Chapter one was a very good whisky, but the second chapter was less impressive. How does the Arran The Devil’s Punch Bowl III fare?
Arran The Devil’s Punch Bowl III (53,4%, OB, 6660 bts.)
Nose: Sugary and sweet. Caramel, cherries, strawberry, brown sugar and dried red fruits. There is more sherry influence than in chapters one and two. After a while some vanilla appears, as well as a light orange aroma. Also a nice warm porridge smell.
Taste: Caramelized apples. Also prunes and apricots. Lots of citrus, followed by pineapple. Next up are wood spices and nutmeg.
Finish: Sweet malt and spicy with some added peaches.
Rating: 86
While the second release in this series couldn’t live up to the first one, this third and final chapter comes a lot closer. Nicely crafted and a quality dram.
Okay, time for some final thoughts on the Devil’s Punch Bowl-series. Or maybe I should say, one final thought, which is: why? The DPB’s are fine whiskies, but they have fallen prey to that inexplicable phenomenon we sometimes see in the world of whisky nowadays.
I am of course talking about the hype surrounding these releases. I enjoyed drinking the first one, the third one as well. The second one a little less, albeit still a good whisky. But none of them would’ve send me running to the store, not even if they were still available at the original retail price.
