Whisky: Arran, The Devil’s Punch Bowl Chapter 3

Country/Region: Scotland/Islands

ABV: 53.4%

Cask: Bourbon Barrel, French Oak Barrique, Sherry Butt

Nose: Fruit, grass, and earth. Musty grape and fig arrived with cassis jam and slightly burnt toast. In the background were notes of leather, heather, earthy clay, and a subtle minerality that drifted toward burnt matchsticks.

Palate: Medium-bodied and quite oily with fruit, earth, and spice. Notes of semi-sweet chocolate with dried dates, apricots, and bitter orange peel. At times the profile was earthy with modeling clay, slate, mushroom, coffee, and leather. The subtle spice of cardamon and pepper appeared with notes of heather and cassis.

Finish: Lingering notes of bitter chocolate and dates.

Score: 5

Mental Image: Chocolate Fig Buns

Notes: Surprisingly earthy and dry, this was not quite the punch bowl I expected from Arran. There were loads of earthy and almost bitter chocolate sherry notes, which showed a different side to the sweet fruity maturations that are more popular. I almost thought Arran had slipped some peated malt into this, but after looking up the makeup of the malt, it seems clear it was the French Oak influence that I picked up.

I did not get any of the sulfurous notes that some online reviews lingered on— even from a freshly opened bottle. Yet, I found this a bit dense and hard to get into compared to your typical Arran fare. There was little of the tropical fruit or pastry notes I usually enjoy. The profile leaned far more into some of the earthy notes that usually undergird Arran.  

While this was an interesting experience, it was a tad on the dry side for my taste, and it was a bit hot. Water seemed to improve both of those critiques though it did surface a faint hint of a sulfur funk behind some of the brighter fruit notes. I found this bottle quite interesting, but I thought the Smuggler Series that came after this was more cohesive.

Image Credit: Whiskybase