Kilchoman is a new distillery on Islay (established 2005) and is the first new one in a very long time. My introduction to Kilchoman was in October 2012 at a three-night whisky tasting class - that night was "Islay Night." I tasted Kilchoman first or second out of a flight of eight whiskies and was very impressed with it, especially after I was told that the one we were tasting was only 3 or 3.5 years old. After that, I was constantly interested in them and the name kept popping up but I didn't buy a bottle until last month.
I was heading out to the mountains and wanted to buy something that would be peated as I new it would go with the crisp mountain air at night. This got me thinking Islay and I quickly got to the point... this is a good time to try a Kilchoman product. I must say, I am most interested by their 100% Islay expression but was convinced to go with the Sherry Cask Release on this occasion. Will have to get the 100% Islay next.
Like all Kilchoman products, this release is bottled at a higher alcohol (46% in this case) and is non-chill filtered and has no colouring added.
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Colour: Deep gold almost amber.
Nose: Immediately apparent are cooked soft fruits and dark smoke on the nose. A nice, sweet nose. Some spices and pepper along with salt.
Palate: sweet, thick, and smokey. Salt and pepper along with soft fruit. I can't help but think of a fruit crumble mixed and woven with smoke and peat. I say "smoke and peat" because both are there for sure. Its tasty, especially for the cooler weather and definitely works very well as a night cap along with crisp, mountain air! You get the smoke and the spicy, earthier peat following sweet cooked soft fruits. When I say "cooked soft fruits" I am thinking of a pot with peaches, plums, and apples (I know apples aren't soft but they soften with heat!) on the stove, bubbling away in their own sweet juices. This is a chewy dram... very thick.
Finish: pretty long finish. This whisky is young but seems to have spent all or most of its aging life in sherry casks and that helps to extend things well into the gullet. There is a definite ashiness too.
Comments: This is good stuff and a good intro to Kilchoman. This smells, feels, and tastes like a drink made by people who really care about whisky. This is artisanal whisky and I am really excited by the whole "farm-to-bottle" movement that Kilchoman is adopting as well. I'll be trying to test some more Kilchoman products soon.
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