11 Scottish spirits to toast Halloween - including devil’s cask whisky
With Halloween just around the corner, we take a look at some spooky Scottish spirits to enjoy this October 31.
With Halloween taking place on a Saturday this year, many of us might be throwing a party or just looking to toast the occasion with a drink or two. Luckily there are a few new spooky spirits in which to do so including a few new whiskies.
Whisky and folklore have often gone hand in hand, and some brands have leaned into this to release special editions ideal for Halloween.
Bowmore The Devil’s Casks
Bowmore has brought back The Devil’s Casks series more than a decade after the original limited editions developed a cult following among whisky enthusiasts.
The new series comprises two limited-edition single malts: The Devil’s Casks 10-Year-Old, a 2026 interpretation paying homage to the original three small batch spirits, and The Devil’s Casks 22-Year-Old, crafted using two remaining casks held from the original releases and matured for another decade.
First released between 2013 and 2015, The Devil’s Casks trilogy became known for revealing a darker, richer side of Bowmore through the influence of sherry casks, bringing together intense layers of flavour, including dark fruit, treacle, chocolate, spice, and the distillery’s signature smoke.
The name draws on one of Bowmore’s best-known local legends: The devil is said to have entered The Round Church in Bowmore village on Islay, only to discover there were no corners in which to hide. Chased by locals into Bowmore distillery, the devil escaped inside a whisky cask bound for the mainland.
Dr Calum Fraser, master blender, Scotch and Irish at Suntory Global Spirits, said of the releases: “The Devil’s Casks became one of Bowmore’s most memorable modern limited editions, combining Bowmore folklore with an intensely rich, flavour-led expression of the distillery’s character.
“The robust, sweet, dark-fruit influence of sherry casks melded beautifully with Bowmore’s coastal peat smoke and maritime salinity. Revisiting the series more than a decade later gave us the opportunity to explore what made those original whiskies so distinctive, while offering Bowmore devotees the chance to once again experience these gone, yet far from forgotten, gems.”
John Beard, director of The Whisky Shop added: “Reviving The Devil's Casks with Bowmore is a thrill and genuine privilege. This is a global exclusive, and we couldn't be prouder to bring it to our customers - old friends and new - both online and in-person across our 22 UK stores. In The Whisky Shop's more than three decades of buying and selling whisky, few releases have excited us the way this has. Having tasted both the 10 and 22-year-old expressions myself, I can't wait for our customers to discover what makes them so special."
Bowmore The Devil’s casks 10 year old is priced at £70 and you can buy a bottle here. While the 22 year old Devil’s cask is £380 and you can find out more about it here.
Hannah Whisky Merchant Samhain Series
Fife-based independent bottler, Hannah Whisky Merchant - renowned for its Lady of the Glen, Dalgety, and St Briget’s Kirk ranges of whisky - recently announced the release of the Samhain Series, a limited-edition collection of seven single-cask Scotch whiskies.
The series celebrates Scotland’s rich folklore and eerie mythology, coinciding with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, the precursor to modern-day Halloween.
Each whisky in the Samhain Series tells a tale steeped in local legend, with evocative labels designed by Edinburgh-based artist and designer Steven Shand who researched folklore from across Scotland and interpreted them into brightly atmospheric, hand-drawn artworks, made with fineliner, alcohol markers and acrylic.
The seven releases include:
- Fionn Slays The Kranna Dhub’ - Bowmore Distillery Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 9 Year Old, First Fill Bourbon Barrel, limited to 268 bottles.
- ‘The Eight Part Measure Of A Carle’ - Laphroaig Distillery Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 7 Year Old, Refill Barrel, limited to 137 bottles.
- ‘The Trows Of Orkney’ - Highland Park Distillery Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 12 Year Old, First Fill Bourbon Barrel, limited to 231 bottles.
- ‘The Ghost Train Of Dunphail’ - Glen Elgin Distillery Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 14 Year Old, 1st fill Bourbon Barrel, limited to 296 bottles.
- ‘The Hidden Gold Of Largo Law’ - Cameronbridge Distillery Single Grain Scotch Whisky 23 Year Old, Refill Hogshead. limited to 228 bottles.
- ‘The Witches Of Delnabo’ - Aultmore Distillery Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 13 Year Old, First Fill Rum Barrel, limited to 233 bottles.
- ‘The Devil Tricks The Maid Of Bennachie’ - Glen Garioch Distillery HIghland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 11 Year Old, Refill Barrel, limited to 239 bottles.
As with all Lady of the Glen releases, the Samhain Series is hand-bottled, undiluted at natural cask strength, free of chill-filtration, and retains its natural colour, preserving the purity of the whisky.
Gregor Hannah, founder of Hannah Whisky Merchant, said: “We are really proud to release this collaborative release with fantastic artwork by Steven Shand. We have selected some of our finest casks to celebrate Samhain with carefully selected stories that celebrate a legend associated with the distillery’s location ranging from witches, hidden gold, phantom trains and magical elfs!”
The Samhain Series will launch in October 2026. The collection will be available through select retailers including The Spirits Embassy.
J. Gow Rum
This Orkney based business has won multiple awards for their rums, including Scottish rum of the year in 2025 and 2024. Owned and run by Collin Van Schayk, J. Gow is named for John Gow who was a notorious 18th-century Scottish pirate born in Wick, Caithness, and raised in Stromness, Orkney.
The distillery is based on Lamb Holm, which is connected to the Orkney mainland by the Churchill Barriers. Measuring in at just 0.15 square miles, it’s possibly the smallest rum-producing island in the world.
The rum bottle labels are designed and drawn by Mr Van Schayk and have the perfect look for a Halloween party.
Reaper’s Rum
Reaper's Rum is part of a Scottish spirits brand founded in 2022 by Allan Drysdale and his family at their home on the Balmungo Estate in St Andrews. Reaper’s Rum was developed under the Pilgrim’s Drinks umbrella, with the name taking inspiration from Allan’s grandfather’s fishing boat, the ‘Harvest Reaper’.
The brand’s philosophy takes inspiration from the Reaper tarot card - a symbol of transformation and new beginnings - challenging traditional expectations and bringing fresh energy to the world of rum. Their signature spiced rum is infused with coffee, vanilla and chilli, and more recent releases include ‘The Lovers’ and ‘The Fool’, also inspired by tarot symbols and infused with flavours such as coconut and raspberry (The Lovers) and toffee and banana (The Fool).
Reaper's Rum forms part of the wider Pilgrim's Drinks collection, a brand founded in Fife and inspired by the centuries-old pilgrimage routes leading to St Andrews.
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