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

Father’s Day Gift Guide 2016

Father’s Day is right around the corner, so I gathered a few whiskey gift suggestions.  These are mostly readily available, so finding them shouldn’t be too hard a task.

Pikesville Rye Whiskey:  https://adventuresinwhiskey.com/2015/11/06/pikesville-rye-whiskey-review/

Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye Whiskey:  https://adventuresinwhiskey.com/2016/05/02/michters-barrel-strength-rye-whiskey-2016-review/

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon:  https://adventuresinwhiskey.com/2014/05/08/four-roses-small-batch-bourbon/

Blade & Bow Bourbon:  https://adventuresinwhiskey.com/2015/05/11/blade-and-bow-bourbon-whiskey/

High West Bourye:  https://adventuresinwhiskey.com/2016/03/11/high-west-bourye-2016-review/

Booker’s Bourbon:  https://adventuresinwhiskey.com/2016/05/12/bookers-batch-2016-02-annis-answer-bourbon-review/

Johnnie Walker Green Label Blended Scotch:  https://adventuresinwhiskey.com/2015/06/18/johnnie-walker-green-label-scotch-whisky-review/

Glenmorangie 10-Year-Old Single Malt:  https://adventuresinwhiskey.com/2016/03/14/glenmorangie-the-original-single-malt-scotch-whisky-review/

Laphroaig 10-Year-Old Single Malt:  https://adventuresinwhiskey.com/2015/09/08/laphroaig-10-year-old-cask-strength-single-malt-reviews/

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.)