Isle Of Arran The Devil’s Punchbowl

52.3% abv

Score:  87.5/100

When I was kid growing up, I recall hitting up the fountain pop stations in corner stores and restaurants and mixing all of the flavors together.  We called this vile concoction ‘swamp water’.  That same principle seems to be at play here for the Devil’s Punchbowl.  And I gotta admit…I embrace it with the same juvenile gleeful delight.

This bubbling cauldron of hellish delight was brewed up by marrying 24 casks distilled between 1996 and 2006 (13 sherry…11 of mixed ex-bourbon and peated malt, if rumour is to be believed.  With, of course, a little eye of newt).  The results are…predictably unpredictable, of course.

And ahhh…the marketing.  This is 1 of 6,660 bottles.  Clever.  How can you not score an extra point for that(*)?

Nose:  Slightly burnt caramel.  Mild organic peaty notes.  Orange and fudge.  Ginger chocolate.  Pear and dry tart sherry notes.  Quite creamy.  A bit of smoke, but understated.  The peat is subdued as well, I should add.

Palate:  A little more peat, heat and smoke here.  Again…caramel.  Maybe cocoa.  Citrus and some puckering red/purple fruit notes.  Kinda wine-ish.  Tart n’ Tinys candies.  Crabapple notes and oak threads towards the back.

(*) I do not say that in sincerity.  The hard and fast on ATW in regards to scoring is completely based on content.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt