Bowmore is certainly a peated whisky, but not ferociously so, and it has plenty of other aromas to offer. The peat smoke is balanced against a gentle toffee sweetness and maybe a wee bit of lemony citrus. Sometimes a waxy note suggests that maybe the toffee you’re smelling was made with honeycomb.

The flavours are as well weighted as the aromas. The smoky, peaty note is gentle, the embers of a fire rather than a roaring blaze. The toffee sweetness is balanced by a salty or briney taste, as if those toffees were made with salty butter as well as honeycomb. In fact, balance is everywhere in the Bowmore 12: the slight spiciness which comes from the barrels plays off the peaty elements while the saltiness is countered by sweet honey toffee.

A great whisky to share with friends of an evening as you are sitting at the fireside putting the world to rights.