Totally agreed, fair review. I've just returned home from Tesco and sat here watching your review whilst having my first taste. Before tuning into your review I spent almost 5 minutes on the nose. Citrus with a hint of paint thinners but it's surprising how enjoyable that can be. I made the purchase because Tesco has stopped doing Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 which I could get for £34 with my Tesco club card. My other favourite Ledaig 10 is just a bit too expensive this year but I get your message about quality over quantity. A drop of water has improved it for my reckoning. Cheers Ralph 🥃
Thanks for the review. Thanks, to John for the cap. I know this comment is half a year behind but Canada doesn’t stay on top of the recent releases of scotch. Rewatching your review with the whisky in hand. You’re an, uninfluenced encouragement for those who enjoy whisky. Cheers!
I think Bowmore 12 is a good whisky but it doesn’t have the complexity of the best. It’s well made and for a starter dram it’s pretty good. I don’t agree with the mark I think it’s a good 85. In Canada whisky is so expensive but this is a middle priced whisky and in my opinion it’s good for what it is. I can’t hate many single malts but I like Bowmore 12.
Thank you for the review! I tasted it yesterday and I couldn’t figure out the a specific taste until I viewed your video. The charred barrel taste is really prominent and almost overpowers all the rest of the flavors. -In my opinion, definitely will buy the 15 yo to compare.
great point about starting with a good product to get your bearings right. i was incredibly lucky that one of my first bottles of single malt was kilkerran 12....
I find Bowmore 12 to improve noticeably as the bottle progresses. The neck pour was horribly metallic and odd tasting. But the aeration opened up the citrus notes, which make Bowmore 12 quite enjoyable if you're looking for a light peat experience that isn't too heavy on the budget. 80 is a generous rating to me. I'd go with 75, personally. I will not replace that bottle once it is finished. But its slight salinity did make for a great base for a cocktail featuring pear juice, lime and ginger ale.
Bowmore 12 is very drinkable. It's a perfectly acceptable supermarket malt without pretention and gives a good inroad to lightly pleated malts to folk who want to explore the experience without busting their budget. There is nothing "bad" about it at all. It's not aimed at the connoisseur market.
And there’s nothing good about it at all. It’s a very average, massively castrated whisky. I would love tasting a Bowmore that isn’t chill filtered, has no artificial colour added, bottled at at least 46% and matured in good, active casks. I guess it might be delightful. But why would they do that? They are very successful marketing their castrated product and establishing a strong brand. And that’s what counts for many customers.
Ralfy is a passionate, colorful and knowledgeable reviewer of whisky. To his credit, he has mentioned that his reviews are his opinion and it's a good idea for those considering purchase of a whisky to consider the opinions of other reviewers. I followed that advice and found that most other reviewers have a considerably higher opinion of Bowmore 12. Now I do, too. This is a moderately peated, very smooth, flavorful and well balanced scotch. It is now my favorite scotch.
I buy the 12 too. It's got a dark character in it's taste which makes it one of my favourite autumn/cottage whiskeys. Tastes like wet nature, moss perhaps. I never buy the 15 which is sweeter and lacks that dark character of the 12.
It’s the first Islay I ever tasted, and it’s a benchmark for me. Didn’t have a bottle of this for a while, now I bought one again and it’s put the Laphroaig and the Lagavulin much better in perspective for me.
“Taste is subjective” - Yeah, and quality isn’t. Start with the 12 and try better whisky over time. Try the Bowmore 15 next, than buy a bottle of the Bowmore 18 “Deep and Complex”. It’s a travel exclusive, but it’s really good. Of course, it could be so much more, but if you wanna know how good Bowmore can be, that’s a really good experience. And it’s reasonably priced for an 18 year old whisky. But don’t forget to try other whiskies, don’t fall for the marketing and try smaller, craft distilleries. It’s a journey - if you want to go on a journey ..
Got lucky and found a Bowmore 15 (the older version without "Darkest" labeling) on clearance for $35 USD. Been letting it settle down as per your recommendation. The first impression was it was very muted. Also found a Tomatin 14 on clearance as well ($50) that was way better immediately after uncorking. Found it to be really quite delectable and I commend Tomatin for the 46% ABV, not chill filtering, and not adding color. It's a really beautiful color from the port wood.
Eternal Dramnation wow that’s cheap, the 12 is about $45-$55 in a lot of places in the US I’ve seen. Bowmore comes with a huge premium in many places for some reason.
I agree this is a good beginners/budget entry to Islay. The Smoke isn't too intense and you get to know if you like smoke or not and for the price you can't argue not to pick up a bottle as a beginner
Hi Ralfy! When I saw the whisky you were reviewing today, I immediately knew that you were gonna be disappointed with it. I wish Bowmore would get its act together as regards its main line of whiskies because the distillery has so much potential. Cheers!
Great review thanks - my journey moved from J.W Black on to Bowmore 12, to experience more peat and smoke, and enjoyed that for a while, but have since moved on to many others, particularly from Islay (Ardbeg Uigeadail being my favourite)
I wasn't surprised at how fast those caps of yours sold out, you produce quality content Ralfy unlike some whisky distilleries. Can I suggest the weavers also put a note of what the hat sizes actually equate to in cm and/or inches for big headed folks such as myself who aren't also sure whether they should go XL or XXL please?
Hi Ralphy. I had bowmore a long time ago and it was amazing. Now with suntory, the 12 is total rubbish. I had the old bottling and when I ordered a bottle of bowmore 12 in a bar I was complaining that it was fake. But it is actually not. It was just bad.
I think there is quite a bit of variability with this bottling. The last bottle I had was very tannic and bitter. It seemed like what you have taught me to describe as perhaps a very tired or poor cask. It was bitter to the point of distraction. It got better in the bottle over some months, but not much. The bottle I just opened is much better, having a much better experience with it. Do you know if Bowmore vats several casks before bottling? With the differences in bottles I'm wondering. Thanks Ralfy, this video added another few tidbits to my small but hopefully growing vault of whisky knowledge.
I'm not getting the bitter or sour notes from this but one thing I noticed right away is the wateriness, and sure enough my bottle is at 40%. I'm in the US. The peat and smoke is muted compared to other Islay malts, and it doesn't have quite the flavor of a Bruichladdich. I also noted the really dark color, while the no color added Islay malts are a pale yellow this is almost as dark as a bourbon. Also I have to say I watched your videos when I first started drinking Scotch, and here I am a decade and a half later still watching your videos.
I purchased a bottle of bowmore 12 on Dec 24th 2022... this video is 3 years old so I'm wondering if the quality of the product is the same as the one reviewed.
I'm having my first taste of a single malt with this, after having blends like Old Parr and Chivas Regal. Thank you for making this review, Ralfy, i know that I will be rewatching it quite a bit.
When I was mid-bottle with mine and the Bowmore spent some time with air in the bottle, it became much less sharp. However it became more obvious that it was rather boring too.
Hi Ralfy! I was recently gifted this and to be honest, I thought it tasted around 20% abv.... its so thin and very light. Yet! I found myself enjoying the 'profile' I am a sucker for Heather and brine it seems! You'll never guess what I have done to level this up a wee bit.... I did your sunset strong rum trick. Just to give it a bit of a kick up the arse, give it a much needed abv boost to compliment the character of this bowmore (was it Laphy 10 you did it with? Also still bottled at a sad 40%?) Serge rated this Bowmore 12 84 points at 40%, but went on to say it would be much much a higher score at 46% (89). I can happily report that a few drops of the neutral yet powerful sunset gold made this quite the experience. All thanks to you Ralfy how in your extras videos, you educate us in how to give malts a boost when they are somewhat lacking. We got to hack those 40% malts however possible!
Hail from the west coast of the island. Thank you for the brutal honest review. I love Islay whiskies but never tried Bowmore (bought a bottle of 12 a while ago but never opened it ). I think my bottle will be a present for someone with a little less palette. Great review as always. Stay safe.
You're my North Star when it comes to single malt reviews, mate. You've turned me on to some wonderful malts, and validated my feelings when I've loved - or not loved - a malt so many times. But here, I think you've missed a trick. When I first opened up my first bottle of Bowmore 12, I was deeply disappointed. I shoved it to the back of the shelf and forgot about it for a while. But one day, I pulled it out to compare with another malt - was it a Talisker? - and for the first time I recognized the odd fruity note as the taste and aroma of mango. That recognition totally transformed my sense of this malt. Suddenly, my perception of certain "off" notes ("stale raisins?") were transformed, for me, into a rich and exotic tropical experience.... I still don't reach for it often (mango's not my favorite flavor), but when I do, I enjoy it thoroughly. But then, what do I know? I will say this: Next time, on the strength of your recommendation, I will shell out the extra bucks to try the Bowmore 15. Because you're still my man, Ralfy - Slainte!
Hey Marc, sadly us North Americans get the 12 at 40%. I actually quite like it and it is very reasonable priced here (comparatively). I think it would be even better at 43%.
I did a "Ralfy experiment". I had the Bowmore 15. Was given a bottle of the 12. Put 5 mls of the 15 into a 30ml dram of the 12...... A noticeable and positive improvement in the experience of smell and taste. Got to agree with with your assessment of both the 12 and the 15.
A good example of a distillery that is brutally wasting its actual potential on the mass market. Lucky who has the chance to try a cask strength Bowmore unchilled filter in the Vault No. 1 or from an independent bottler.
I can name a few more distilleries with the exact same problem. Ardmore, a fantastic distillery with a unique peated Highlands character, whiich is forced to bottle NAS, mediocre stuff. Laphroaig, another top class distillery with a wonderful history, forced to bottle NAS, add caramel colouring, minimum abv, really disappointing stuff. Auchentoschen, forced to produce dumbed down, 40%, Chill Filtered,caramel coloured whisky. What do they all have in common? They are all owned by the same company.
@@RebMordechaiReviews Auchentoshan made the step to 43%, and produces more and more 46%+ bottlings, non-chill-filtered. Like the 2015 Blood Oak bottling, or the new Sauvignon Blanc cask finish bottling.
@@RebMordechaiReviews I thought Laphroaig didn't colour their whisky (it's why they use green bottles, to hide the pale colour of their product). It does strike me as stupid that so many chill-filter so they can get the whisky down to 40%, when it would make more sense to have it at 46% and remove the need to chill filter.
@Samuel Smith. "Tell me it aint so...."! Unfortunately it is! Laphroaig 10 has Caramel colouring. The Quarter Cask, a NAS, may be bottled at 48% and Non-Chill Filtered, but it also contains E150a Caramel colouring! Why? They say for consistency but I fail to understand why they think that someone who buys the "Quarter Cask" would be worried about consistency of colour? www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/20113/laphroaig-quarter-cask www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/42885/laphroaig-10-year-old
@@STOP_red_light Chill filtration has no bearing on the final ABV. It's just to remove fatty acids to prevent the whisky from going cloudy. It's largely just for aesthetics. I think it's waste of time and money. ABV is solely on the blender or company as a choice.
Hello again Ralfy. What sort of care is right for the barley bunnet? (I'm assuming anything like dry-cleaning is out.) Did the weaver offer any advice? This would be helpful info for those fortunate (read: lucky) enough to have bought one.
The best way to get the "Best" out of this nice wee single malt is to bring it up to body temperature in the glass. I've drunk many bottles of Bomore in my time, and will drink more. Got bottles' of Bowmore at Manchester air port on a number of occasions. The bottle is not marked with the age for some reason, so one thinks it's not of a vintage blend. Tastes just as good and a wee bit cheaper. A person from Edinburgh Scotland.
the distilleries that dont add colour usually make a declaration on the label. i go by ralfys rule that if they dont state it then its safe to assume it has some degree of colour added.
Respectfully, prior to your embargo on NAS whisky, you routinely reviewed and positively malt marked very many NAS bottles, some entry-level and very good; so I don't fully understand your current take? Perhaps an update will help clarify things? Thanks.
. . . unfortunately, many NAS malts are less than what they should be and frequently found as either Travel Retail (airport) offerings of poor value or in supermarkets as discount bling ! under-aged and poorly-aged are often the situation with NAS, so it's easier to avoid them now.
@@thewhiskybothy I've sampled just as many age-statementt bottles which the same can be said. I fully respect and agree with not buying "expensive" (whatever that might be) NAS bottles, but I think that for those on a budget, your old reviews of bottles from Glen Moray, Finlaggan, and Deanston malts (and others) remain solid choices, and preferable to sub $20 blends. And as I have said elsewhere, brands like Compass Box shouldn't be deprived of the attention one of your reviews can bring. Just saying my friend. Cheers!
@@thewhiskybothy The irony is that many cask strength whiskies are NAS. Most often these whiskies are still better than aged whiskies featuring an age statement. A good example is the Glen Scotia Victoriana, it's splendid even if the bottle is NAS. I believe the % alcohol and quality of the barrels used, are far more important than an age statement.
Indeed there are a few humble gems among the NAS bottlings, but the important thing is the trend and the direction. There's increasingly more "funny" or garnished NAS malts, hurried experiments with virgin oak, SRT oak or similar. None of those can make up for simple time spent in a decent cask. Instead of consistent core range from distilleries, everything is limited issue, exclusive, special edition to make it all seem collectible and therefore worth more money than it actually is. Had a 7yo Caol Ila which I'd buy even for a price of some 15yo malts.
@@waferpie123 Just opened one of the previous 51.5% versions of the Victoriana. The common criticism of the NAS whisky's is that the bigger distilleries are putting out younger lessor quality spirit under flashy marketing to cash in on the reputation of their higher quality age statement bottlings ... Talisker comes to mind. After tasting the Victoriana I don't think that criticism applies, it's a great dram.
I'm new to the whisky game. I just got a Bowmore #1 to try, which I assume isn't as good as the 12 here? But even the #1 made the single malts I've tried from Lidl seem like total pish in comparison. I've tried Talisker's Skye, which I thought was fantastic. I plan on trying Laphroaig next because I think Islays are my jam.
If i do the conversion from GBP to CAN dollars, 24 GBP is 41.45 CAN$ … the problem is with the tax in Canada it is sold nearly double the price at 74 CAN$ ( 42.85 GBP). 😭
30£ (36€) for the Ardbeg Ten (46%, 2019, 70cl), 21£ (25€) for the Bowmore 12yo (40%, 2019, 70cl) and 36,19£ (43€) for the Bowmore 15yo Darkest (43%, 2016, 70cl) in french supermarket (E.Leclerc) during the christmas spirit offers, I took one of both. It's the first year I haven't seen Laphroaig 10yo 40% discounted, only the "Select" benefit from a voucher. Also bought a Glen Scotia 15yo bottled in 2017 for 49,65£ (59€) to my favorite local wine and spirit shop. Bought several bottles of Ben Nevis 10yo and Springbank 15yo in november, I was so generous with myself for this Christmas 2019. 2020 winter should be frozen ! Waiting for your malt of the year, stamping with impatience ! :)
That Bowmore purchase must have been a while back. It is currently ( December 2019 ) 40 pounds at Tesco and 35 at Waitrose. Just for the record, Bowmore 12 is 40% at Totalwine in the US.
Ralfy, it would be awesome if you could give us a tour of your collection. You must have a huge stash of whiskey after doing 800 reviews. It would be very interesting to see how you store and organize everything. Cheers!
2021: 12 was £25 now £40 off offer. 15 was £55 now £67 UK. At £40, it's got tough Islay competition.
4 года назад
Ralfy.. The only single malt reviewer without the flannel. The real deal. It’s obvious that other reviewers go to to Ralfy to plagiarize. I went to buy this bottle. It was expensive. Low ABV, chill filtered, and no natural color statement. I passed and bought a bottle of locally made Stranahans instead.
I'm right at the begining of my journey - started in august. I have a bottle of the 12 and enjoy it so was a little surprised that it only got an 80. However, I can totally relate to what you say about needing to try quality stuff to educate your palate. I quite enjoy macallan gold however I recently got hold of a bottle of the old macallan 12 sherry and side by side the old 12 makes the gold taste like dishwater. I'll gladly pay a little more for quality, but I do sometimes wonder if you're better off living in ignorance when trying a new bottle ends up spoiling something you've previously enjoyed!
Generally, I've found that if you can get Bowmore, you can get a Laphroig for not much more. Or even head to Lidl for their £18 Ben Bracken Islay. I think It's probably a young Caol Ila (if anyone has other ideas, I'd love to know!) But regardless, I'd say it's overall a better dram than a Bowmore.
I like Bowmore. It has a unique character no matter what they say. It is very dry, maritime an has a very specific apple-juice-like aroma. In a blind tasting I always would recognize Bowmore. Ralfy might be disappointed, but most distilleries put colour in their whiskies. Those who write it on the bottle that they don't put colour in it like Glengoyne, Bruichladdich, Ardbeg, Deanston are still the minority. Glenfiddich put colour in it, Balvenie, Glenlivet, Bowmore, Glenmorangie, Cragganmore, Dalmore etc. etc.
I can't agree with you, adding a drop of water drops the flavours to me. Nosing citrus fruits, hints of leather and ham. I can taste lemon, ham , vanilla,raisains, heather honey with hints of coconut in it. The finish is long, warm with citrus and ham notes. The ham note is like a 'schwarzwälder Schinken' ham, which is a great ham from the black forest in Germany. I bought a 0,7 l bottle for 25,95€ at Amazon during Corona pandemics, which is a fairly good price for this good single malt.
My journey with my bottle was all about mixed feelings! Sometimes it really was nice and sometimes just flat boring and felt cheap... Viel Spaß trotzdem mit der Pulle :) (preislich ists echt n schnapper)
I’ve still got a weak spot for this one because it was my first ever Islay, even my first ever peaty or smoky whisky. It’s just a shame they chill-filtered and coloured it. Because I do still like the unique nettly peaty herbal notes in this. It just lacks a lot of depth.
I enjoy the bowmore 12 as there is a nice balance between the peat and the saltiness and sweetness. Nose: Peat, salt, seaweed. Palet: Peat, saltiness and honey. Aftertaste: Peat of course and... salmiak licorice! Grtz from Holland, Teun (somewhere between a consumer and a customer)
Whisky prices here in French supermarkets seem to be noticeably cheaper than the UK. Bowmore 15yrs is around 43 euros, Glenrothes less than 55 euros. Maybe things will change after Brexit, so I know what I'll be stocking up on over christmas.
I find Bowmore 12 year old is better than any blend and a lot of the less expensive single malts. Ralfy has always had something against Bowmore and am surprise he had something good to say about the 15 year old. I haven’t tried the 15 or 18 year old, but look forward to one day. Bowmore 12 is one of my go to scotch whiskies.
I dont know if you will see this but I wanna say a huge thankyou ralfy I asked you few months ago what was good whisky to start me on my journey this was before your 100k bigcilve sent me over and lit the flame of my lamp to guild me on my whisky journey I'm now sitting at a couple of bottle bottles of many different varieties from many different distilleries still early on my journey but eager to learn and loving the road be it rocky or a smooth road with
@@thewhiskybothy I've been sharing the malt moments with as many as possible to spread the love currently enjoying some penderyn and some mackmyra at the moment not long been to the pendreyan distillery was a fun and interesting day
Bowmore 12 was my first peated whisky. On the first bottle, all I could taste was mud. I decided to buy another bottle shortly afterwards, and began to notice citrus and beehive smokey honey notes. The rest is history..
I actually like this one a lot! Wow an 80. The difference between these two are the 15 year old is twice the cost, and for that I'll go purchase the Lagavulin 16 instead!
Bought this 2yrs ago (self explanatory why it lasted) and I remember it was quite dull. Just finished the bottle (3 drams) and although its not bad (sweet, ashy, milk chocolate, orange) it is quite forgetable. There are many better options at this price point.
I have no head for a bonnet but it's stylish. Glad you don't do silly t-shirts, tacky merch, and all the rest of it. Some whiskychannels seem more concerned with having their logo on stuff to sell, than being about the whisky. Come to think of it, I have a related malt-mention: Malty Merchandise Moneygrabbers 😏
You’ll not agree with amateurs like the late great whisky writer Michael Jackson, Ralfy. It’s all about opinions. “The late, great whisky writer Michael Jackson proclaimed Bowmore 12 Year Old as remarkably long and complex A lemon and honey bouquet with the distinctive Bowmore smokiness. Warm and delicious on the palate with subtle dark chocolate flavours.” 2019 International Spirits Challenge Silver, 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Awards Gold, 2019 SIP Awards Double Gold
I laughed loudly when I hear “Coca Cola”...... Years ago when I firstly tried peaty whisky, which is Ardbeg 10, and I think “oh, the taste is so good, I really have to try more” then I bought a Bowmore 12. After a few glasses, I gave it to a friend I hate, and never ever tough any Bowmore........
Ive never given modern Bowmore any notice or custom. In the US where I am in Alabama it is cheap as hell for all their versions and I haven't ever given it a chance cause of that....many times with Scotch price does correspond to quality.
Got to say, Bowman 12 has improved, but it's still soda mix at best. Bowmore is long removed from the 8 and 10 year old expressions. Bowmore is a great distillery, but it's really sad that they can't be bother with their main range.
I can’t believe you didn’t like this, I loved the delicate fruity but peaty taste very smooth and friendly whisky.
Thank you so much for your honesty and unlike other youtube sites, you are not influenced by the whiskey industry .
Totally agreed, fair review. I've just returned home from Tesco and sat here watching your review whilst having my first taste. Before tuning into your review I spent almost 5 minutes on the nose. Citrus with a hint of paint thinners but it's surprising how enjoyable that can be. I made the purchase because Tesco has stopped doing Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 which I could get for £34 with my Tesco club card. My other favourite Ledaig 10 is just a bit too expensive this year but I get your message about quality over quantity. A drop of water has improved it for my reckoning.
Cheers Ralph 🥃
I bought a while ago a sample box that had the labels in german, and it indeed confirmed that both the Bowmore 12 and 15 have caramel added.
The colour additive is called karamellzuckerkulör. It's just a colour, it has no taste at all
@@Fantasmo77 Ralfy doubt it ;-)
Fantasmo77, it is burnt sugar, which does not belong in a natural product
Sharp dressed man most distilleries use it
@@Fantasmo77: more and more distilleries are not colouring their Whisky any longer and I appreciate this development.
Thanks for the review. Thanks, to John for the cap. I know this comment is half a year behind but Canada doesn’t stay on top of the recent releases of scotch. Rewatching your review with the whisky in hand. You’re an, uninfluenced encouragement for those who enjoy whisky. Cheers!
I bought bowmore 12 yesterday and I love it 🥰!!!!
I think Bowmore 12 is a good whisky but it doesn’t have the complexity of the best. It’s well made and for a starter dram it’s pretty good. I don’t agree with the mark I think it’s a good 85. In Canada whisky is so expensive but this is a middle priced whisky and in my opinion it’s good for what it is. I can’t hate many single malts but I like Bowmore 12.
Thank you for the review! I tasted it yesterday and I couldn’t figure out the a specific taste until I viewed your video. The charred barrel taste is really prominent and almost overpowers all the rest of the flavors. -In my opinion, definitely will buy the 15 yo to compare.
great point about starting with a good product to get your bearings right. i was incredibly lucky that one of my first bottles of single malt was kilkerran 12....
You made a camel very happy with that malt mention Ralfy! Cheers!!!
If you're into cocktails, Bowmore 12 is very nice in a whiskey sour - the combination of smokiness and sweetness works wonders.
I find Bowmore 12 to improve noticeably as the bottle progresses. The neck pour was horribly metallic and odd tasting. But the aeration opened up the citrus notes, which make Bowmore 12 quite enjoyable if you're looking for a light peat experience that isn't too heavy on the budget. 80 is a generous rating to me. I'd go with 75, personally. I will not replace that bottle once it is finished. But its slight salinity did make for a great base for a cocktail featuring pear juice, lime and ginger ale.
I agree.
Bowmore 12 is very drinkable. It's a perfectly acceptable supermarket malt without pretention and gives a good inroad to lightly pleated malts to folk who want to explore the experience without busting their budget. There is nothing "bad" about it at all. It's not aimed at the connoisseur market.
And there’s nothing good about it at all. It’s a very average, massively castrated whisky. I would love tasting a Bowmore that isn’t chill filtered, has no artificial colour added, bottled at at least 46% and matured in good, active casks.
I guess it might be delightful.
But why would they do that? They are very successful marketing their castrated product and establishing a strong brand.
And that’s what counts for many customers.
No need for apologies concerning the bonnies, Ralfy. Even maltmates can't always get what we want ;)
Ralfy is a passionate, colorful and knowledgeable reviewer of whisky. To his credit, he has mentioned that his reviews are his opinion and it's a good idea for those considering purchase of a whisky to consider the opinions of other reviewers. I followed that advice and found that most other reviewers have a considerably higher opinion of Bowmore 12. Now I do, too. This is a moderately peated, very smooth, flavorful and well balanced scotch. It is now my favorite scotch.
I quite like the Bowmore 12. I think I understand what you're saying, but I find it nicely balanced - no one flavour leaps out.
I actually like Bowmore 12 ,taste is subjective
Good job stating the obvious.
I buy the 12 too. It's got a dark character in it's taste which makes it one of my favourite autumn/cottage whiskeys. Tastes like wet nature, moss perhaps. I never buy the 15 which is sweeter and lacks that dark character of the 12.
It’s the first Islay I ever tasted, and it’s a benchmark for me. Didn’t have a bottle of this for a while, now I bought one again and it’s put the Laphroaig and the Lagavulin much better in perspective for me.
“Taste is subjective” - Yeah, and quality isn’t. Start with the 12 and try better whisky over time. Try the Bowmore 15 next, than buy a bottle of the Bowmore 18 “Deep and Complex”. It’s a travel exclusive, but it’s really good.
Of course, it could be so much more, but if you wanna know how good Bowmore can be, that’s a really good experience. And it’s reasonably priced for an 18 year old whisky.
But don’t forget to try other whiskies, don’t fall for the marketing and try smaller, craft distilleries. It’s a journey - if you want to go on a journey ..
Got lucky and found a Bowmore 15 (the older version without "Darkest" labeling) on clearance for $35 USD. Been letting it settle down as per your recommendation. The first impression was it was very muted.
Also found a Tomatin 14 on clearance as well ($50) that was way better immediately after uncorking. Found it to be really quite delectable and I commend Tomatin for the 46% ABV, not chill filtering, and not adding color. It's a really beautiful color from the port wood.
Eternal Dramnation wow that’s cheap, the 12 is about $45-$55 in a lot of places in the US I’ve seen. Bowmore comes with a huge premium in many places for some reason.
@@robfut9954 yup, the 12 is currently $15 more than what I paid for the 15. I love closeout sales.
Hi Ralfy,
Roy here, I actually loved this whisky but always love your views on your Chanel)))))
I agree this is a good beginners/budget entry to Islay. The Smoke isn't too intense and you get to know if you like smoke or not and for the price you can't argue not to pick up a bottle as a beginner
Hi Ralfy! When I saw the whisky you were reviewing today, I immediately knew that you were gonna be disappointed with it.
I wish Bowmore would get its act together as regards its main line of whiskies because the distillery has so much potential. Cheers!
A very dark color bonnet would be of interest to me, if you're offering more in the future. Thanks for your consideration.
Great review thanks - my journey moved from J.W Black on to Bowmore 12, to experience more peat and smoke, and enjoyed that for a while, but have since moved on to many others, particularly from Islay (Ardbeg Uigeadail being my favourite)
I wasn't surprised at how fast those caps of yours sold out, you produce quality content Ralfy unlike some whisky distilleries. Can I suggest the weavers also put a note of what the hat sizes actually equate to in cm and/or inches for big headed folks such as myself who aren't also sure whether they should go XL or XXL please?
Hi Ralphy. I had bowmore a long time ago and it was amazing. Now with suntory, the 12 is total rubbish. I had the old bottling and when I ordered a bottle of bowmore 12 in a bar I was complaining that it was fake. But it is actually not. It was just bad.
. . . others agree with you, I think I was quite kind to it in the review.
Still a great buy for what you paid.Decent affordable daily sipper.
The fill level shows you how good the whisky is. I had the 15 and gave up halfway through the bottle.
I had this at Commander's Palace here in New Orleans, LA, USA. Terrible. Your mention of "plastic" is spot on.
had to choose between this and anCnoc 12. chose the anCnoc...
I think there is quite a bit of variability with this bottling. The last bottle I had was very tannic and bitter. It seemed like what you have taught me to describe as perhaps a very tired or poor cask. It was bitter to the point of distraction. It got better in the bottle over some months, but not much. The bottle I just opened is much better, having a much better experience with it. Do you know if Bowmore vats several casks before bottling? With the differences in bottles I'm wondering. Thanks Ralfy, this video added another few tidbits to my small but hopefully growing vault of whisky knowledge.
I'm not getting the bitter or sour notes from this but one thing I noticed right away is the wateriness, and sure enough my bottle is at 40%. I'm in the US.
The peat and smoke is muted compared to other Islay malts, and it doesn't have quite the flavor of a Bruichladdich. I also noted the really dark color, while the no color added Islay malts are a pale yellow this is almost as dark as a bourbon.
Also I have to say I watched your videos when I first started drinking Scotch, and here I am a decade and a half later still watching your videos.
I purchased a bottle of bowmore 12 on Dec 24th 2022... this video is 3 years old so I'm wondering if the quality of the product is the same as the one reviewed.
. . . probably not 😨
I'm having my first taste of a single malt with this, after having blends like Old Parr and Chivas Regal. Thank you for making this review, Ralfy, i know that I will be rewatching it quite a bit.
When I was mid-bottle with mine and the Bowmore spent some time with air in the bottle, it became much less sharp. However it became more obvious that it was rather boring too.
Hi Ralfy! I was recently gifted this and to be honest, I thought it tasted around 20% abv.... its so thin and very light. Yet! I found myself enjoying the 'profile' I am a sucker for Heather and brine it seems! You'll never guess what I have done to level this up a wee bit.... I did your sunset strong rum trick. Just to give it a bit of a kick up the arse, give it a much needed abv boost to compliment the character of this bowmore (was it Laphy 10 you did it with? Also still bottled at a sad 40%?) Serge rated this Bowmore 12 84 points at 40%, but went on to say it would be much much a higher score at 46% (89). I can happily report that a few drops of the neutral yet powerful sunset gold made this quite the experience. All thanks to you Ralfy how in your extras videos, you educate us in how to give malts a boost when they are somewhat lacking. We got to hack those 40% malts however possible!
As they say where I come from ....You are the man when it comes to Whiskey !
Hail from the west coast of the island. Thank you for the brutal honest review. I love Islay whiskies but never tried Bowmore (bought a bottle of 12 a while ago but never opened it ). I think my bottle will be a present for someone with a little less palette. Great review as always. Stay safe.
You're my North Star when it comes to single malt reviews, mate. You've turned me on to some wonderful malts, and validated my feelings when I've loved - or not loved - a malt so many times. But here, I think you've missed a trick. When I first opened up my first bottle of Bowmore 12, I was deeply disappointed. I shoved it to the back of the shelf and forgot about it for a while. But one day, I pulled it out to compare with another malt - was it a Talisker? - and for the first time I recognized the odd fruity note as the taste and aroma of mango. That recognition totally transformed my sense of this malt. Suddenly, my perception of certain "off" notes ("stale raisins?") were transformed, for me, into a rich and exotic tropical experience.... I still don't reach for it often (mango's not my favorite flavor), but when I do, I enjoy it thoroughly. But then, what do I know?
I will say this: Next time, on the strength of your recommendation, I will shell out the extra bucks to try the Bowmore 15. Because you're still my man, Ralfy - Slainte!
. . . the malt oxidised in the bottle after opening, 'loosening' up the flavours. A good experience.
I am in NY and my Bowmore 12 is only 40%.
Here in Chicago too. The 15 yr is at 43% but not the 12.
Hey Marc, sadly us North Americans get the 12 at 40%. I actually quite like it and it is very reasonable priced here (comparatively). I think it would be even better at 43%.
I did a "Ralfy experiment". I had the Bowmore 15. Was given a bottle of the 12. Put 5 mls of the 15 into a 30ml dram of the 12...... A noticeable and positive improvement in the experience of smell and taste. Got to agree with with your assessment of both the 12 and the 15.
Bowmore 15 is on Amazon for £39.99. Is this a good price??
No. it is only 29.95 quid on the whisky exchange.
bushtucker88 can you send me the link please. I’ve looked on w.e. And it’s 57.95?
A good example of a distillery that is brutally wasting its actual potential on the mass market. Lucky who has the chance to try a cask strength Bowmore unchilled filter in the Vault No. 1 or from an independent bottler.
I can name a few more distilleries with the exact same problem. Ardmore, a fantastic distillery with a unique peated Highlands character, whiich is forced to bottle NAS, mediocre stuff. Laphroaig, another top class distillery with a wonderful history, forced to bottle NAS, add caramel colouring, minimum abv, really disappointing stuff. Auchentoschen, forced to produce dumbed down, 40%, Chill Filtered,caramel coloured whisky.
What do they all have in common?
They are all owned by the same company.
@@RebMordechaiReviews Auchentoshan made the step to 43%, and produces more and more 46%+ bottlings, non-chill-filtered.
Like the 2015 Blood Oak bottling, or the new Sauvignon Blanc cask finish bottling.
@@RebMordechaiReviews I thought Laphroaig didn't colour their whisky (it's why they use green bottles, to hide the pale colour of their product). It does strike me as stupid that so many chill-filter so they can get the whisky down to 40%, when it would make more sense to have it at 46% and remove the need to chill filter.
@Samuel Smith. "Tell me it aint so...."! Unfortunately it is! Laphroaig 10 has Caramel colouring. The Quarter Cask, a NAS, may be bottled at 48% and Non-Chill Filtered, but it also contains E150a Caramel colouring!
Why? They say for consistency but I fail to understand why they think that someone who buys the "Quarter Cask" would be worried about consistency of colour?
www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/20113/laphroaig-quarter-cask
www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/42885/laphroaig-10-year-old
@@STOP_red_light Chill filtration has no bearing on the final ABV. It's just to remove fatty acids to prevent the whisky from going cloudy. It's largely just for aesthetics. I think it's waste of time and money. ABV is solely on the blender or company as a choice.
This bottle was the starting point for my Islay journey. I have never looked back.
I've had the Bowmore 12 and the Laphroaig 10, not sure what to try next. Do you have any suggestions for your fellow Montreal comrade?
@@Mr.Spaghettti If you want to stay in Islay, you can't go wrong with Caol Ila 12, Ardbeg 10 and Lagavulin 16. Enjoy!
@@gohabs365 Thank you!! :D
Had a dram of Bowmore 12 about 5 years ago and really enjoyed it. What happened here? It's just sad to hear...
FYI Tesco are selling the Glenlivet 12 for £28 from tomorrow
Hello again Ralfy. What sort of care is right for the barley bunnet? (I'm assuming anything like dry-cleaning is out.) Did the weaver offer any advice? This would be helpful info for those fortunate (read: lucky) enough to have bought one.
. . . hand wash if needed, wool detergent only !
The best way to get the "Best" out of this nice wee single malt is to bring it up to body temperature in the glass. I've drunk many bottles of Bomore in my time, and will drink more.
Got bottles' of Bowmore at Manchester air port on a number of occasions. The bottle is not marked with the age for some reason, so one thinks it's not of a vintage blend. Tastes just as good and a wee bit cheaper. A person from Edinburgh Scotland.
Ralfy how can you tell it’s got colored added, can you tell by looking at it
If it looks orange like a spray on tan... You know something is wrong. :)
Germans. Also experience.
the distilleries that dont add colour usually make a declaration on the label. i go by ralfys rule that if they dont state it then its safe to assume it has some degree of colour added.
Respectfully, prior to your embargo on NAS whisky, you routinely reviewed and positively malt marked very many NAS bottles, some entry-level and very good; so I don't fully understand your current take? Perhaps an update will help clarify things? Thanks.
. . . unfortunately, many NAS malts are less than what they should be and frequently found as either Travel Retail (airport) offerings of poor value or in supermarkets as discount bling ! under-aged and poorly-aged are often the situation with NAS, so it's easier to avoid them now.
@@thewhiskybothy I've sampled just as many age-statementt bottles which the same can be said. I fully respect and agree with not buying "expensive" (whatever that might be) NAS bottles, but I think that for those on a budget, your old reviews of bottles from Glen Moray, Finlaggan, and Deanston malts (and others) remain solid choices, and preferable to sub $20 blends. And as I have said elsewhere, brands like Compass Box shouldn't be deprived of the attention one of your reviews can bring. Just saying my friend. Cheers!
@@thewhiskybothy The irony is that many cask strength whiskies are NAS. Most often these whiskies are still better than aged whiskies featuring an age statement. A good example is the Glen Scotia Victoriana, it's splendid even if the bottle is NAS. I believe the % alcohol and quality of the barrels used, are far more important than an age statement.
Indeed there are a few humble gems among the NAS bottlings, but the important thing is the trend and the direction. There's increasingly more "funny" or garnished NAS malts, hurried experiments with virgin oak, SRT oak or similar. None of those can make up for simple time spent in a decent cask. Instead of consistent core range from distilleries, everything is limited issue, exclusive, special edition to make it all seem collectible and therefore worth more money than it actually is. Had a 7yo Caol Ila which I'd buy even for a price of some 15yo malts.
@@waferpie123 Just opened one of the previous 51.5% versions of the Victoriana. The common criticism of the NAS whisky's is that the bigger distilleries are putting out younger lessor quality spirit under flashy marketing to cash in on the reputation of their higher quality age statement bottlings ... Talisker comes to mind. After tasting the Victoriana I don't think that criticism applies, it's a great dram.
I'm new to the whisky game. I just got a Bowmore #1 to try, which I assume isn't as good as the 12 here? But even the #1 made the single malts I've tried from Lidl seem like total pish in comparison. I've tried Talisker's Skye, which I thought was fantastic. I plan on trying Laphroaig next because I think Islays are my jam.
Much better than the Dalwhinnie that received a score 82 Ralphie! :)
If i do the conversion from GBP to CAN dollars, 24 GBP is 41.45 CAN$ … the problem is with the tax in Canada it is sold nearly double the price at 74 CAN$ ( 42.85 GBP). 😭
Haha , great ending again, aye ralfy saw laphroaig 10 today for £26 & again in a booze & pipe shop in glasgow city centre for £57
. . . that shop is totally over-charging I.M.O.
30£ (36€) for the Ardbeg Ten (46%, 2019, 70cl), 21£ (25€) for the Bowmore 12yo (40%, 2019, 70cl) and 36,19£ (43€) for the Bowmore 15yo Darkest (43%, 2016, 70cl) in french supermarket (E.Leclerc) during the christmas spirit offers, I took one of both. It's the first year I haven't seen Laphroaig 10yo 40% discounted, only the "Select" benefit from a voucher. Also bought a Glen Scotia 15yo bottled in 2017 for 49,65£ (59€) to my favorite local wine and spirit shop. Bought several bottles of Ben Nevis 10yo and Springbank 15yo in november, I was so generous with myself for this Christmas 2019. 2020 winter should be frozen ! Waiting for your malt of the year, stamping with impatience ! :)
That Bowmore purchase must have been a while back. It is currently ( December 2019 ) 40 pounds at Tesco and 35 at Waitrose. Just for the record, Bowmore 12 is 40% at Totalwine in the US.
00:44 First time I ever saw your hair.
+dye
@@robinjones6999 e150?
@@yermanoh e150 is a colorant that allows a distillery to standardize the color of their product and supposedly makes it more desirable!
apparently makes Ralfy more desirable as well!
@@kelg9068 ;-O
Ralfy, it would be awesome if you could give us a tour of your collection. You must have a huge stash of whiskey after doing 800 reviews. It would be very interesting to see how you store and organize everything. Cheers!
. . . probably time for an update !
Where can I get the caps ?
Great "hat" success looking forward to more Ralphy items
Good review, and I basically agree that it's simple. But it's an easy drinker and a nice intro into a peated whisky. Good for £25!! A daily sipper
2021: 12 was £25 now £40 off offer. 15 was £55 now £67 UK. At £40, it's got tough Islay competition.
Ralfy.. The only single malt reviewer without the flannel. The real deal. It’s obvious that other reviewers go to to Ralfy to plagiarize.
I went to buy this bottle. It was expensive. Low ABV, chill filtered, and no natural color statement. I passed and bought a bottle of locally made Stranahans instead.
. . . good choice, you bought a better bottle.
And about $10 U.S. cheaper too!
👍
The price of Bowmore is more money then Ardbeg 10 and Lagavulin 8 in my area. Hard to pass them over.
I'm right at the begining of my journey - started in august. I have a bottle of the 12 and enjoy it so was a little surprised that it only got an 80. However, I can totally relate to what you say about needing to try quality stuff to educate your palate. I quite enjoy macallan gold however I recently got hold of a bottle of the old macallan 12 sherry and side by side the old 12 makes the gold taste like dishwater.
I'll gladly pay a little more for quality, but I do sometimes wonder if you're better off living in ignorance when trying a new bottle ends up spoiling something you've previously enjoyed!
Generally, I've found that if you can get Bowmore, you can get a Laphroig for not much more. Or even head to Lidl for their £18 Ben Bracken Islay. I think It's probably a young Caol Ila (if anyone has other ideas, I'd love to know!) But regardless, I'd say it's overall a better dram than a Bowmore.
Just got a bottle yesterday. I like it, but it tastes like a peated Speyside whisky to me. Unfortunately mine’s 40%, USA. Probably won’t replace it.
I can't remember the last 80 I've seen on this channel...
see 802 revisited.
I tried this at a friends house and i really enjoyed it
"Malty Mongolian Camels." Would never have thought to hear this sequence, as a Mongol myself XD darn good whisky tho.
Would Bowmore use the same kind of casks for their 12 and 15? Is the 3 years the only difference?
. . . they are using differnt casks, the 12yo appears to have higher refill cask proportion !
Barley Bunnet. Why would you doubt the enthusiasm of your Malt Mates? I’m glad I work nights and got my order in just in the Knick of time.
I dont mind Bowmore 12 its got some peat, its a decent dram...aint no Ardbeg 10 but its also less then half the price of ardbeg 10 here
Ah I like it. New Malt Head. For me perfect entry to the smoky thingy. Now on to Kilchoman Sanaig ;-)
I've tried whisky from 7 of the 8 distilleries on Islay. The only one I haven't tried is Bowmore. After this review I don't think I'll be bothering.
Sounds delightful Ralfy lol.
I have been told this is one to avoid by friends who were attracted to the discounted price.
I like Bowmore. It has a unique character no matter what they say. It is very dry, maritime an has a very specific apple-juice-like aroma. In a blind tasting I always would recognize Bowmore. Ralfy might be disappointed, but most distilleries put colour in their whiskies. Those who write it on the bottle that they don't put colour in it like Glengoyne, Bruichladdich, Ardbeg, Deanston are still the minority. Glenfiddich put colour in it, Balvenie, Glenlivet, Bowmore, Glenmorangie, Cragganmore, Dalmore etc. etc.
You may want to check with big Clyde you maybe putting your finger over the clicker light if it's infrared 2 turn off your camera
What about Dalmore 12 yrs is it good??
I can't agree with you, adding a drop of water drops the flavours to me.
Nosing citrus fruits, hints of leather and ham. I can taste lemon, ham , vanilla,raisains, heather honey with hints of coconut in it. The finish is long, warm with citrus and ham notes. The ham note is like a 'schwarzwälder Schinken' ham, which is a great ham from the black forest in Germany.
I bought a 0,7 l bottle for 25,95€ at Amazon during Corona pandemics, which is a fairly good price for this good single malt.
My journey with my bottle was all about mixed feelings! Sometimes it really was nice and sometimes just flat boring and felt cheap... Viel Spaß trotzdem mit der Pulle :) (preislich ists echt n schnapper)
I’ve still got a weak spot for this one because it was my first ever Islay, even my first ever peaty or smoky whisky.
It’s just a shame they chill-filtered and coloured it. Because I do still like the unique nettly peaty herbal notes in this. It just lacks a lot of depth.
Soo happy you didn’t edit out that last part Ralfy!! Soo funny😁😁
I enjoy the bowmore 12 as there is a nice balance between the peat and the saltiness and sweetness. Nose: Peat, salt, seaweed. Palet: Peat, saltiness and honey. Aftertaste: Peat of course and... salmiak licorice! Grtz from Holland, Teun (somewhere between a consumer and a customer)
How about a matching Kilt for my bunnet?
. . . that would be a bit more expensive !
Whisky prices here in French supermarkets seem to be noticeably cheaper than the UK. Bowmore 15yrs is around 43 euros, Glenrothes less than 55 euros. Maybe things will change after Brexit, so I know what I'll be stocking up on over christmas.
That’s coz the whisky has to compete with VERY low French wine prices!
Bowmore 15 is on deal atm 39.99£ on one of well known online shops
I find Bowmore 12 year old is better than any blend and a lot of the less expensive single malts. Ralfy has always had something against Bowmore and am surprise he had something good to say about the 15 year old. I haven’t tried the 15 or 18 year old, but look forward to one day.
Bowmore 12 is one of my go to scotch whiskies.
I dont know if you will see this but I wanna say a huge thankyou ralfy I asked you few months ago what was good whisky to start me on my journey this was before your 100k bigcilve sent me over and lit the flame of my lamp to guild me on my whisky journey I'm now sitting at a couple of bottle bottles of many different varieties from many different distilleries still early on my journey but eager to learn and loving the road be it rocky or a smooth road with
. . . I've seen it, and happy to share the Malt-moments !
@@thewhiskybothy I've been sharing the malt moments with as many as possible to spread the love currently enjoying some penderyn and some mackmyra at the moment not long been to the pendreyan distillery was a fun and interesting day
Bowmore 12 was my first peated whisky. On the first bottle, all I could taste was mud. I decided to buy another bottle shortly afterwards, and began to notice citrus and beehive smokey honey notes.
The rest is history..
I bought a bottle on offer and wish I hadn’t. I didn’t find anything enjoyable about it and now resent it taking up valuable whisky cabinet space.
Not a malt I’m tempted by often, if at all.
I actually like this one a lot! Wow an 80. The difference between these two are the 15 year old is twice the cost, and for that I'll go purchase the Lagavulin 16 instead!
Bought this 2yrs ago (self explanatory why it lasted) and I remember it was quite dull. Just finished the bottle (3 drams) and although its not bad (sweet, ashy, milk chocolate, orange) it is quite forgetable. There are many better options at this price point.
Just ordered this seems at first looks to be a sweet smoky number. I like sweet
As u talk about prices in extra I have said for a long time that prices r as inconsistent as Lagavulin
There should a clicker problems outtakes real. You're great Ralfy, keep it going :-)
I have no head for a bonnet but it's stylish. Glad you don't do silly t-shirts, tacky merch, and all the rest of it. Some whiskychannels seem more concerned with having their logo on stuff to sell, than being about the whisky.
Come to think of it, I have a related malt-mention: Malty Merchandise Moneygrabbers 😏
. . . now on the M-mention List, thanks !
all the supermarkets have got offers on at silly low prices
I got one. It's allright. I'll stick to Laphroaig in the future lol
You’ll not agree with amateurs like the late great whisky writer Michael Jackson, Ralfy. It’s all about opinions.
“The late, great whisky writer Michael Jackson proclaimed Bowmore 12 Year Old as remarkably long and complex
A lemon and honey bouquet with the distinctive Bowmore smokiness. Warm and delicious on the palate with subtle dark chocolate flavours.”
2019 International Spirits Challenge Silver, 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Awards Gold, 2019 SIP Awards Double Gold
Do you realize that the Bowmore 12 today and Bowmore 12 that late Michael Jackson tasted are two very different whiskies?
I laughed loudly when I hear “Coca Cola”......
Years ago when I firstly tried peaty whisky, which is Ardbeg 10, and I think “oh, the taste is so good, I really have to try more” then I bought a Bowmore 12. After a few glasses, I gave it to a friend I hate, and never ever tough any Bowmore........
Ive never given modern Bowmore any notice or custom. In the US where I am in Alabama it is cheap as hell for all their versions and I haven't ever given it a chance cause of that....many times with Scotch price does correspond to quality.
Got to say, Bowman 12 has improved, but it's still soda mix at best. Bowmore is long removed from the 8 and 10 year old expressions. Bowmore is a great distillery, but it's really sad that they can't be bother with their main range.