How the devil hid in a Bowmore whisky cask?

Monday, 19 October 2026 at 15:03

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A devil hiding in a whisky cask? It may sound like a tall tale told after an evening of whisky drinking, but on the Scottish island of Islay, there really is an old legend about one. And it is this very legend that inspired the name of Bowmore The Devil's Casks. In this edition of Whisky Names Explained, we explore the story behind this devilish whisky.

A Church Without Corners

To understand the name The Devil's Casks, we need to travel back to the Scottish village of Bowmore on Islay. There you will find a striking church known as The Round Church. Built in the 18th century, the church has one particularly unusual feature: it has no corners. This plays an important role in one of Islay's best-known folk tales.

According to legend, the devil once appeared in Bowmore and decided to enter the church. But once inside, he discovered something he had not anticipated. When he tried to hide in a corner, he found that the church had no corners at all. Eventually, the devil was driven out of the Scottish church. He fled and desperately searched for somewhere no one would find him. In the end, he found refuge among Bowmore's whisky casks.

The devil is said to have crawled into a cask that was ready to be shipped by sea to the Scottish mainland. This allowed him to escape Islay unnoticed. Did it really happen? Of course, that seems highly unlikely. But over the years, the tale has become an important part of the folklore surrounding Bowmore.

And for a whisky distillery, a devil hiding inside a cask is certainly a wonderfully evocative source of inspiration for a name.

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A Mystery That Was Never Solved

In a more elaborate version of the legend, a ship even plays an important role. The story is said to have taken place in 1837. The people of Bowmore chased the devil all the way to the distillery. The doors were locked and the building was searched, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

That same night, the paddle steamer The Maid of Islay, which was carrying whisky casks to the mainland, failed to return. Had the devil gone aboard, hidden inside one of the casks? According to legend, that is exactly what happened, but there is no evidence to support the story. What happened to the boat remains unknown as well.

From Devilish Tale to Whisky

Bowmore drew on the legend in 2013 for the first The Devil's Casks whisky. The series became known for its dark, rich flavours from sherry casks, including notes of chocolate, dried fruit and smoke.

This year, The Devil's Casks returns with a 10-year-old and a 22-year-old whisky. The latter is particularly special, as Bowmore used two casks left over from the original series for its maturation. In this way, the devil of Bowmore lives on after all these years. No longer hidden in a cask aboard a ship, but in a bottle of whisky.

If you ever find yourself on Islay, you can still visit The Round Church. Take a close look at the shape of the building. Then you will immediately understand why, according to legend, the devil never stood a chance there.

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FAQ

What does the name Bowmore The Devil's Casks mean?
The name literally means ‘The Devil's Casks’ and refers to an old legend in which the devil hides inside a whisky cask to escape from Islay.
Why does Bowmore's church have no corners?
This is unknown.
When was Bowmore The Devil's Casks first released?
The first whisky in the series was released in 2013. Further releases followed in 2014 and 2015.