Morrison Bowmore's new whiskies: Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch and Bowmore

It is almost a month since Halloween, where I got the scariest of the surprises… my parcel with Bowmore Devil’s Cask sample got lost and I never got it… don’t cry yet! This is a happy end story :)

So almost a month later a replacement appeared on my door and here I am, ready to taste three fantastic whiskies from Morrison Bowmore Distillers: An lowlander, a Highlander and an Islay beauty.

So let’s taste them and let’s discover if all the hype about Devil’s Cask is based on anything…

I am not sure if this is the order that was used on the Halloween tasting but it is the one that I think can work best.

Auchentoshan Virgin Oak

“Surpringly fruity and with a strong spicy character. Always a pleasure to taste an Auchentoshan”

89

Famously the only whisky distillery in Scotland to triple distil every drop, Auchentoshan have been placing small batches of their spirit in North American virgin oak since the start of the millennium. This has a spicy note and a great complexity.

This dram has a amber-like color.

Nose (89): more than average. honey, fruits, wood, cherries, vanilla, apples, pepper. Quite fruity! Like a fruit salad.

Palate (88): powerful, oily. honey, wood, spices, vanilla, pepper, fruits, citrus, melon.

Finish (89): longer than average. honey, citrus, fruits.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Auchentoshan Virgin Oak Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky with 89 points over 100.

Glen Garioch Virgin Oak

“Quite good! It is a hell more spicy than the Auchentoshan Virgin Oak”

89

Released in 2013, this is the first ever release of a Glen Garioch whisky aged entirely in virgin North American oak. Scotch whisky has a history of using used barrels, be it sherry, bourbon or something else, as it is widely felt that new wood would overpower the delicate flavours. This is rich with notes of treacle, chocolate and orange.

This dram has a cooper-like color.

Nose (90): more than average. honey, spices, vanilla, cinnamon, apples, malt, citrus.

Palate (89): powerful, oily. honey, spices, citrus, vanilla, cinnamon, pepper, apples, wood.

Finish (89): longer than average. honey, spices, citrus.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Glen Garioch Virgin Oak Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky with 89 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Single Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:

• Buy on The Whisky Exchange for £69.55

Bowmore 10 years old Devil’s Cask II

“Wooha! This is crazy fantastic! Would have I known before I would have fought for a bottle of Devil's Cask!”

91

This dram has a old oak-like color.

Nose (91): more than average. honey, smoke, peat, sherry, wood, chocolate, earth, raisins.

Palate (91): powerful, oily. honey, peat, citrus, spices, vanilla, cocoa, salt, wood.

Finish (91): longer than average. peat, cocoa, honey.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Bowmore 10 years old Devil's Cask II with 91 points over 100.

Miguel says…

Wooha! Definitively I want a bottle of Devil’s Cask. I don’t like Peat and sherry but when I like it, I really love it! It is not easy to get these two working together… but if it is done correctly you can get something stunning… like this whisky.

I also enjoyed a lot the Auchentoshan, it is always a pleasure to drink it and proves that triple distilled isn’t boring at all. Still not getting the point about Glen Garioch, it is a decent whisky but none of them really make me excited.

Share your thoughts! comments written.