Kilchoman Archives - Whisky a Day

Whisky #446: Kilchoman Sanaig Single Malt

December 23, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilchoman Sanaig Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at Cobbler (West End, Brisbane).

Colour: Golden toffee. Though by candlelight and after just having 6 other whiskies, everything looks some kind of shade of amber.

Nose: Sweet, meaty and salty. Maple syrup on pancakes with bacon. My good mate Pete picked up some cured pork and bacon. My Dad described it as like when you first open a medicine cabinet.

Palate: Smoothish entry, then the flavours quickly build along with a gentle warmth. This is starting to sound like I’m writing a Mills & Boon novel! Gentle smoke that builds, a hint of sweetness but some tangy and salty flavours dominate. Think jamon and dried orange.

Finish: Dried raspberries and salted caramel. The front of the tongue tingles as it fades.

Comments: This dram would go amazingly well with some dark chocolate. Matured in a mix of bourbon and sherry casks, this is a Kilchoman I’ve wanted to try for a while.

It’s very drinkable and quite enjoyable towards the end of the night, but lacks a little bit of depth and punch for a true end of the night kind of whisky. It feels like it’s torn between a couple of styles without really mastering either. Think I’ll stick to their expressions either matured completely in ex bourbon casks or completely in sherry casks.

Whiskies #337-339: Kilchoman New Spirit Vertical Tasting

December 19, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilchoman New Spirit Vertical Tasting. Tasted at home, $45 (set of 3 x 50mL bottles).

One of the greatest challenges facing any young distillery is how to get cashflow in the first few years while you’re waiting for your spirit to mature into “whisky” – in Scotland this period is a minimum of three years. While many distilleries produce other spirits that don’t require maturation (and thus can be sold immediately) – such as gin or white rum – the folks at Kilchoman decided to release a sample of their new spirit aged at One Month, One Year and Two Years.

This is essentially exactly the same new spirit that has come off their stills, however it has been bottled after spending varying lengths of time maturing in casks. So it should make for an interesting and truly vertical tasting.

Kilchoman New Spirit One Month. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 63.5%.

Colour: Clear, very pale straw.

Nose: A medicinal prickle.

Palate: Very dry mouthfeel; sharp peaty straw-like flavours too.

Finish: Brash, peaty and strong. The heat lasts longer than the flavour and buzzes mainly at the front of the tongue.

Kilchoman New Spirit One Year. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 63%.

Colour: Pale dull gold.

Nose: Smoother than the One Month. Almost a bit of creaming soda. But with lots of smoke.

Palate: Intense smoke and peaty dryness.

Finish: Salty, smoky and tangy. A more satisfying buzz around the mouth.

Kilchoman New Spirit Two Years. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 62%.

Colour: Pale dull gold – not much different to the One Year.

Nose: Creamy and peaty again, but almost a bit floral too.

Palate: It’s definitely started to soften compared to the One Year – there’s still a bucketload of peat as you would expect, but it’s much more refined.

Finish: A dry, briny finish, quite long.

Overall comments: Very interesting to taste the same spirit at three different stages of its maturation. With regards to the colour, there was a noticeable change from the One Month to the One Year, but surprisingly very little difference from the One Year to the Two Year. On the palate the softening from the rawness of the One Year to the cool smoke of the Two Year was interesting. They’re all still very young, but a fascinating comparison to see the maturation journey of a Kilchoman whisky.

Whisky #235 – Kilchoman Winter Release 2010 Single Malt

September 16, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilchoman Winter Release 2010 Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $16.

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Gentle smokey notes, like smelling a small grass fire from a distance.

Palate: Thin entry, toasted peat flavours abound.

Finish: Quite dry; briny smokey flavours in the fade. Medium to long finish.

Comments: Much lighter than your average Islay, it certainly tastes quite young. Not surprising given Kilchoman are still an emerging distillery and this was one of their earlier releases.

Whisky #170 – Kilchoman 100% Islay 2nd Edition Single Malt

July 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilchoman 100% Islay 2nd Edition Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 50.00%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $16.

Colour: Through the red lantern tinted glass, it’s pale gold. I think.

Nose: Much sweeter than I was expecting from an Islay, but also some smokey peat coming through. It’s a big nose, but not big as in the typical Islay smoky ash scents. Some subtle medicinal feints as well.

Palate: Big robust peatiness, charred woody flavours too. Quite meaty too.

Finish: A dry finish; long on the flavour, more of a typical Islay smokey finish.

Comments: At only 3 years old, this is a very young whisky. In fact, it’s the minimum length of maturation time before you can legally call it “whisky” in Britain. Despite this, it has an amazing depth of flavour, surprisingly complex.

Interestingly, the barley for this dram is both grown and malted by the distillery (which isn’t all that common), hence the tag “100% Islay”.

Whisky #155 – Kilchoman Machir Bay Single Malt

July 16, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilchoman Machir Bay Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at Print Hall.

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Sweet peat. Not a sexy alluring kind of peat, but there are some sweet notes.

Palate: Smooth entry, but has neither the peatiness nor the meatiness of the really great Islay malts.

Finish: Heat & peat linger, but nothing too exceptional to report.

Comments: Tastes like a sweeter Ardbeg 10. Not bad, but wouldn’t rush out to buy a bottle. Kilchoman is a very young distillery having been founded only in 2005, so we shouldn’t be too harsh on them. I’m excited by what I’ve tried so far (see also the Kilchoman Loch Gorm & Kilchoman Single Bourbon Cask 5 year old), but feel that perhaps they’re releasing their malts a little too soon so as to begin to see a return on their investment, rather than waiting a few extra years that might see the whisky’s flavours develop a little more.

Whisky #55: Kilchoman Single Bourbon Cask 5 Year Old

March 14, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilchoman Single Bourbon Cask 5 Year Old. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 61.00%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $20.

Colour: Quite a pale straw, perhaps unsurprising given it only spent 5 years in an ex bourbon barrel.

Nose: Strong alcohol vapours, although they soften with a bit of time in the glass. Peat dominates but some floral scents come through.

Palate: Rich warm flavours, but the peat just keeps coming. Salty.

Finish: Long and smokey, it’s like a warm peaty vapour cloud expanding in your mouth.

Comments: A single cask bottling, only ~260 bottles released. Not sure they should have tapped the barrel after only 5 years, it could have done with some more time to soften up a bit. Maybe they’ve released it early so they’ve got a different offering in the Kilchoman range. Though most likely it’s been released to generate some cashflow seeing as Kilchoman is such a young distillery that’s only been in operation a few years. Can’t say I’ve ever tasted such a young whisky before.

Whisky #4: Kilchoman Loch Gorm Sherry Cask Matured Single Malt

February 19, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Kilchoman Loch Gorm Sherry Cask Matured Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $21.

Colour: Dark shade of Amber (i.e. she spent too much time in the spray tan booth).

Nose: Earthy, peaty notes.

Palate: Smooth smoky charcoal, a little sweet, maybe a hint of buttery walnuts?

Finish: Lingering sweet peaty tastes, long after you’ve finished the sip.

Comments: Doesn’t strike me as similar to other sherry matured whiskies. Peat sort of overwhelms the sherry flavours. But still very drinkable!