Bowmore - Legend or 12yo

[lockejn]

If you could only ever have one bottle of Bowmore - Legend or 12yo - which would it be? I assume the 12y is better, but is it 2x better at nearly 2x the price? Which is the most representative of the Bowmore profile?

[dramtastic]

I prefer the 12 to the Legend and in Australia it's a lot less than twice the price.
I rate the 12 higher than Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10 and like it's unique slant on the Islay style.

[borgom]

I rate the 12 higher than Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10 and like it's unique slant on the Islay style.

Heretic!!!

[Wezel]

I rate the 12 higher than Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10 and like it's unique slant on the Islay style.

I need to taste the Bowmore 12
Al though I'm out of budget after my next bottle which is already decided to be a PE.... It'll have to wait

[johan brugge]

I don't really like the Legend. The 12yo is in my opinion a better whisky, although I like the Ardbeg 10yo the most of the 'young' Islay whiskies.

[Ganga]

Bow fan here. I usually keep a Legend around but yes the 12 is worth the few extra ducats. The Legend is more brash. Similar things going on: smokey, grapefruit, lavendar/floral; it's just that the 12 is better structured and more rounded.

About the only OB I haven't enjoyed is one favored by many: the 17.

[johan brugge]

Bow fan here. I usually keep a Legend around but yes the 12 is worth the few extra ducats. The Legend is more brash. Similar things going on: smokey, grapefruit, lavendar/floral; it's just that the 12 is better structured and more rounded.

About the only OB I haven't enjoyed is one favored by many: the 17.

I agree Ganga. I got a Bowmore 17yo for my wedding anniversary once. I must admit that the nose and palate were very nice but the finish was so disappointing. It's so short that all the nice flavours of the palate just evaporated. No offence to all you Bowmore lovers.

[peat-chaser]

Here in germany the price-difference is only 5 euro and another 5 for the 12 Enigma. But looking for a really good bowmore I`d go for the 15 Mariner or Darkest ....

[Deactivated Member]

You can have 'em all! Bowmore is fingernails-on-the-chalkboard for me. Be warned, lockejn, there are many who love Bowmore, but nearly as many who don't--it's a real love-it-or-hate-it dram.

[Ganga]

You can have 'em all! Bowmore is fingernails-on-the-chalkboard for me. Be warned, lockejn, there are many who love Bowmore, but nearly as many who don't--it's a real love-it-or-hate-it dram.

You bring up an excellent point Tattie. I cannot recall ever coming across someone that was indifferent about Bowmore.

[Deactivated Member]

Funny, because it's not in any way extreme--sort of a slightly gentler Islay. There are just some taste elements that I find unpleasant--not screechingly horrible, but essentially disagreeable.

[peat-chaser]

Is it that "lavendernote" most Bowies distilled between round about middle of the 70ies and about 1997 have?
I love old Bowies (like almost everybody) and the younger bottlings are becoming good again in my opinion, but especially the bottlings distilled in the 80ies are disgusting.

Well, not all, but most of them, I guess 1982 was the worst year ....

Can you name the elements you don´t like?

[jazz lover]

Legend or 12 yr.?
I go for the 12 yr.

[talisker10]

I have come not to like Bowmore Legend and McClelland's Islay (Legend minus 2 or 3 years). At first I thought a good Islay for cheap....the more I have the bottle around the more I dislike the taste. Funny thing is I can't really say why I don't like it. It's got some kind of strange flowery sweetness that just seems out of place with smoke. I had a bottle of the 12 in Sweden back in 2008. I liked it then. However, that was a while back. Based on recent experiences with the younger Bowmores, I won't be trying the 12 again unless it's a really good deal...although I expect that the extra time in wood might tone down some of the floweryness.

[kyorke1]

I rate the 12 higher than Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10 and like it's unique slant on the Islay style.

I tend to agree these days. For me its a great everyday dram.

[The Third Dram]

Personally, I find the Legend too nascent, not to mention lacking input from a proportion of Sherry cask matured distillate that distinguishes (for me) the better Bowmores by embellishing the sweet-sour aspect. Therefore... Bowmore 12 Year Old by a wide margin.