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.
Do you enjoy the smell of a forest fire? Ever wondered what it'd taste like in liquid form? Well, here you go. Alternatively, if you'd like to save a few bucks, buy yourself a bottle of Liquid Smoke then mix it in with some cheap scotch. To be fair, Glenfiddich India Pale Ale is my usual go-to but thought to venture out for once. I just didn't realize that venturing out would mean I'd find myself in the middle of a California wildfire with a thick layer of soot coating my tongue and cheeks.
This dram is a little portrayl of what all the Islay bottlings feature on a smaller scale. Unlike the giants of Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg, Bowmore holds its own with hints of Islay smoke, peat , sweet and savory palette at a much smaller price. My everyday go to Scotch! (repeat summary title here!)
Simply put this dram captures a little bit of what all Islay Scotches are noted for: peat, medicinal notes, smoke, and the sweet and savory long finish. I say a " little bit" because unlike bottlings from the big Islay distilleries ie: Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg...Bowmore 12 is a gentler animal. It is much tamer on the palette and on the wallet. This is the Islay Scotch I would first introduce to friends before a taste of other giants. It is my everyday go to Scotch. An excellent Scotch from the oldest distillary in Islay. They know what they are doing. Slangevar!!!!!!!!
Bowmore was one of my first Islay whiskies. Since then I've been to Islay, spent nights in Bowmore, and tried them all. This is a distinctive Islay whisky, that among my others, always has my heart.
I like peat monsters, such as the Laphroaig Quarter Cask (and pretty much every other Laphroaig, too). Compared to those, this is sort of a milquetoast Islay. I keep it in my collection because sometimes I don't want such an aggressive, charcoal, burned-house finish. The Bowmore 12 is much more mild while retaining some of the same flavor notes. It's not my everyday drink, but it has a place.
