Bowmore The Devil's Casks, Release III

(Bowmore cluster homepage)

My memories of pre-parenthood life are either slippery, fading or false, but I remember very clearly the release of the first batch of The Devil's Casks back in 2013. All the bloggers were rushing to review it, and I was in my #SherrySux phase. That had to have been the first and last time a non-ancient official Bowmore release lit up whisky geekdom.

Both Release I and II came from first-fill unspecified sherry casks, and were 10 years old. The second batch didn't receive as much digital ink in 2014 but it did sell through swiftly. Release III arrived right in the middle of the NAS Age, in 2015. Though it did indeed drop its age statement, it gained this description on its label, "A marriage of first fill Oloroso & Pedro Ximénez sherry casks."

Though I exited my #SherrySux phase more than a half decade ago, I have never tried any of the Devil's Casks releases until right now. So I enter this experience with a comfy lack of perspective.

I filtered the devil out of (or into) this pic

Distillery: Bowmore
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Series: The Devil's Casks
Age: probably less than 10 years old
Maturation: first fill Oloroso & Pedro Ximénez sherry casks
Release: III (2015)
Outturn: "Limited"
Alcohol by Volume: 56.7%
Chillfiltered? No
Caramel Colorant? Maybe
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose wallops. First up: seaweed, tar, burnt plastic and cherry jam. Then orange oil, black licorice and a whiff of steel wool. All those elements feel well-married once the whisky is reduced to 46%abv, possibly even better than at full strength, at first. Gradually the smoke recedes and the sugary notes — now bolstered by honey — move forward.

The palate begins with lots of heat, wood smoke, raisins and cassis. Burlap and charcoal appear by the third sip, followed by a ripple of cayenne pepper. It gets earthier with time. At 46%abv, the smoke moves to the fore, unlike the nose. A bit of an industrial note shows up too. There's also more bitterness, which is partially cask driven, but it kind of works with the overall violence.

It finishes very peppery (think pink peppercorns and cayenne), with a mix of coal smoke and cassis. Some mint leaf and bitterness, too. Eventually it's all smoke. The peat and casks get dirtier when the whisky's at 46%abv. Maybe a bit of orange zest around the edges.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Bowmore went for power over nuance here. Subtlety and complexity have been traded in for BOOM. In fact this could have been an interesting competitor to contemporary Ardbeg Uigeadail, had Bowmore made this an annual release.

But there was no Release IV, which is kind of a shame. Yeah, the distillery released an "Inspired by the Devil’s Casks" thingamabob for a couple of years, but that was diluted. A regular thunderous sherry cask release would have only helped their official range. Extra-dark cask-driven whiskies are all the rage with the newbs nowadays (or always?), so The Devil's Casks would continue to separate people from their money. Plus Bowmore had the sexy name all queued up.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - no, you really don't want to know
Rating - 86

Bowmore 17 year old (bottled ~2007)

(Bowmore cluster homepage)

2007 appears to have been the end of the road for Bowmore's official 17 year old, as it was replaced by the 18yo that same year. The 17yo seems to have had broad batch variation, with Serge giving the 1995 a score of 84, and the 2000 edition a 65. The LAWS dudes rated it everywhere from F to B+. Could the Hatey Eighties be the culprit?

With this particular bottling, with the then-new label style, likely occurring in early 2007, there may be plenty of '80s spirit in the bottle. But using The Maths, I calculate 1990 being present in the mix. I've found neither soap nor perfume in the 1990 Bowmores I've tried. So perhaps it'll be better than yesterday's 1982?

Distillery: Bowmore
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Age: at least 17 years
Maturation: ???
Alcohol by Volume: 43%

Chillfiltered? Yes
Caramel Colorant? Yes, it is very orange
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose ping-pongs all over the place. Charred beef, Worcestershire sauce, roses, weed, white chocolate, brown butter, and a hell of an alcohol burn for 43%abv. It does pick up a cleaner coastal / seaweed note after 45 minutes.

The palate is......Ash and violet liqueur. Apple cider vinegar, lemon candy and notebook paper. At the same time the nose improves, the palate descends into chemicals, metals and burnt hair.

It finishes even ashier than the palate. The vinegar note is more generic white than apple cider. If the bitter metallic foreground and saccharine midground weren't bad enough, there's some dish detergent in the background.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Was this just the dregs in the bottom of the 17yo vat? I can't picture any blender with tastebuds saying, "Yeah that's exactly what we're going for," after sipping this stuff. There's no through line, no cohesion, no thought in the whisky. It's just a variety of reject casks dumped into a dirty bin, and suck siphoned into bottles that were laying around, because money. I hope this is the worst of the cluster.

Availability - No
Pricing - No
Rating - 67

The Bowmore Cluster

Welcome to the final cluster of 2021! Before you get all excited by the prospect of me drinking 1960s Bowmore, I will not be drinking 1960s Bowmore. Or even 1970s Bowmore. Instead, this grouping will mostly contain post-1990 Bowmore distillate. Not only is this era more relevant to the whisky world, but it's all I have!

Bowmore was the most-reviewed single malt on this site during my first three years of whisky posts. At the time, their West Coast distributor rep was (and still is) a great fellow to chat and drink with. He held lots of local events and I probably attended them all. The single malt scene was much more fun in those days, and the whisky was cheaper! So even if an event's distillery wasn't my favorite, I went anyway. (Psst, I even went to one official Macallan event. But don't tell anyone.)

Official Bowmore was my gateway to independent Bowmore. But once I went indie Bow, I never went back. The gap in quality and style between Bowmore's official and independent releases is wider than any other distillery, in my experience. Official Bowmore is filtered, colored and aggressively diluted, resulting in a thin, light Islay whisky. There are many ways to produce a flavorful peated single malt without turning it into "Laphroaig" or "Ardbeg", but Bowmore distillery and its various master distillers/blenders have chosen not to do so, which is something I do not understand.

from Barnard's The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom

Only five of this cluster's 19 whiskies will be official bottlings. The rest are from independent companies. The first three Bowmores are a little out of place from the rest of the group, which is why I'm squeezing them into this first week. After that, I'll start with 2002 distillate and then move backwards until reaching 1991. I'll try to keep track of the various styles I come across to see what, if anything, ties the whiskies together.

So get comfy, I'm about to drink a lot of Bowmores. You're always welcome to do the same, responsibly!

THE BOWMORES:

1. Bowmore 21 year old 1982 Prime Malt Selection - A nice lack of oak, but soapy.
2. Bowmore 17 year old, bottled around 2007 - "...no through line, no cohesion, no thought......just a variety of reject casks dumped into a dirty bin..."
3. Bowmore The Devil's Casks, Release III - "Subtlety and complexity have been traded in for BOOM."
4. Bowmore 10 year old 2002 AD Rattray, cask 20102 - "...the closest I'll ever get to trying Bowmore's new make."
5. Bowmore 11 year old 2001 Maltbarn, No. 09 - "...sherry cask had very little influence on the whisky, which works in its favor, letting the Bowmore goodness thrive."
6. Bowmore 14 year old 2001 Hepburn's Choice for K&L - "Another very good 2001 Bowmore......improves significantly with air and dilution."
7. Bowmore 15 year old 2001 Old Particular, cask DL 11658 for K&L - "...reads about half its age......This is merely, "yeah it's good for a couple drinks.""
8. Bowmore 18 year old Manzanilla Cask, The Vintner's Trilogy - "...it may be the least peaty Bowmore I've ever tried......a bit too sweet for my lips..."
9. Bowmore 15 year old, Feis Ile 2012 - This whisky stole my  🖤.
10. Bowmore 18 year old, Feis Ile 2020 - "...the casks in the 2020 bottling were much more active than those in the 2012. So it goes. Dilution helps this whisky out."

Halfway through the Bowmore Cluster

11. Bowmore 13 year old 1998 Asta Morris, cask AM003 - "If all young Islay single casks tasted like this I would be damned broke right now."
12. Bowmore 20 year old 1997 Old Particular, cask DL 12122 for K&L - "A good mezcal at the beach......the nose far outpaces the palate......dilution helps."
13. Bowmore 21 year old 1997 Douglas Laing Private Stock - "Every part of this whisky is in tune, nothing overwhelms. All peace, no violence."
14. Bowmore 19 year 1996 AD Rattray, cask 960059 - "...a very crisp and solid pour, offering a great demonstration of 19 years in a lazy cask."
15. Bowmore 22 year old 1996 Old Malt Cask 20th Anniversary, cask HL 17091 - "The damned thing was bottled around my 40th birthday and I didn't buy it. Cheers to those who did."
16. Bowmore 22 year old 1996 Old Malt Cask, cask 15354 for K&L - "Psst, I'm fucking fabulous. Cheer up, old man."
17. Bowmore 25 year old 1994 Adelphi, cask 554 - "...get out your pipette, eyedropper, or turkey baster and have at it."
18. Bowmore 16 year old 1993 The Perfect Dram - "Another great lazy cask lets the coastal spirit shine."
19. Bowmore 17 year old 1991 AD Rattray, cask 2059 - "The nose's soap and the palate's generic sherry cask notes held this one back."

Cluster conclusion

Bowmore 21 year old 1982 Prime Malt Selection (re-review)

(Bowmore cluster homepage)

As mentioned in the Bowmore cluster introduction, the group's first three whiskies don't quite fit in with the rest of the theme. Batting leadoff...

I first reviewed today's whisky eight(!) years ago. Looking at those notes, I can't help but feel like I was being exceedingly kind about a flawed whisky. This whisky was distilled during Bowmore's most problematic decade, a period about which a certain epithet has been often assigned. It's time to find out if soap or perfume (or both!) live in this bottle, or perhaps just whisky.

Distillery: Bowmore
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Independent Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Range: Prime Malt Selection
Age: at least 21 years (1982 - ????)
Maturation: ???
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

It has a bright, colorful nose, with citronella, cucumber, and fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme. One can also find pine sap and a peated white chocolate. And, yes, there is plenty of Dove soap to go around.

The palate is (per my written notes), "sweet, bitter, peaty, weird and vaguely fruity" at first. The peat gets sootier and the fruit becomes tarter with time. There are some hints of butterscotch in the background. But there's so much detergent in the mix, and it doesn't fade away after an hour. Though violets start to grow.

The finish matches the palate for the most part, with more focus on bitterness and tartness. It gets sweeter with time, and the soap note becomes slightly less intense.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I can take lavender and violets in my whisky. Maybe even a shpritz of gaudy perfume. But I do not enjoy soap in my mouth. I am not a bad boy. Today. And this whisky has soap. I avoided adding water because my more upbeat review from 2013 says this stuff gets "sudsy" when diluted. That is not a sign of a successfully-produced spirit.

Though the nose is not a "top 20" as it was back in 2013, and isn't even a Top 200, it is unique and very enjoyable. With its palate's bitterness leaning towards the herbal side, the whisky shows a nice lack of oak. Having a bunch of tannins collide with dish detergent would not have helped matters. Still, I don't need to try this a third time.

Availability - ???
Pricing - ???
Rating - 76 (neat only)

Old Overholt 4 year old Rye, bottled in 1978

Overwhelmed, insomniac, sitting up in bed, I quickly wrote a non-whisky blog post about my emotional state, 369 days ago. Circumstances have since changed, and not entirely for the better. Goodness glimmers up ahead, but conflict continues to spread out of the dark towards the light like a mutating black mold.

This past August, my local friends — who know a little bit about said circumstances — surprised me with all sorts of gifts during an armagnac tasting event the day before my birthday. They'd raided the Tensuke Market shelves, filling a bag with sweets and savories, bought a Japanese cheesecake, and presented me with French elixirs. To this day I remain humbled nearly to tears about it.

I would have reviewed the Japanese goodies but my daughters and I have consumed all the wonderful individually wrapped treats. But there was a specific 2oz sample of something, gifted by one Secret Agent Man, about which I can opine.

Before Jim Beam swallowed up the National Distillers brands in 1987, Old Overholt rye was still being distilled in Pennsylvania, though its actual source remains foggy. I have greatly enjoyed three of National Distillers's other Olds (Taylor, Crow, Grand Dad) — in fact, if I had any S-W bourbon I would gladly swap it for ND — but I don't think I'd ever tried their Overholt. I, the rye fan, had only had Beam's Old Overcoat. Until now.

My sample of 1978-bottled O.O. had a desperate sparring partner in a diluted pour 2020 Ohio edition of O.O. 114 Proof. And by "desperate" I mean that the bottle has been open for more than seven months and I just cannot finish the damned thing. Both whiskies were labelled four years old, and I dropped the 2020's strength down to meet that of the 1978, at 43%abv. Here's how that played out:

---

Old Overholt 4 year old 114 Proof, 2020 Ohio Edition, distilled in KY, diluted to 43%abv

Nose - Cherry lozenges and lemon zest. A little bit of clementine juice and fennel seeds. Intense barrel char and a splash of turpentine. Overall, it's better than I'd expected and remembered.

Palate - Much less there there. Mint and menthol. Tangy lime candy and tree bark. Ethyl and something leafy.

Finish - Fades fast. Woody and peppery, with a hint of limes.

Sorry to steal Randy Brandy's format here. I'm sure he'll forgive me. Right? Anyway, this rye began decently, but gradually descended though the finish, its weak point. Still, I'll bump up the score one whole point.

Rating - 79

---

Old Overholt 4 year old, bottled in 1978 by National Distillers, distilled in PA, 43%abv

Nose - So much bigger than one would expect from 43%abv. It is waxy with swirls of dried apricot and dried sweet potato. Pound cake and cold car engine. Snuffed candle and a hint of MGP-style pickle brine.

Palate - A balance of savory herbs and perky baking spices. Toss in a dash of salt, fresh French bread crust and a whiff of sandalwood. Not even a hint of sugar.

Finish - Very long and very spicy. Smoked paprika, lemon pepper, olive oil, salt and sandalwood.

It's not sweet, it's not oaky and it's not raw. I'm not saying the American whiskey industry broke the National Distillers moulds. I'm tellin' you — to quote Dead Man — they killed 'em, fucked 'em, cooked 'em up and ate 'em. This is stellar whiskey. It is of the stars. Thank you, Secret Agent Man, for the opportunity to drink this gem.

Rating - 91

Tullibardine 27 year old 1993 Cadenhead, Wood Range Port Cask

I'm reviewing a Tullibardine because Tullibardine. End of story. But I'll keep typing anyway.

Despite the Ugh Potential of a "Wood Range" and despite the whisky's maroon hue, this Tully spent only ~24 of its moons in a tawny port cask, not all ~324 moons. So it had a legitimate Portuguese summer sojourn rather than a couple months in a tanning bed. I am already ashamed of that sentence.

What concerns me is its 41%abv cask strength. Cadenhead has rolled out at least fifteen 1993 vintage Tullibardines, and all of them left their casks at less than 49%abv. And, for what it's worth, this one was not the weakest of the bunch. So there's something curious about that parcel. But I'm going to drink this anyway, because Tullibardine.

Distillery: Tullibardine
Ownership: Picard Vins & Spiritueux
Region: Highlands (Perthshire)
Bottler: Cadenhead
Series: Wood Range
Type: Single Malt
Age: 27 years old (1993-2020)
Maturation: maybe a hoggie for the first 25 years, then a Tawny Port cask from 2018 to 2020
Outturn: 222 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 41%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

I get one main note on the nose: blackberry jam on rye toast. It's simple but very satisfying. It's light and grainy in the background, like a gentle blend. Cinnamon red hots and cherry lollipops appear around the edges later on.

The palate has a sweet element, like Demerara sugar and Luxardo syrup, but that's held in check by a savory note and fennel seed. There's a mix of malt, ginger beer and oranges in the midsection. With time it picks up tannins and peas (really).

It finishes slightly bready and lightly tannic, with orange peel and cherry cola highlights.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Sure this could have been better a few years earlier when the whisky was ~48%abv, but now it's an easy sipper (or gulper). A bottle of this would vanish quickly much like the cask's contents, but memories of this Tullibardine may also disappear instantly. I'd take it over Monday's Glenallachie, but I’m probably in the minority on that.

Availability - ???
Pricing - it was €200+

Rating - 83

Glenallachie 10 year old Cask Strength, Batch 5

I reviewed the first batch of Billy Walker's Glenallachie 10 year old Cask Strength in April 2019, and was very disappointed by the out-of-balance aggression of that whisky's new oak element. Two-and-a-half years later, the series is already on batch six, so I was probably alone regarding that issue.

A sample of Batch Five was given to me back when it was the new hotness this spring. (No, your spectacles aren't dirty, I am indeed reviewing a 2021 release.) Walker's team added Rioja casks during this whisky's assembly. If you're keeping score, here are the casks for batch five: Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso, new oak, and Rioja. Yep, that must have been some fine spirit he purchased from Pernod Ricard.

Distillery: Glenallachie
Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd
Region: Speyside (Aberlour)
Age: minimum 10 years old
Maturation: Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso, virgin oak, and Rioja casks
Outturn: 27,000 bottles

Bottled: March 2021
Alcohol by Volume: 55.9%
Chillfiltered: No
Colorant added: No
(thank you to Dr. Springbank for the sample!)

NOTES

It has a crisp fruity nose, with cherry syrup, dried cherries and orange peel on top with a current of hot fudge, cola, toffee and eucalyptus underneath. Once the whisky is reduced to 46%abv, the nose brightens up and adds notes of dried apricots, peach candies and saline.

The palate is sweet, woody, winey and figgy. Bits of tobacco leaf and coffee grounds linger in the background. It also has a very thick mouthfeel which loosens up once the whisky is diluted to 46%abv. More sugar, more eucalyptus and more sticky new oak notes appear, with hints of baking spice and winey tannins in the back.

It finishes bitter and very sweet with dried currants, an oaky custard, coffee and eucalyptus. It picks up more wine and tannins at 46%abv.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

When trying to chase down bottles of a four-wood whisky, one is probably not terribly interested in the actual malt part of the equation. Instead the buyer is likely interested in cask jockeying. I can attempt to address the cask situation since this whisky could have come from any of several dozen distilleries inside or outside Scotland.

I don't mind the wine casks that much. They were incorporated better than most of McEwan's inventions (which ain't saying much), and the nose was a lot of fun with or without water. In fact, I think the Rioja gave batch #5 the edge over #1.

What kept this from ascending to classic sherry bomb status was all that damned new oak again. The virgin oak distracted from the rest of the scene, like every time Alfred Hitchcock showed up in one of his films, but only if Hitch had been a 250-pound puss-leaking infected sore.

Yeah, I dislike new oak that much. If you don't, then drink up that oaky custard!

Availability - Europe and the secondary market
Pricing - €100 and up

Rating - 79 (could have been 5-10 points high without the new oak casks)