Meaty Kilchoman dominated by the casks
Kilchoman is going as strong as ever, and few people out there consider this Islay Farm Distillery as a new cat in the crowd, even though the stills were only fired up in 2005. But then again, that is 21 years ago today. The brand is going strong, and not by copying the likes of Lagavulin, Bowmore or neighbouring Bruichladdich, but being a very singular Islay malt themselves. The keyword is the farm, if you ask me, and somehow you always get this piece of DNA in every malt you drink from the little distillery, that produces 650.000 litres per year. Today, we have a weird sample in the glass, leaning on a bit of a forced cask make-up. Let’s see if it works!
Kilchoman Triskele Casks – Netherlands Exclusive, bottled at 48,7 % abv
First things first: Matured in Sauternes, Bourbon and Sherry casks, resulting in a small batch of 1260 bottles. A bottling for the Dutch market via D12. Bottled in October 2023.
Upon Sipping: Wow, a very meaty Kilchoman, all on cured hams and other cold cuts. Hints of cheese. Smoked bacon. This is not a whisky for vegetarians. I have some trouble getting to the fruits that must have rubbed off from the Sauternes and sherry casks, but on the nose I do not really find it. The peat turned into meat. When taking a sip, the Sauternes does speak up, finally, and makes for a fruity and waxy mouthfeel, because the peat kicks you in the teeth when you swallow. It is all good, but it lacks some coherency. There are too many actors on the stage, which means the story gets lost in the chaos. This is proven best on the nose, where the pendula swings to a meaty flavour, but on the palate you get fruit and bitterness.
Word to the Wise: An interesting hotchpotch of flavours and sensations, making for a joyful experience but not the best dram ever to leave the Kilchoman premises.
Score: 82 points.