Bowmore 12, 15, and 18 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whiskies

In this video Erik Wait does a comparison between the Bowmore 12, 15, and 18 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.
Watch my review of the Bowmore 21 Aston Martin Limited Edition Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky0 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky : • Bowmore 21 Year Old As...
THIS VIDEO IS INTENDED ONLY FOR VIEWERS WHO ARE OF LEGAL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE DRINKING AGE IN THEIR COUNTRY.

[@ddresely]

I have a soft spot for Bowmore. It was the single malt that pulled me away from the traditional blends back in the late 80’s. In fact my all-time favorites Scotch is a 25 Year Bowmore I got about 15 years ago. It was $250 then and I got a gift card for Christmas one year and splurged on the bottle. It was heaven-sent. The complexity and balance was far beyond anything I have tasted before or since. The finish kept evolving in my mouth for more than 5 minutes changing from one component to another. I probably gave more of that bottle away to friends so they could experience it like I did than I drank. I visited the distillery in 2015 and hand-filled a bottle of 17 Year that had matured in a Bordeaux wine cask. I’m saving it for my retirement next year!

[@dennista42069]

I never tasted the 25 years one but I am dying to try it, it's just a little to expensive for me. I absolutely love the 18y old and I since have a soft spot for Bowmore to.

[@dennista42069]

Gotta be the best bowmore tasing video I've seen. You really taste the things out those Whiskys that I do to. I absolutely love Bowmore, the 18y old is my favorite, it's so well balanced and complex.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@gavbrown4807]

I was able to get the 15 at a fair price duty free late 2023. Plus I just opened a 15 Darkest so was able to compare. The Darkest hit heavier with the sherry. While both are enjoyable, still good, the best Bowmore I had was an independent bottling so I do agree with your assessment wholeheartedly 😊

[@michaelgonzalez347]

This was a good breakdown of the 3. I have had the 12 and tried the 15, they are ok, not that much of a difference between the 2 for me. Nothing drastic anyway. I just enjoy other integrity bottles at reasonable prices. I have heard everyone prefers the independent bottles much more than the core range from the distillery. It would be nice for Bowmore to have a 46 abv with non-chilled filtering. I'm sure those bottles would do well. Thanks again

[@BrianFreeston-b1q]

Love your reviews Erik. The Bomore core range has been on sale here in Calgary, Alberta for more than a year at several retailers. The 12 can be had for 37USD, the 15 for 63USD and the 18 for 90USD. Even at those prices I am not a big fan. I do keep one of each in my stash however because I have friends who really like the Bowmore style. Slàinte Mhath.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Thanks for sharing!

[@thewhiskyenthusiast]

Great comparison Erik, very informative. Absolutely echo you in that Islay needs a milder peat profile and yes Bowmore does give it. For all the reasons you've stated though they all fall a bit short. A 10 year old with 46% like Devil's Cask (but at an affordable price) would be a great addition to the core range but hey one can only hope. Cheers Erik, brilliant as always!

[@Du57yx91630n5]

i believe Ardbeg Corryvrecken is core range and has french oak somewhere in the mix if i remember correctly. absolutely agree that islay needs more variation in the peat category.

[@shortpours]

100%, needs more variation in the peat

[@nicholasbrown321]

This was a great video! I really like your descriptions and enjoy that you talk about the other Islay profiles. Bowmore is definitely unique, the 15 takes me on a roller coaster. Definitely the sweet dark fruits up front with the bbq and smokey touches, some caramel as it develops in the glass, and it finishes almost like a Sauvignon Blanc bright earthy but quick.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@PezrulezHaakon]

Thank you Erik for another phenomenal video. I have the 15yo and had 12yo and Small Batch. I like them but now they're all too expensive for what they are. And I won't replace any of them. SB is still fair priced, so maybe if I wanted to have their house style in my selection, I might replace SB.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Glad you like them!

[@joan_b.]

Merci Éric pour ton travail acharné et très intéressant. Suis vraiment fan. 😍 Ne lâche rien !

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

j'apprécie le compliment !

[@revolvermaster4939]

Great review, I’m such a Laphroaig & Ardbeg NUT that I probably wouldn’t be captivated by these.

[@shortpours]

nice discussion, good to watch!

[@jasonwest9425]

I think there is a wow factor with the 18 but it is in the perfect balance and integration of the flavours rather than intensity.

[@joan_b.]

Hey Erik, To me, tears indicates glycerol level what is typical for great wines and spirits. It's also well known to vehiculate aromas and fragrances. Do you validate?

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Ok, and what do you do with that information? Is it an indication of quality? Honestly, people say "blah, blah, blah" about the visual component of wine or whisky and then make their entire judgment based on aromas and flavors. When was the last time you heard a reviewer say, "Oh, I love the [name of whisky] it has such great glycol levels!"

[@joan_b.]

@@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies I knew one but he must be dead by now. Glycol must have killed him whereas glycerol would have saved him. 😉

[@shortpours]

@@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies laughing so hard at this, "it has such great glycerol levels". 🤣

[@joan_b.]

@@shortpours 😂

[@secordman]

I loved my only bottle of 12, it gets a bad rap.

[@-beno-]

I received one of the 15 as a gift! Unfortunately! I love Islay whiskeys, peat/sherry is one of my favourites. But I don't think Bowmore 15 is soft or gentle (e.g. vs. Benromach 15 43% is a super) - it's just watery - and the maturation is horrible - and the caramel flavor! One of the weakest whiskeys of my life. I don't have a problem with the peat lvl or other tastes, because that's subjective, but I think this is a very low-quality product. This is a ROLEX watch with a "cheap Chinese" mechanism.

[@wking8]

The Bowmore (bah-more) 18 is my all time favorite Scotch. I was excited when I saw the 12 locally so I bought it. What an absolute disappointment it was. It had a taste and mouth feel of a 20 dollar Scotch.

[@marcelfsilva]

@@wking8 I was if a doubt is I buy 2 of 12y or 1 of 18y, i think the last option is the best. Thanks!

[@pokerpotpipe2117]

How about 18 YO Deep & Complex? Enjoy Sir+++