The 12-Year-Old Bowmore distillery bottling in Cheaper By The Dram’s competition drams was released in the 1980s under the label of Morrison’s Bowmore before the distillery’s take over by Suntory. The dram is from an old style Bowmore distillery bottling, widely known as the ‘Dumpy’ bottling for its distinctive brown bottle and golden label. This bottle was a standard release originally available in the 1970s-1980s, although as often with older examples of standard bottlings there is quite some batch variation in terms of flavours and style.

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ABOUT THE BOWMORE DISTILLERY

A distillery was first founded at Bowmore distillery in 1799, although there was no evidence of whisky production at the site until John Simpson obtained a licence for a distillery in 1816. Located in the centre of Islay on the eastern shores of Loch Indaal, the Bowmore distillery is associated with the production of medium peated and smoky Islay whisky. The medium peated character is a result of Bowmore’s malting process; the distillery is notable for being one of very few still producing malted grain on site. The distillery produces 40 percent of its total demand, which is then mixed with malt grain sourced on the mainland.

The Bowmore distillery saw a number of owners until it was acquired in 1963 by Stanley P. Morrison who would undertake a substantial modernisation of the distillery. Morrison installed an innovative heat recovery system and oversaw many of the bottlings released in the 1960s-1970s, which have since attained legendary status amongst whisky drinkers. In 1989, the Japanese distiller Suntory bought a stake in the Bowmore distillery before assuming full ownership in 1994.

Bowmore distillery’s Number 1 warehouse vault is perceived to be ideal for long term maturation due to a unique microclimate resulting from the vault being built below the sea level of Loch Indaal. In recent years Bowmore’s range of expressions has diversified as approximately 20 percent of the distillery’s output is now aged in ex-sherry casks and the remainder in former Bourbon casks, allowing a 2007 revamp of Bowmore’s traditional range alongside a series of sherried and peated special releases.