Review by: Whiskery Turnip
I sampled this bottle during a Kilchoman charity tasting event at Pint & Jigger hosted by Kilchoman’s Catherine MacMillan, with all proceeds donated to support relief efforts on Maui. It was one of a series of whisky events to raise money for recovery efforts and friends. The tasting featured a broad slice of recent core and special releases Kilchoman provided via their US importer ImpEx and local retailer Fujioka’s. A handful of bottles at the tasting, including this one, were supplied by Chris Udhe of ImpEx and came from his personal collection of early releases and special single casks.
Distillery: Kilchoman.
Bottler: Distillery.
Region: Scotland/Islay Single Malt.
ABV: 53%. Cask Strength.
Age: 14 years. Distilled on 12 April 2006. Bottled on 12 May 2020.
Cask type: Bourbon Barrel. Cask 18/2006.
Nose: Earthy and coastal, dried grass, slightly farmy musty grass with animal fur, zoo animal exhibit in the morning, chocolate, graham crackers and dark chocolate, hints of cream and citrus.
Palate: Medium-bodied and oily, earthy, dried grass, animal exhibit with musty hay, hints of licorice and lemon peel, slightly rotten or bruised citrus fruits, animal farmyard funk, hints of melon and salty prosciutto with more time, brine and dried grass always in the background. A few drops of water brought out more earthy clay and beef fat.
Finish: Medium to long with lemon peel, salt, and subtle maritime grill smoke.
Mental Image: Stolen Port Charlotte Cask
Conclusion: Wild and lovely— this was not familiar to me at all. Blind, I am confident I would have thought this was Port Charlotte, and when asked, I described it to people as “What if Port Charlotte and Kilchoman had a baby.” That is it. There was a beautiful farmy quality to this that I had never encountered with Kilchoman before, and I wish I knew I could find it again. This was a brilliant cask— only the 32nd cask of Kilchoman ever filled at the distillery. Clearly, the distillery’s style has changed a bit over time; while this had some elements I would describe as essential: citrus, maritime, and grass, they were not quite the rounded and softer package I think of with more recent releases. A few drops of water altered the order of flavors so that the whisky became much earthier; it was stunning how much the whisky changed and developed over time.
There was something wilder and untamed— maybe unrefined— about this cask that I adored. I was not alone, and I heard from a few other funk lovers at the tasting that this was their favorite, or second favorite, of the evening. Overall, fantastic and a real unicorn bottle to experience.
Final Score: 90.
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.
Malt Runners 