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Bowmore 12 Year Old

Bowmore 12 Year Old

(0.75l, 40%)


7.6/10
Price:
$54.99
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It’s the heart and soul of Islay single malt Whisky.

Islay is special. For centuries, all they had was the local barley, clear spring water, cut and dried peat to heat their homes, and the sea… always there was the sea. If you take all that and wring it into a barrel, you get Bowmore… a Whisky spirit that clings to the memory of the barley, the peat, and the sea. The Bowmore Distillery is one of the oldest in all of Scotland. This storied distillery lies on the west coast of Islay, where the sea and native peat give rise to one of the most recognized smoky drams in the single-malt Whisky world.

Bowmore Islay 12 year old is the very heart of the Bowmore range of single malt Whiskies. And lot of Bowmore fans are very excited because the current releases are a throwback to the traditional Bowmores produced in the 1960s and 1970s before mergers and acquisitions dimmed their craftsmanship for several years. It’s so good that it took runner-up as Whisky of the Year in 2015. Importantly, it is what they call a “medium peated” dram. Plenty of sea and smoke and spice to let you know that you are drinking an Islay single malt, but with an intentionally natural balance to let the natural fruits tickle the tastes buds as well.

Flavor Spiral™

About The Flavor Spiral

Close
smoky
spicy
peaty
vanilla
sweet
caramel
orange zest
exotic fruit
citrus
What does Bowmore 12 Year Old taste like?

The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in Bowmore 12 Year Old and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.

We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
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Single Malt Scotch Whisky is made in Scotland using a pot still distillation process at a single distillery, with malted barley as the only grain ingredient. It must be matured in oak casks in Scotland for at least three years (most single malts are matured longer).

Tasting Notes
Appearance / Color
Warm amber

Nose / Aroma / Smell
Campfire smoke, orange zest, a dash of lemon, and fresh cut hay

Flavor / Taste / Palate
Lightly sweet with burning incense, peat, sea spray, and vanilla

Finish
Long and smoky

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Ratings & Reviews
Member Reviews and Ratings of Bowmore 12 Year Old
Daniel
Daniel,
Smokey, but easy to drink and a great introduction into smokey whiskey
 
Jaakko
Jaakko,
It’s awfully decent. Coming back to whisky after some 5 year break or so. Smokey but not insane, some other notes also there. No reason to be angry at the bottle but no reason to get another one either, I’d say. Still happened to end up with another bottle and this is actually pretty nice. Colour is dark and full, nose pretty weak and medicinal but the taste is nice. Smokey, buttery, berries.
 
James
James,
It was for me a gateway Islay. It had hints of the peat smoke without blowing your head off like the Ardbeg or Laphroaig. Nice sweetness with hints of vanilla and stone fruit.
 
Israe
Israe,
Very smooth
 
Tobias
Tobias,
Peaty and silty on the nose. Lighter smoke flavor than I expected, citrusy and sweet flavors overtake the smoke. I'm not getting as much of a smoky finish as I would like. Definitely not mad at it, but not something I'm likely to buy again.
 
Calvin
Calvin,
Reminds me a bit of Johnnie Walker Double Black. Smooth with the right amount of peat
 
Taylor
Taylor,
One of my favorite Scotch. Great Peat flavor.
 
Jared
Jared,
I really wanted to like this, but I could never get past the cardboard taste. Is that coming from the fake coloring they put in it?
 
Damian
Damian,
Smoooooth, very nice bottle, smoother then the Taliskers!
 
SCOTT
SCOTT,
Typical Islay scotch. Smoke, salt, very smooth. Not quite as good as Talisker 10 nor Ardbeg 10. Overall an excellent lower priced scotch.
 
Orlando
Orlando,
Peaty but not too much, gets and citrus taste towards the back. Wish it had higher ABV.
 
George
George,
I think I'm discovering I like lightly sweet.
 
Jonah
Jonah,
Maybe the best I’ve had pound for pound. Smoke, peat, with a finish that lingers.
 
Jack
Jack,
I love this whiskey. The right amount of balance and peat. There’s a very distinct nutty after taste that some may not like, but it made it even better for me.
 
Kevin
Kevin,
Peat-y, Smoky goodness - smooth finish with slight sweetness left on the tongue
 
Johnathan
Johnathan,
Nice hints of citrus, very smooth, a top favorite.
 
Kenneth
Kenneth,
Really good scotch. Little peat, peppery, citrus.
 
Steven
Steven,
Buttery smooth delightful scotch.Very easy drinking! The butterscotch notes seriously bloom with ice. Floral with salty sea! My personal #1 thus far 9.0
 
Mark
Mark,
Love this one, very smooth, but a great taste!
 
Rebecca
Rebecca,
Spicier on the back end
 
Allegra
Allegra,
very nice, perfect smokey tone, just a tad too sweet for my taste, but i'd get it again for family and friends when they come over.
 
Gary
Gary,
This is my staple every day drinking scotch, has a a little bit of everything and not too much of anything.
Steven
Steven,
Hi Gary, I'm a bourbon drinker trying to expand my palate. I've only had a few scotches, but they were all very peat forward which I didn't care for. What do you think? Go for it?
Mark
Mark,
This is a good one, with not too much peat. Also try GlenMorangie 10 year at around $27 a bottle
Ronan
Ronan,
Amazing intricate tast, not too sweet or all that smokey but has a lot of deep tones.
 
Angelia
Angelia,
A little too peaty for me
 
1020
1020,
Extremely peaty. As if you are biting into a tree that had been laying on the forest for about 20 years.
 
Robert
Robert,
Not really ever being a whiskey guy and looking for a decent first scotch to try I settled on the bowmore 12 year. I was recommended to stay away from peated scotch and islays in general for my first scotch, but the smokey finish was probably my favorite part of the drink. I was hesitant on first smell but aquired the taste for it on my first glass. Over about a week I finished off the bottle drinking a glass or two neat in the afternoon and I couldn't be more happy. At 40ABV I wasn't surprised of the pungent boozy smell, but beneath the initial smell I noticed a light smoke and sweet citrus. On the first sip the orange peel notes and subtle caramel notes were what I picked up first, but with time in glass I picked up a prominent honey taste and the smokey finish mellowed out. Would recommend neat, this was too tasty to dilute.
 
Ryan
Ryan,
Excellent spirit for the price. This bottle will suit those looking for peat but does not over power the palette.
 
james
james,
Not as nice as Bowmore 15, but still very good.
 
guest
guest,
Pleasant but unremarkable - the spice and smoke just doesn’t mix smooth
 
Kevin
Kevin,
Good flavor, subtle peat not oily, subtle smoke just a hint, and a bit of spice
 
Joshua
Joshua,
very nice, smoky, peaty sipper; just lovely straight, and fine with a little ice
 
ronald
ronald,
Nice strong taste, if you like peaty, smoke drinks.
 
Zach
Zach,
I’m a Laphroaig 10 kinda guy, but this works as a one-off. A little too sweet for me and could use a little more ABV. Usually I always stick with Laph 10 or Ardbeg Corryvreckan, but very happy I have this in my bar now!
 
Eric
Eric,
I don't normally gravitate towards peated scotches, but for the price, I really enjoy Bowmore 12.
 
Logan
Logan,
Lots of campfire smoke in the nose, but with some citrus as well. The taste is pear with some vanilla sweetness.
 
bill
bill,
10/10 one of my all time flavorites.
 
Dave
Dave,
Perfectly peaty and smoky.
 
Jonathan
Jonathan,
This is probably the first peated scotch I actually didn't like and reading other reviews I am wondering if I got a bad batch of if I just don't know what I'm talking about. The peat is on the light side, like highland Park but without the Sherry influence all I taste is old socks, cheap salt and watered down to near crap. The biggest disappointment is the 40% abv which means bowmore took this to the bare minimum legally without thinking much into flavor because they wanted to squeeze every last penny out of it. I wouldn't even serve this to friends.
 
Juan
Juan,
My first attempt at peaty/smoky whisky. I eventually got used to the smokiness and peat, but the further I got along down the bottle the more medicinal this got for me and eventually turned me down. All and all, it's good but not good like Laphroaig in my opinion.
 
Gašper
Gašper,
Very distinct flavour-peatness.to peaty for me though
 
guest
guest,
Great Peaty flavor.
 
Evan
Evan,
I love a pleated whiskey and found this one to be mildly peated. Very tasty and balanced. Highly recommend.
 
William
William,
Only if you want PEAT!!!
 
Imran
Imran,
Nice balance between peat and sherry sweetness. Good flavors and mouthfeel. very well balanced more peaty than the Highland Park 12yr.
 
guest
guest,
Was my first peat im not too fond of it but it is a good whisk(e)y!
 
GySgt
GySgt,
An absolute pleasure to sip with good friends. This is a true blessing to the Scotch drinkers with discerning taste. Smooth with a subtle sweetness I recommend you have this one on your bar for the occasional Scotch drinkers and the discerning
 
Michael
Michael,
very solid scotch
 
guest
guest,
fruity nose. The palate on the other hand is peaty w/ a smooth finish. Nice but not an extraordinary single malt.
 
brad
brad,
Scrumptious
 
Jude
Jude,
Perfect. Smokey.
 
Stephen
Stephen,
Way too much peat for my taste.
 
Brad
Brad,
Great, Smokey and smooth, great flavor
 
Justin
Justin,
If you like smoke, but you're not looking to be overwhelmed, this is the perfect go to scotch. Smooth, drinkable, delicious. Not a kick in the face smoke-wise. Worth a permanent spot on your shelf (even if your shelf is small or running out of room). I always have a bottle of this at home.
 
Mark
Mark,
Some more Turpin aromatics. Linseed on the nose. Some cardboard on the finish. More minerals on the finish.
 
Jason
Jason,
Peaty and smoky without being too dark, and very smooth.
 
guest
guest,
Good, but has a slightly sour / musty taste to it. Love other bowmores but this one is underwhelming
 
guest
guest,
K second, sauer, rauch, süß
 
Seth
Seth,
12 yr old scotch that’s better than a lot of 21 yr old scotch very earthy some peat and heat sweetness complex great flavor!
 
Austen
Austen,
Strong smokey flavor almost to the point of overwhelming, but hints of caramel come through at the end
 
Matthew
Matthew,
A great intro to Islay that keeps you coming back. Soft peak smoke with salt, brine, chocolate & tropical fruit.
 
Ben
Ben,
Nose: seaweed, kelp, smoke, leather, hint of ginger Taste: creosote, marine/salt/ocean spray, touch of cinnamon.
 
Marc
Marc,
Floral, yet peaty. Nice palate. Smokier taste than nose. Finish is decently long, but not too long. Safe for newcomers for peat scotch.
 
Lisa
Lisa,
Smells like varnish
 
Bradley
Bradley,
Not quite as smoky as I was hoping, but still quite good
 
guest
guest,
Sehr torfige Nase, Lagerfeuer im Mund, kein charakteristisches Geschmacksprofil, nicht unerträglich rauchig Wien, 6/18
 
Marvin
Marvin,
Quite good. Smooth with some smoke but not overpowering.
 
MIKE
MIKE,
I didn't like the taste or the smell of it.
 
Mary
Mary,
My favorite so far. Long, smoky finishes get me every time and this is the smoothest I have ever experienced. Definitely going to keep this one in my personal stock.
Donald
Donald,
What are your favorite peaty Scotches?
Piotr
Piotr,
Great price/quality factor. Better in everything than Ardmore Legacy, though they are quite similar.
 
guest
guest,
Peaty, Smokey, finishing with some lemon honey aroma...
 
Ryo
Ryo,
THE islay. Not strong peaty and specific flavour. It is like a Levis 501. It is suitable to whatever feelings and situations.
 
Anton
Anton,
If Irish and Scotch had a baby, this would be it. Smooth and honey for the Irish side with a tad of smoke from the Scotch. Very nice. Had the Dark and the 18 yr old, but I think this is the winner of the three.
 
Glenn
Glenn,
Bowmore is certainly a treat. Nice with a peaty flavor and a smooth finish, it has become one of my favorites.
 
CJ
CJ,
Solid peat with a smooth drinking finish.
 
David
David,
Great peaty flavor!
 
Eric
Eric,
A solid introductory scotch for those seeking to understand what Islay is all about.
 
Alex
Alex,
Bowmore is by far my favorite scotch distillery. I usually purchase the small batch whisky they produce as my regular drinking whisky. While I love the small batch, the 12 year absolutely blows it out of the water. This whisky is an absolute delight to sip and enjoy. Incredibly smooth, I will endeavor to keep a bottle around the house permanently.
 
Jeremy
Jeremy,
Too smoky
 
Joe
Joe,
See
 
guest
guest,
Smoky
 
Will
Will,
Solid!
 
Daniel
Daniel,
Heather, brine, smoke, and light honey on the nose. Smoky honey sweetness in the palate with a long, warm, smoky finish. The honey sweetness balances with the smoke very well. Great introduction to Islay whiskies if you've never had one and are a little leery of the smoke.
 
L.Joseph
L.Joseph,
Not for nothing, I LOVE Islay singles however, after being to many tastings, cigar events and the like, I have to admit Bowmore is by least favorite. Actually purchased a bottle, tried 1 sip and tossed the bottle out. For some reason never could enjoy Bowmore.
 
guest
guest,
Great for the price in Trader Joe's at around 43 dollars a bottle
 
guest
guest,
Smooth, peaty, sweet ansd salty. Not as heavy as many of the brothers from Islay, the balance and smoothness makes this a good one for this money.
 
Matthew
Matthew,
Reassuringly smooth.
 
guest
guest,
Great smoke
 
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