Devil’s Cut
“Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven”
There was a small debate at Bourbon Gents HQ around whether or not to include a review of Devil’s Cut at all. You see this particular bottle holds an unashamedly special place in the hearts of the Gents, due to it being one of the first bourbons we ever tried. It was also the only bourbon available in the bar we drank in after work each night, thus we have a lot of fond memories of it before we eventually graduated to those from a higher shelf. After a bit of pondering on the issue, we ultimately decided we would be able to separate the nostalgia from the real thing and give our thoughts on whether it holds up on its own.
Before we reveal our thoughts, we should cover the reason for the odd name. According to Jim Beam, 4% of their bourbon a year is lost through evaporation. This is commonly known as the ‘Angels Share’ and is lost forever. As much as two gallons of whiskey remains in the barrel wood (soakage) and used to be extracted using an old technique called ‘sweating the barrel’. From what we understand, this is simply refilling the emptied barrels with water and rolling them around a bit. But maybe we are underselling it.
Today, Jim Beam has developed what they are calling a ‘proprietary twist’ on this technique using heat, water, and agitation to extract what is now known in a clever marketing twist as ‘Devil’s Cut’. This is then blended with extra-aged bourbon and bottled at 90 proof. Marketing baloney? Or exactly what Scotch whiskey makers have been doing for years? Either way, let’s be honest it is a greatly entertaining tale.
It’s sad to read several reviewers have just outright dismissed this bourbon as only good enough for mixing. On revisiting Devil’s Cut for this review, and putting our obvious bias apart, we both feel it is still an incredible everyday sipping bourbon. With its oak intensity, it has a magnificently powerful punch for its ABV rating, yet does not have a harsh burn to the finish that you might expect to follow. Ultimately our verdict is that Devil’s Cut is a bit of an underrated gem and, given the low price, it’s worth picking up a bottle and giving it a chance.
