I have been looking forward to getting my hands on Whisky Review: Bowmore 12-Year-Old. Bottled at 40% ABV, it promises genuine character.
Nose
Yellow gold with thin, even legs. Very mellow and dangerously sip-able. The Bowmore 12 is an excellent introductory Islay Scotch, with enough smoke to stand apart from the other regions while maintaining enough sweetness to keep even exclusive bourbon drinkers engaged. Make no mistake, this is an Islay; there is campfire smoke on the nose and in the glass.rnrnFans of big Islay smoke will find this underwhelming, but this is a near-perfect bottle to pull out for a friend who likes Scotch and wants to wade into the pool of Islay.
Palate
Mellow peat smoke, honeydew melon, and lemon grass. Breathing deeply reveals more complete earth tones from the peat. Heavy oak char with campfire flavor on the first sip. The low ABV helps to mature the flavors quickly. The front of the mouth tastes lemon citrus with the deep sweetness of clover honey. I found most of the action to be at the front of the tongue and did not get the more traditional whiskey kick at the throat or stomach. There is a warming sensation, but it is very smooth and slow. The finish is some tart citrus -flavor overlaying the residual vanilla sweetness with puffs of campfire smoke. Excellently balanced between the peat smoke iconic to Islay and the sweetness of the barley. Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by Whiskeyful or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.
The Bottom Line
Whisky Review: Bowmore 12-Year-Old is outstanding — one of those bottles that reminds you why you fell in love with whiskey in the first place. If you see it, do not hesitate. This one earns a permanent spot on the shelf.
