The heart of the Bowmore range, the 12 year old exhibits some beautiful coastal notes with a gentle peat, it is the balance that the floral element presents that makes this a great entry bottling for Bowmore.
Coastal smoke and ash soon make way for bergamot, orange zest, lemon slices and some hay before becoming rather floral, heather smoke now competing with the ash.
Lovely and rounded, honeyed even, initially. Vanilla, perfumed smoke and coastal elements develop. Dark Peat. Blossom, oily sweetness.
Smoky and long. Sea spray, dry grass, a touch of ash and citrus.
Classic stuff and the heart of the Bowmore range. Smoky, fruity, coastal, delicious.
Its an alright dram. Nothing special, but fair for the price. I found the finish to be very drying, besides that I agree with the MoM-chaps. I didn't hate this, just would go for something else in the future like a Talisker. Maybe I just like them sweet and salty. CM
Mmm it doesn't get much better than this.
If you're new to Islays, this might be a good dram to try because it is simple and not strong on the mouthfeel. That said, if you are looking for a dram to spend some time with, I find it pretty uneventful. The nose is great, savory peat and sweet fruits with spices. And if you let it sit in its glass for ten minutes the flavors do come alive a bit more as the peat recedes. But the flavors are still weakened by the processing, making it a frustrating experience. At 46%, non-chill-filtered, and reduced caramel it would be a fantastic dram.
I do like the nose and finish but found on the palate it was too sweet for me. I've never been a sweet tooth so was a shock to my system. Tasted of burnt caramel to me.
Honestly, I adore Bowmore. It does have a strong peat taste but this is blended with a really really nice honey and lemon taste. It is so easy to drink and for me, a wiff of an empty glass is almost as pleasant as the drink itself.
