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.
I have tried many Bowmore ages and find this to be my favourite. It has a smoky finish which gives way (through Ice Cube) to a beautiful, almost sweet, raisin taste with a washed pear treat. The best I have tasted in my short time of relishing my taste for Scotland's best.
There are an enormous amount of better whiskies available for the same price or a few quid extra. It's still a good introduction to peat as it's not got anything overpowering, except the overshadowing taste of old cigar ash in stead of pleasant wood or meat smoke, but it's an overall disappointing one.
A great intro for Islay neophytes. If you really like this then you may be ripe for some even more intense Islay offerings from the Bowmore line and others. Temper with water sparingly as it takes very little to expose Bowmore 12's many delights and only a little more to push it over the edge into dishwater . A great whiskey to have handy for guests; offering a pleasent intestity and depth of flavour at reasonable cost.
Very very weak. It mentions peat/smokiness but there's almost nothing in my bottle. It strangely has almost no scent, just a bit lemony. You take a sip, expect some flavour, get nothing, wait a little while, and nothing arrives. No particular whiskey flavour, just a faint lemon taste.
Still good but seems to have toned down the peat
