Kilchoman 2009 Inaugural Release 3 Years Old 46% NV

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (82)

This one was finished in sherry casks. Colour: white wine. Nose: straight young peat and little sherry influence at first nosing, it’s obviously not been finished in some first fill sherry cask. It’s soon to get rather oily after that, with notes of paraffin oil, oilcloth, fresh putty and then some ‘traditional’ coastal notes. Clams and fresh almonds would be the combo here. Also whiffs of coal smoke and just hints of antiseptic. It’s not very complex yet but the cleanliness is pleasant, it’s already lost all the rough edges that were quite obvious in the newmake that we tried at the distillery back then. Just hints of wet sheep (sorry, sheep, we love you almost as much as we love dogs). Mouth: the attack is rather sweeter and rounder, maybe it’s the sherry, with a peat that’s not as omnipowerful as expected but little fruitiness either. There are also notes of olives, that we sometimes get in young peaty whiskies, as well as quite some saltiness. Distinct ‘kipperiness’. Globally quite balanced. Finish: long, more raisiny now, with a little cardamom in the aftertaste and a ‘lingering peat’ (but why does peat always linger, I ask?). Comments: good baby whisky, more to my liking than when I first tried a sample of it in September last year (casually). I guess it also benefited from a few months of rest in its bottle, trying whisky that’s just been bottled never being too good because of bottle shock and all that jazz.

BOW (86)

The very first official Kilchoman Whisky! Oloroso Sherry Finish

Bottle code 09/9185 09.244
Barcode 5060210700003