Review by: The Muskox

The world is changed. I feel it in the whisky. I feel it in the peat. I smell it (smoke) in the air. Since the year 2019 of the Third Age (which was only 6 months ago, right?), it’s been legal to mature scotch whisky in mezcal, tequila, and calvados casks. Mezcal seems like a possibly bizarre but ultimately obvious choice to pair with an Islay whisky.

This bottling is apparently finished in a Oaxacan mezcal cask, which my mezcal-drinking friends tell me is where most mezcal is made, and was likely seasoned with a smoky Espadin mezcal. This cask was selected expecially for Royal Mile Whiskies in Edinburgh. Let’s see how, or if, it works.

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Distillery: Kilchoman.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 55.5%, cask strength.

Age: 7 years old. Distilled on 09/12/2013. Bottled on 04/20/2021.

Cask type: Cask #671, Mezcal Finish.

Color: Straw. No colour added, un-chillfiltered.

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Nose: Smells like… Kilchoman. Wet singed twigs, cold ashy smoke, and lemon balm. There’s a bit of an extra acridity to the smoke, but only subtly. Cheese! Sharp white cheddar, even slightly creamy. Sweet maple sap, dried oregano, and white chocolate. Some agave does emerge after a little while, along with savoury green chilis, artichoke hearts, and BBQ potato chips.

…wait a minute, there’s some agave in here. Something vegetal, savoury green chilis. Bbbq chips. White chocolate. Dried oregano.

Palate: Medium-oily texture. Arrives with rich spicy smoke, oregano, and charred orange. Earthy, rubbery peat smoke in the middle, along with vegetal notes of roasted squash and asparagus. Seared pork and raw ceramics.

Finish: The mezcal really comes out here as the whisky turns more sour and funkier: rubber boots, roasted peppers, and egg whites. Savoury spice notes of cumin, oregano, and ginger. Mud and punky wood. Lime candies.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Witchy Wellies burnt at the stake”

Notes: You know what, that really works. The peat smoke and (fairly mild) mezcal influence combine surprisingly well. It helps that young Kilchoman is already so good. I’m not sure this cask is necessarily an improvement on that, but it does add a very interesting extra dimension. I’ll definitely be looking for more mezcal-cask whiskies in the future. On another note, it seems like I enjoyed this way more than the two reviewers r/scotch who have also tried this.

Final Score: 84.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.