Bowmore 12 Years Old 1990's Bottling

43% ABV. Version sold in Duty-Free shops. 1-liter bottle. Contains caramel coloring. Whisky with chill filtration. Aroma: malt sweetness, floral (reminds of geraniol), smoky (but not too much), vanilla, a bit of woodiness, light butteriness, some nuts, slightly citrusy (pineapple, perhaps), and no perception of alcohol. I noticed a metallic note in the background, but it wasn't very noticeable. Palate: sweet whisky, floral, a slight touch of bitterness, spicy, and smooth. It's on the palate that this floral note appears more, leaving a strange "perfume" sensation in the mouth. A mild smokiness reminiscent of bacon or mild smoked ham, but pleasant. Finish: short, with a predominantly perfumed and smoky residual. General impressions: a whisky that is no longer produced, so if you find a bottle, I recommend buying it because, in addition to its rarity, the bottle is beautiful. Because it has 3% more alcohol than the traditional version, this whisky delivers more flavor, but the "perfume" aromas and flavors were quite off-putting to me. If it weren't for that factor, it would be a delicious whisky, with mild peat, good sweetness, and would be very easy to enjoy.

Received this as a gift in the mid-90s and it sat in a cool, dark cabinet for most of its existence. It was never a top choice for me, but I'm tasting it again now... neat. Smells of peat, iodine, sea salt, and malted grain. The aroma is light but present, and there are very faint legs in the glass. The color is a light orange-amber. In the mouth, it has a thin texture and a mild sweet grain flavor. Not much peat or smoke, a bit of oak and vanilla, and some light tannins. The finish is fast, quick and saline, with a light tannic/leather aftertaste. I recall liking smoky, peaty scotches in the 90s, and I still do, but this was the opposite. It's good, but not demanding or overly complex. That's fine, but it's more like a peated Irish whiskey. And as that style of scotch whisky, it's worth savoring and appreciating for what it is.