Bowmore Distillery

📌 Bowmore, Isle of Islay
★★★★

Established in 1779, Bowmore is one of Scotland’s oldest (official) distilleries, and has grown over the following centuries towards a large annual production capacity of around two million litres. This is also one of the most accessible distilleries on the southern Hebridean island of Islay, with a prominent location on Bowmore village seafront. The modern visitor centre contrasts with the old-fashioned production areas, and we enjoyed our excellent tour which included whisky and chocolate pairings to finish. Floor malting still happens on-site – now very rare in Scotland – and the finished product is mainly of the lightly peated variety, perhaps making an ideal first dram for someone new to Islay whisky.