1980s Bowmore 12 Year Old 43% vol 1 Litre Duty Free Label

Bowmore 12 yo (43%, OB, litre for duty free, -/+1980)
Colour: Deep gold.

Nose: Wee hints of metal polish and soot, but they are in fact rather thrilling with this combination of dried exotic fruits, tropical fruit teas, very gentle, pristinely drying peat smoke and then more earthy things like medicinal roots, honey roasted vegetables, tar extract and medicinal herbs such as verbena and wormwood. Tiny notes of honey and waxy lemons - a gorgeous nose!

Mouth: Superb and surprisingly peaty, many various exotic fruit notes but still tending towards dried and crystallised ones, and also those lovely exotic fruit tea impressions. Within all that there's also these deified Bowmore passionfruit notes. We should be comfortably in 1960s distillate here and it shows. A little more sherry influence and gorgeous, resinous and sharp saltiness to the palate.

Finish: Long, stunningly peaty, fresh, nervously coastal and showcasing many beautiful preserved exotic fruit notes. Still pin sharp and super fresh!

Comments: No quibbles here, a benchmark example of fruity old school Bowmore and delivered with remarkable freshness and power.