In traditional Scottish Gaelic, Bowmore, or Bogh Mòr, means “The Big Bend,” referring to the large bay where the distillery is located, also the heart of Islay’s town centre. The story begins with the 1725 “Malt Tax Riots.” At the time, the British Empire, recently unified, faced financial pressures from wars with France and colonial expansion. To fund these, the government decided to impose a tax on Scottish barley, aiming to standardize taxation across England and Scotland. Though the tax in Scotland was half that of England, essentials like beer, bread, and whisky faced steep price hikes, sparking widespread discontent among Scots. On June 23, 1725, riots erupted in Hamilton, Scotland, and spread across the region.