ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is mixed fruits and mellow peat. At first there’s a mix of dried tropical fruits and ripe grapes occupying most of the space in the center. The outer layer consists of vanilla and a muted leathery peat with a hint of tobacco. There is a honey sweetness somewhere in the middle, but it’s not a perticularly sweet nose over all. With time, the dried fruits become fresher and liquorice comes up on the edge of the glass. There’s not much else to it. It’s a nice, but low impact nose.

Mouth: The leather and tobacco peatiness is first to come through, and it’s way more pronounced than on the nose. After a few seconds the whole thing becomes a tiny bit dusty and slowly the tropical fruits arrive. There are some ripe plums and raisins in there and there is a green grape note coming through from the back. It still has a very low impact, but it has a lot more to offer now. The oakiness comes through from behind and a touch of sea salt can be found in the back together with some black liquorice.

Finish: At first, there’s a big gap with no taste what so ever. After a second or two, the fruitiness start to emerge again. It’s now very bright and fruity and there’s a pineapple note which slowly transforms into the oakiness. It’s a slightly dusty oak. It never really takes over and the fruits follow along through the entire finish. The leather and tobacco notes are pushed way back into the background. This is a nice dram with great flavours, but it’s a bit uneventful and never really takes off.

Additional information
Bowmore does not disclose the cask types used in their 12 YO, but it’s bulk seem to be american ex-bourbon oak barrels, and possibly some european ex-sherry casks. This is part of the standard core range.

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