere. The abundant supply of pure water and peat made the island very suited to the production of whisky.
Bowmore Distillery in the town of Bowmore on the shores of Loch Indaal is the oldest on Islay and one of the oldest in Scotland; established in 1779 by David Simpson a local merchant and pioneer who built the distillery, produced the whisky and introduced Islay whisky to the world. Bowmore Distillery has changed hands four times in the last 200 years but traditional methods of production are still used and handed down by word of mouth.
The quality and flavour of Bowmore Single malt whisky is strongly influenced by the environment and the geographical position of the distillery on Islay. The distilleries in the south of the island produce the most powerful whiskies saturated with peat smoke, salt and iodine, with peat water used for every stage of production and those in the north producing the milder flavours with the use of clear spring water. Bowmore Distillery in the middle of the island produce single malt whiskies with flavours that fall between the two extremes Their whiskies range from zesty lemon and smoky with hints of sea air and honey at the lighter end to cedar wood and treacle, soft fruit and chocolate and then a delicious toffee and hazelnut with a hint of peat smoke for the 25 year old single malt.
During the winter gales sea spray carried on the wind soaks into the peat which covers the island and this adds to the distinctive quality of Islay malt whisky. Bowmore distillery uses the uncontaminated, peat laden water from the Laggan River, the peat is infused with the richness of the heather and other flora which grow on it and this enriches the flavour and colour of the whisky.
Bowmore is one of only a few distilleries to still produce their own floor malted barley in the traditional way. The island peat is also used in the malting process which further adds to the quality and flavour. The barley which is sourced from the east of Scotland is turned by hand by the maltman using a wooden shovel.
At Bowmore distillery the traditional methods are still used and passed down by word of mouth. There is a very low turnover in the men who work at the distillery and most of them have worked there for many years, with the three stills men alone having thirty years of experience each. Five high quality and often prize winning single malt whiskies are produced and exported around the world. The famous Bowmore vaults are below sea level and are especially suitable for storing the whiskies in the damp atmosphere which stays at a constant temperature all year round. The whisky is stored in casks of Spanish and American oak which means that fully matured whiskies can be stored for many years. The men of Bowmore distillery see themselves as caretakers of the distillery so that the knowledge can be handed down for the generations to come.
About the Author:
Daphne Hamilton is a Scottish historian and travel writer with a particular interest in the history of single malt whisky production in Scotland. Her local distillery at Bowmore is just one of the many distilleries that produce single malt whisky.
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