Kilchoman Ballinaby: a new Travel Exclusive
Kilchoman Ballinaby is a new expression released by Islay’s Farm Distillery and named after (I suspect) the tall and slender standing stone that can be found near a farm of the same name, just northwest of Loch Gorm. Why I can’t say this with certainty is because information about this Kilchoman is very scarce. I happened to stumble upon this bottling returning from a Coldplay concert at Wembley, when I was flying home from London Stansted. Gently sipping away on a Bushmills 12 years old on sherry, the sales person asked me if I liked smoky whisky too. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the shop, he guided me to this Kilchoman Ballinaby. Prepared to pour me the smallest sample, I sipped and was sold. I took a bottle home, made the Whiskybase entry myself actually, and wrote a blog about it!
Kilchoman Ballinaby, bottled at 46 % abv
First things first: Sherry casks is what we read on the back label, but when rummaging the internet for more information on this ‘under the radar’ release, we found this site telling us more. This release for airports in the UK is apparently similar to Kilchoman Sanaig, but with a different content of bourbon casks (the ratio is supposed to be 40 % bourbon casks, the rest sherry).
Upon Sipping: The sherry sure is dominant on the nose, with beautiful raisins, orange zest and smoked red fruit. The peaty signature of this Kilchoman is humbly serving some more meaty tones that linger in the background. Slight hints of vanilla too, showing the bourbon casks are there indeed. The palate shows this crazy mix between meat and red fruits. Let me tell you this: if you ever had a venison steak with cranberry sauce on top of it, you have already experienced this Kilchoman Ballinaby. Then, when you swallow, you are treated on delicious smoky chocolate with hints of Demerara sugar. The longer it breathes, the fruitier this expression becomes. I am quite charmed by it. Water, time and breathing will bring out more meaty notes. This is quintessential farmy Islay whisky. On the palate more caramel and smoke, with milky chocolate chunks for good measure. The finish loses some of its charm with water. Undiluted is better.
Word to the Wise: If there ever was a daily Islay dram, this could be it. It has complexity in spades but at the same time it is an easy drinker too. Firmly rooted in farm heritage, Kilchoman Ballinaby honours the deserved reputation of being made at Islay’s Farm Distillery.
Score: 87 points.