Years later, another look at Bowmore 12 Year. Still colored, still chill-filtered, still aged for 12 years... still bottled at a thin 40% ABV. 40%??? What are they thinking?!
Nose: [Early in the bottle] Salt, smoke, straw, honey, lavender and floral notes, pepper, heather, peat. The smoke recedes the longer the glass sits. [Later in the bottle] Much more of a traditional Islay presence: wide peat, ash and smoke, maritime notes, and honey sweetness. Flowers, pepper, citrus, and straw vanish deep into the background.
Mouthfeel: Thin, but oily.
Palate: [Early in the bottle] Follows the nose: straw, honey, lavender and floral aspects, green chili, industrial smoke, then maritime peat. [Later in the bottle] Chewy peat, maritime explosion, salty honey, faint malt backbone, and black smoke. The floral/heather element is present but only just. Faint citrus notes, like lemon zest or lime zest. Much more of an Islay dram now.
Finish: Industrial ash and flowers. The ash stays longest; this is true from the first sips from the bottle to the last.
Verdict: A curious whisky. It changes noticeably as the bottle is drained. At first it seems an overall simple dram, surprisingly flavorful at 40%, and has some unusual things going on. Yet deeper in the bottle it becomes a more traditional Islay experience full of rich peat and delicious maritime elements. In the beginning, the chili pepper is quite enticing, along with the flowers that play against an ash note. Later, kelp, sea salt, salty honey, and thick ashy smoke. Intriguing, and quite easy to drink. Still - everything here would be better un-chillfiltered, uncolored, and bottled around 43-46%. Weaksauce presentation by Bowmore. Fie!
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