Whisky Bowmore 12 Year Old. Bowmore 12 Year Old has a place in many hearts as Islay's 'medium peated' malt. A pronounced iodine character with plenty of pepper, the current 12 Year Old bottling is a welcome return to the classic Bowmores of the 1960s and '70s, with the emphasis on tropical fruit and smoke. A deserved runner up in our whisky of the Year 2014-15 blind tasting.