Review: Bowmore 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

Morrison Bowmore Distillers was founded in 1951 by Mr. Stanley P. Morrison and Mr. J. Howat. Like most major distilling companies the ownership of Morrison Bowmore has changed over the years, and it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Suntory Linited, a Japanese spirits conglomerate. The subsidiary company owns three major distilleries in Scotland; the Bowmore Distillery (on the Hebridian Island) in the  Islay Region of Scotland, the Auchentoshan Distillery in the Lowland Region of Scotland, and the Glen Garioch Distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. The Bowmore brand is the flagship whisky brand of Morrison Bowmore Distillers and has grown to be one of the most important whisky brands in all of Scotland.

I was fortunate enough to meet Morrison Bowmore’s, Regional Manager for North America, Jamie MacKenzie at the Edmonton Whisky Festival this past winter. He asked me to reach out to him when I was ready to review some of the Bowmore Whiskies on my website, and I did so recently. As a result, I was forwarded a small gift pack which included three 200 ml bottles of the Bowmore 12, the Bowmore 15 Darkest, and the Bowmore 18 Year Old Single Malt Whiskies. These three bottles form the heart of the Bowmore core range.

My first review of this range is the Bowmore 12 Year old Single Malt Whisky. Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…I allowed the glass to decant which caused the aroma to deepen. The peat began to demonstrate some floral characteristics, and it seemed to begin to carry more herbal qualities as well. The whisky is still bringing  forward a light ash-like aroma similar to the smell of coals from a wood burning fire when you are camping…”

You may read the full review here:

I have followed the review with a classic cocktail suitable for a Peated Islay Whisky, The Rusty Nail.

Please enjoy the review!