It’s the heart and soul of Islay single malt Whisky.

Islay is special. For centuries, all they had was the local barley, clear spring water, cut and dried peat to heat their homes, and the sea… always there was the sea. If you take all that and wring it into a barrel, you get Bowmore… a Whisky spirit that clings to the memory of the barley, the peat, and the sea. The Bowmore Distillery is one of the oldest in all of Scotland. This storied distillery lies on the west coast of Islay, where the sea and native peat give rise to one of the most recognized smoky drams in the single-malt Whisky world.

Bowmore Islay 12 year old is the very heart of the Bowmore range of single malt Whiskies. And lot of Bowmore fans are very excited because the current releases are a throwback to the traditional Bowmores produced in the 1960s and 1970s before mergers and acquisitions dimmed their craftsmanship for several years. It’s so good that it took runner-up as Whisky of the Year in 2015. Importantly, it is what they call a “medium peated” dram. Plenty of sea and smoke and spice to let you know that you are drinking an Islay single malt, but with an intentionally natural balance to let the natural fruits tickle the tastes buds as well.