Bowmore 12 Year Old

Having tasted my first Bowmore 12 year at brunch last week, I decided that it would be my next bottle purchase. I am now enjoying a glass on a miserable, wet Saturday afternoon. Every bit as good as my first tasting, it has just the right amount of peaty smokiness and smoothness, with just the right amount of burn to make it interesting. I love the Laphroaig Quarter Cask, but when I am not quite in the moood for something so powerful, this Bowmore 12 year will fit beautifully. The nose is great with a balance of smokiness and background fruitiness (sherry?). Just the right amount of sweetness, and finishes with a lovely smokey dryness, leaving just the right amount of aftertaste. I honestly would have expected a bit more smoothness throughout (ie expected, and not necessarily wanted), but this does not disappoint. I am loving the small rough edge that this has, and this leaves me with a warm, rich glow. Giving this a rather high 90, a lot having to do with the wonderful price point for such quality. Here in British Columbia, $60.00 is very reasonable for a 12 year such as this. I am trying to keep my single malts down to that level, as I now realize that you can really get some exceptional ones without going to the 70, 80,90 and 100 dollar mark. I make an exception for the Laphroaig Quarter Cask, as I feel that even at $80.00 there is very fair value.

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