Head to head · same category, comparable price
Ardbeg Uigeadail vs Bowmore 12 Year Old
They diverge on 3 of our eight axes, most of all peaty, 9 against 6.
Compiled by WhiskeyCask Editorial · Last verified 2026-07-30
Specifications side by side
| Ardbeg Uigeadail | Bowmore 12 Year Old | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Single malt | Single malt |
| Origin | Islay, Scotland | Islay, Scotland |
| Age | No age statement | 12 years |
| Strength | 54.2% ABV | 40% ABV |
| Cask | Ex-bourbon cask, Oloroso sherry cask | American oak ex-bourbon cask, European oak Oloroso sherry cask |
| Bottle | 700 ml | 700 ml |
| RRP observed | £60 | £38 |
| Per 10cl | £8.57 | £5.43 |
| Per litre of alcohol | £158 | £136 |
| Chill-filtered | No | Not stated |
What separates them
Both Islay whiskies, from different distilleries.
Bowmore 12 Year Old states 12 years; Ardbeg Uigeadail states none.
Cask as each producer describes it: Ardbeg Uigeadail in ex-bourbon cask and oloroso sherry cask, Bowmore 12 Year Old in american oak ex-bourbon cask and european oak oloroso sherry cask.
Chill filtration: Ardbeg Uigeadail is not, Bowmore 12 Year Old does not say.
Bowmore 12 Year Old: specifications not yet producer-confirmed.
What the price buys
Ardbeg Uigeadail is £22 dearer a bottle than Bowmore 12 Year Old.
Strength keeps that ordering: £136 a litre of pure alcohol for Bowmore 12 Year Old against £158.
Across the 32 bottles we can cost this way, Ardbeg Uigeadail is 20th cheapest and Bowmore 12 Year Old 16th cheapest.
Flavour, compared
View as table
| Axis | Ardbeg Uigeadail | Bowmore 12 Year Old |
|---|---|---|
| Peaty | 9 | 6 |
| Sweet | 5 | 6 |
| Fruity | 4 | 5 |
| Spicy | 7 | 4 |
| Woody | 5 | 5 |
| Sherried | 6 | 5 |
| Cereal | 4 | 5 |
| Oily | 9 | 6 |
3 of the eight axes clear 3 points; after peaty comes spicy at 7 against 4 and oily at 9 against 6.
Level only on woody, 5 each.
Each bottle in its own right
Ardbeg Uigeadail
Tar, raisin and smoked meat at 54.2%. The best-value cask-strength Islay there is.
A batched vatting, so the strength has varied slightly over time — 54.2% is the current stated figure, not a permanent one. Named after the peat-laden loch supplying the distillery's water.
Full record →Bowmore 12 Year Old
Sea salt, lemon and gentle smoke over sherried fruit. The most balanced entry-level Islay.
Bowmore is precise about wood and silent on strength — its page specifies hand-selected ex-bourbon and Oloroso casks while stating no ABV anywhere. Not to be confused with the separate Bowmore 12 Sherry Oak Cask SKU.
Full record →No overlap in what we list them for: Ardbeg Uigeadail for value at cask strength and after dinner, Bowmore 12 Year Old for peat curious and all-rounder.
Where these specifications come from
Producer and retailer pages for Ardbeg Uigeadail and Bowmore 12 Year Old: ardbeg.com, bowmore.com. Figures are what those pages published when we last checked them, on 2026-07-30.