Reviews

Bowmore Devil’s Cask III Single Malt Scotch Review


I picked up a bottle of Bowmore Devil’s Cask III on the recommendation of friend and fellow whisky enthusiast Kurt Maitland, who regularly contributes to Whiskeyreviewer.com as Deputy Editor.  In fact, you can read his review of this whisky here.   

Bowmore Devil’s Cask III is the third release in the Devil’s Cask series.  The first two were aged ten years in first fill sherry casks.  This third edition carries no age statement.  However, it does mention the whiskies inside the bottle were aged in first fill Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, hence the “double the devil” moniker.  I’d love to think the maturation in sherry casks is the sole reason for this deep ruby color, but the label doesn’t state whether this is natural color or not.  The good news is there is no chill filtering and we have cask-strength bottling.  56.7% abv to be exact.  The pricing situation is strange.  In the U.S., Bowmore Devil’s Cask III is available for about $85-$90.  Across the pond the price jumps up considerably.

A peated Islay whisky matured solely in sherry casks?  Yes please.

The nose is an intricate dance of sherried fruit and peated malt. Brine, blood orange and a touch of vanilla add to the complexity.  There’s lots going on here, but it doesn’t feel busy.  Bowmore’s signature peat coats your tongue after an initial sting of alcohol.  Both stewed red fruits and rich dried fruits emerge from behind a light layer of ashy smoke and vanilla.  Towards the back palate, freshly squeezed orange juice provides a touch of brightness.  The smoke slightly intensifies in the long finish, along with remnants of mulled red wine.

What an outstanding whisky!  It’s rich, but maintains a level of vibrancy.  The peat smoke and sherry cask influence never overpower one another and maintain a beautiful balance.  Thanks to Bowmore for bottling this one at cask strength and not watering it down.  Fantastic stuff.

9/10

Barrell Whiskey Batch 002 Review

Barrel Whiskey B2In addition to fantastic bourbons, Joe Beatrice’s Barrell Bourbon company also drops the occasional whiskey on the market.  The difference between the two could be in the makeup of the mash bill (remember, bourbon must be at least 51% corn), but is most likely the use of used barrels.  That’s a no-no for straight bourbon, which has to be aged in new barrels.  So we have whiskey.

Batch 002 was distilled in Indiana from a corn/rye/malted barley mash bill.  The whiskey was aged in ex-bourbon barrels in Kentucky for 9.5 years, then finished in sherry casks.  This particular batch is bottled at 123.8 proof.

The nose isn’t as rich as recent batches of  Barrell Bourbon, but that’s to be expected.  A used barrel doesn’t give as much flavor and color as a new one. Still, there’s lots of good stuff to be found here.  Buttered corn bread, apple tart, vanilla ice cream and some fruit leap out of the glass.  Taste-wise, strong notes of graininess and graham cracker support delicate honeyed fruit.  The lightest touch of spice on the backend adds to the complexity of this whiskey.    The finish showcases the fruit notes of the palate with a touch of sweetness.

This is a nice sipping whiskey.  It’s light, but packs great flavors.  I like that the sherry cask finish is not overdone at all.  I like that it’s aged almost a decade.  I like that this is cask strength, allowing you to proof down the whiskey to your liking.  You see the trend here.  This is one I’ll pour over ice and enjoy outdoors during the hot, humid Louisiana summer months.  Nicely done.

8.5/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by the company behind this whisky free of charge.  The opinions written are my own.)

Booker’s Rye Whiskey Review

Readers of this blog know I’m a huge fan of Booker’s bourbon.  I think it’s generally the best whiskey Jim Beam produces.  Booker’s is a barrel proof bourbon usually aged between six and eight years.  The 25th Anniversary Edition from a couple of years ago was aged 10 years, and it was phenomenal.  My curiosity peaked when rumors of a Booker’s rye whiskey spread around social media earlier this year.  The time’s come to turn rumors into fact.

Photo courtesy of Booker's Bourbon

Photo courtesy of Booker’s Bourbon

Here we have Booker’s rye whiskey.  It’s a one-time release, and not your run-of-the-mill Jim Beam rye whiskey.  Apparently Booker Noe liked experimenting at the company’s Boston, KY plant (now known as the Booker Noe Plant).  He managed to distill rye whiskey from a mashbill containing between 70-80% rye grain, much more than what’s found in standard Beam ryes.  This is some of the last whiskey Booker Noe distilled before his death, and there’s not a lot of it to go around.  Press materials say this release is about half the size of Booker’s 25th Anniversary.  My best estimate is puts the number somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 bottles.  Take all of this in, and it might help explain the $300 price tag this whiskey commands.

Booker’s Rye is aged 13 years, 1 month and 12 days, making this the oldest Booker’s release to date.  It’s also one of the strongest.  This whiskey is bottled at a whopping 136.2 proof, or as old timers would say, “this’ll put some hair on your chest.”

So how is it?

After this whiskey is done scorching your nose hairs, the smells are quite lovely.  Toasted rye and brown sugar lead off the nose, closely followed by anise, vanilla and a generous amount of oak.  This rye whiskey is viscous.  The legs on the glass go on for days.  A burst of concentrated dark caramel, brown sugar and vanilla attack your palate.  Sharp rye notes quickly develop.  It’s evident there’s more rye grain in the mashbill.  Warm biscuits show up towards the back palate.  The long, warm finish carries sweet rye grain, oak, and fresh mint notes.  After a while, the finish becomes a little dry, making you reach for another sip.

Booker’s Rye is going to go down as one of the best rye whiskey releases in years.  It’s that good.  I may have just added fuel to the bourbon black market fire by typing that.  Bourbon flippers will be out in droves trying to find this whiskey, which greatly slim down the chances of finding a bottle.  However, if you happen to be so lucky as to find one, open it up and savor it.  That’s the only reason whiskey exists.

9.5/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by the company behind this whiskey free of charge.  The opinions written are my own.)