Tastes

Honestly, I've had several bottles of Bowmore (12), and while it is, without doubt, the most inconsistent taste of any scotch I've ever sampled, when it is "on," buddy, you want it. I've had a unique "wood" flavor no other scotch has ever mustered; I've had "bandaid" and "iodine," … it really depends on the batch you get, which, in some ways, is how it ought to be.

Well, tastes change you know. I used to love this, or at least consider it a great value. Now, it's hard to taste without the phrase "repurposed cigarette ash" coming to mind.

I have to agree with the value-related positive assessments here. This is not a sipping snob's dram, no. In fact it is even a bit rough. But as has been said, it credibly offers the "Islay experience," at a price that can easily make you overlook its shortcomings. Laphroaig and things like that are still worth buying, but for mixing, you can hardly afford NOT to buy this. (There may be others in this category, but this is what I've found in Savannah, GA.)