Head to head · same category, comparable price
Bowmore 12 Year Old vs Glenfiddich 12 Year Old
One axis separates these two: peaty, 6 against 0.
Compiled by WhiskeyCask Editorial · Last verified 2026-07-30
Specifications side by side
| Bowmore 12 Year Old | Glenfiddich 12 Year Old | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Single malt | Single malt |
| Origin | Islay, Scotland | Speyside, Scotland |
| Age | 12 years | 12 years |
| Strength | 40% ABV | 40% ABV |
| Cask | American oak ex-bourbon cask, European oak Oloroso sherry cask | Ex-bourbon American oak, European oak |
| Bottle | 700 ml | 700 ml |
| RRP observed | £38 | £38 |
| Per 10cl | £5.43 | £5.43 |
| Per litre of alcohol | £136 | £136 |
| Chill-filtered | Not stated | Not stated |
What separates them
Both from Scotland: Bowmore 12 Year Old from Islay, Glenfiddich 12 Year Old from Speyside.
Both state 12 years.
Cask as each producer describes it: Bowmore 12 Year Old in american oak ex-bourbon cask and european oak oloroso sherry cask, Glenfiddich 12 Year Old in ex-bourbon american oak and european oak.
Neither states chill filtration.
Neither set of specifications is producer-confirmed.
What the price buys
Both last observed at £38.
Across the 32 bottles we can cost this way, Bowmore 12 Year Old is 16th cheapest and Glenfiddich 12 Year Old 17th cheapest.
Flavour, compared
View as table
| Axis | Bowmore 12 Year Old | Glenfiddich 12 Year Old |
|---|---|---|
| Peaty | 6 | 0 |
| Sweet | 6 | 6 |
| Fruity | 5 | 7 |
| Spicy | 4 | 3 |
| Woody | 5 | 4 |
| Sherried | 5 | 3 |
| Cereal | 5 | 5 |
| Oily | 6 | 4 |
That is the only axis of the eight to reach 3 points. Next widest is fruity, 5 against 7.
Identical on sweet and cereal.
Each bottle in its own right
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 →Glenfiddich 12 Year Old
Pear and green apple over light malt. The reference point for accessible Speyside.
Full record →No overlap in what we list them for: Bowmore 12 Year Old for peat curious and all-rounder, Glenfiddich 12 Year Old for first single malt and highball.
Where these specifications come from
Producer and retailer pages for Bowmore 12 Year Old and Glenfiddich 12 Year Old: bowmore.com, glenfiddich.com. Figures are what those pages published when we last checked them, on 2026-07-30.