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Bowmore 12yo has a place in many hearts as Islay's 'medium-peated' malt. A pronounced iodine character with plenty of pepper, the current 12yo bottling is a welcome return to the classic Bowmores of the 1960s and '70s, with the emphasis on tropical fruit and smoke. A deserved runner-up in our Whisky of the Year 2014-15 blind tasting.
Style
- Body
- Richness
- Smoke
- Sweetness
Character
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Peach
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Pineapple
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Mango
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Smoke
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Honey
Bowmore 12 Year Old Reviews
Tasting Notes
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Tasting Notes by Stuart P
Nose: Appetising combo of smoke and caramelised pineapple with a heady hit of tropical fruit.
Palate: Some lovely smokiness, but the fruity elements really sing here: pineapple, peach and mango all dancing with the smoke that surrounds them. Great balance.
Finish: Rather soft and relaxing, with the smoke gently fading.
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Producer's Tasting Notes
On the eye: warm amber.
Breathe in: subtle lemon and honey, balanced beautifully by Bowmore's trademark peaty smokiness.
Sip: sweet and delicious heather honey and gentle peat smoke.
Savour: the long, mellow finish.
70 Customer Reviews
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A good entry point to Islay whisky, nice earthy notes with smoke and little burn. If this not your thing then Laphoriag and Lagavulin will be too much for you. A good whisky.
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Beautiful balance of peat smoke and tropical fruit with a smooth caramalized aroma
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When I first purchased Bowmore 12 year, I did not enjoy it. Would have given it 2 stars. But I cannot stress enough, I was a novice drinker. With very little burn and an appropriate smokiness, this scotch grew on me. By my third opening of the bottle, I was had changed my tune significantly. Give it a little time to grow on you!
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Great Value Islay. But a word of warning. Don't add too much water as it breaks down quickly. Better drunk neat IMO.
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So sweet, very fruity. Is sugar added? Surely not. Sweet like Cointreau.
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Strangely, while I feel like Bowmore 12 is a fine, 4/5 scotch, on the Whisky Exchange where a lot of ratings seem rather inflated, I wish I could give it a 4.5/5. Bowmore 12 is outstanding for the price, and rather unique as an Islay scotch for being inexpensive yet also having a rather restrained peat character. It's sweet and easy drinking with a medicinal aftertaste. The nose is diverse enough to allow other scents in along with the peat. If you're going to keep a cheap, midly smoky Islay around, Bowmore is a great option to have. It's a lot less peaty than your average Islay, and a welcome addition to any collection.
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Great whisky. When I tried it first time it appeared to me not very complex, flat taste. But after 2nd or 3dr try I opened the beauty of Bowmore 12. Nice fruit palate with gentle smoke in the back. Very smooth finish. And awesome arome from the glass after you finished it. Something like dried smoked plum with mineral tones.
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For budget minded Islay enthusiasts, pretty hard to beat. A solid performer.
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I would give this 3.5. It's improved in recent years, subtle peated smoke, lovely fruit forward notes and on the nose. It's an entry level and affordable Islay single malt. Bottled at 46% without colour and chill-filtration and it would be brilliant. Even an increase to a tick over 43% would see a jumo to 4/5 stars.
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Fabulous whisky, one of the best bangs for your buck. Great intro to Islay scotch. Nice amount of smoke with a beautiful sweet fruit right behind, sugary fruit like pineapple and figs with a smooth lingering finish and a tail end of peat remaining. One I will always keep on my shelf. 4.5 for me.
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It tasted like medicine. I'll stick to Macallan 12 year, thank you.
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First time sipper of this beauty, after the urgings of an experienced Scotch drinker. Should have listened sooner.
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This was my first experience with an Islay whisky. At first, the smokiness was all I could tase, but as I became accustomed to this new flavor I began to appreciate it more and more. If this is your first Islay, be prepared for a shock. I first regretted buying this bottle but as I drank, it seemed to be a decent purchase.
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Disclaimer: I LOVE peaty/smokey single malts. Having lived in Edinburgh in 2016 my colleagues "introduced" to every Single Malt distilled in Scotland. I gravitated to all the Single Malts from Islay. I find Bowmore 12 provides the classic Islay smoke, not too much and not too little. Though I prefer even more. My favorite is Octomore! on a smoke scale of 1-10, it's a 12. :) So, if you like it smokey hit Octomore. Which will be a bit more expensive than Bowmore. Really any Single Malt from Scotland is worthy of praise, it's just what pairs well with you. I think Bowmore 12 is a great value and when I sip it it brings me back to my apartment in Young Street, Endinburgh. Cheers!
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Very smoky and smooth. Easy on the throat but medicinal finish.
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I really enjoyed this scotch, for my first endever into Islay scotch it was a nice Smokey flavor but not over powering with a nice smooth finish
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Peat and smoke but not too much of either. Very nice surprise for the price.
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I really like the price point, usually hauling back the Macallans Gold or Aberlour 12 year which are much slighter with vanilla forward and caramel finish. This is nice with the smoke and citrus combo. Its a Saturday night dram with some jazz playing to warm. Cheers!
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Very smoky I love it
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My first glass of this I was shocked it was not what I was expecting in a bad way. If felt like a cheap whisky with the alcohol burn that you get. I was so disappointed that I bought it when I wanted a glenfiddich which I love for the price. Now with my second glass it was a whole new experience and now I enjoy it I don't know if i'll buy it again unless there is a sale but if you do not like it give it a second glass. The flavours are earthy and a bit of smoke not much. I get no fruit I think they were dreaming with that. It is not as smooth as I like my scotch but its a nice mix up to make you appreciate the scotch you really enjoy as your favourite.
