Yesterday I posted an entry on my visit at Kilchoman distillery and the Distillery Manager tour I took. I tasted Machir Bay and the 100% Islay drams during the visit but unfortunately couldn’t take any notes. So instead, here are my tasting notes on the original Kilchoman Sherry Cask release.

I got this dram as part of samples swap with 2 of my good friends in #whiskyfabric, Ansgar & Thomas, a great whisky lovers couple from Netherlands, so big thanks folks!

Kilchoman sherry cask release %46

Nose: Live, young and kicking, major peat notes but clean, not much of the seashore notes other peated Islay whiskies usually shows, smokiness, used burnt coals, leathery, some fruity sweetness behind, dry old sherry notes (oroloso), mainly dried figs and spiciness which fade a bit after a while and leave us with mostly peat.

Palate: even stronger and livelier burning earthy peat, wood spices & pepper, dried red fruits, some saltiness.

Finish: Medium long, burning peat, very mild bitterness and after a while fruitiness shows up again at the back of the mouth. Sniffing the empty glass shows even more sherry then actual liquid.

Conclusion: it’s 5 years old whisky and it’s very mature for its’ age but it still shows some rough edges and the youth pops up sometimes. The sherry impact isn’t big yet and the peat is strong and a bit rough. The 8yo I tasted from the cask at the distillery was delicious and more balanced, so yeah – I’m looking forward for another and older revision of this one.