Devils River Agave Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes

 

One of the things I appreciate about distilleries is when they’re persistent. I’ve reviewed a few whiskeys from Devils River Distillery out of San Antonio, Texas. Let’s say that, to date, everything has wound up in the Bust category.

 

With my most recent review of Devils River Barrel Strength Bourbon, the distillery reached out to me and commented as follows:

 

“We have plenty of awards and fans but it’s still disappointing when we don’t meet up to someone’s expectations. Thanks for the feedback, would like to send you a sample pack of all our expressions to try, maybe our Rye or Coffee is for you. Cheers.”

 

Naturally, I accepted the offer; that’s the whole #DrinkCurious philosophy. A short time later, I received some whiskeys in the mail. One of those was Devils River Agave Bourbon.

 

Agave Bourbon? What sorcery is this? Agave is a plant that’s the base of tequila and mezcal. Agave is also a sweetener, similar in nature (and often interchangeable) with honey. In the case of Devils River’s whiskey, it has used unfiltered 100% Blue Weber agave sourced from Jalisco, Mexico.

 

The president and co-founder of Devils River is a self-taught distiller named Mike Cameron. Mike was also the co-founder of Rebecca Creek Distillery before launching Devils River in 2017. Devils River is a working distillery; however, it is unknown if what’s on the market today is its distillate or sourced. The label on the bottle suggests it was made in 2017, meaning it is sourced.

 

From my previous reviews, I know that Devils River was distilled from a mash of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley and sourced from Jus-Made/Southwest Bottling. The Devils River website states that agave is a “key ingredient” to the Agave Bourbon. What's that mean? I'm not sure. It could be a barrel finish; it could be a flavoring. Someone at the TTB signed off on it.

 

Agave Bourbon is packaged at 40% ABV (80°), and a 750ml bottle retails for around $28.99, making it an affordable option – if it tastes good. Before I get to that, I thank Devils Creek for its persistence and for providing me with a sample in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: Served neat in my Glencairn glass, Agave Bourbon presented as the color of light caramel. A thicker rim formed but immediately released a curtain of legs that crashed back into the pool.

 

Nose: A sweet aroma of honey, caramel, and milk chocolate blended with toasted oak and ethanol, suggesting that while it carries no age statement, it is likely on the younger side. When I pulled the air through my lips, that unmistakable taste of sweet agave syrup rolled across my tongue.

 

Palate: I discovered a thin and oily mouthfeel. The first thing I experienced was very sweet agave and vanilla sugar cookies. As the liquid moved to the middle of my palate, I found caramel and berry fruit, and at the back, it was sweet tobacco leaf, oak, and black pepper.

 

Finish: At first, the finish seemed medium-short in duration. However, subsequent sips extended that significantly. Clove, charred oak, black pepper, and sweet agave competed for attention.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I will say this much; this is the best thing I’ve had out of Devils River Distillery. I must admit I enjoyed what I sipped. If this is the same distillate as the flagship Bourbon, then the agave has drastically changed it. The Agave Bourbon is different from any other Bourbon I’ve had; it does not taste like a flavored whiskey or finished in an agave barrel. For the $28.99 investment, I congratulate Devils River Distillery on its first Bottle rating from me. It is well-deserved. Cheers!

 

Epilogue: I have also been provided with the Coffee Bourbon and Distillers Select Straight Bourbon, both of which will be reviewed later.

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.