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| Bowmore Distillery - A Whisky Connoisseur's Paradise |
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Whether you are a whisky enthusiast or just enjoy the occasional dram, a visit to a whisky distillery to see at first hand how your favourite single malt is crafted from the natural ingredients of the Scottish landscape, can be both memorable and enjoyable. Islay is the Southernmost of the Western isles and well worth a visit just for the scenery alone, but there are no fewer than eight distilleries to visit, producing some of the best single malt whisky. There is a strong community spirit among the 3500 friendly inhabitants on Islay, and a number of festivals throughout the year including the Festival of Malt and Music in May. With plenty of excellent accommodation to choose from you may be interested to know that Bowmore distillery even has its own holiday cottages. The island covers 610 square kilometres and seven of the distilleries are sited around the 130 miles of beautiful coastline. The first record of whisky making in Scotland goes back to 1494 and is thought to have been started by Irish monks. Many of the distilleries started out as farms where home stills were used to produce grain spirit. The process of distilling began after the harvest and continued until late April This cycle has continued down the centuries, and even today many of the distilleries are closed in August for the 'silent season'. 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. |
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