Tasting 7 Kilchomans

I personally believe that in 10 years time, Kilchoman will produce some of the most sought after whisky on Islay. Let's try some youngsters for now. I'm sorry for having written wrong distillery for today, but there'll be more PC very soon.





Kilchoman NAS OB 46% Winter 2010 Release

I've got a full bottle of this one as well, signed by distiller manager John Maclellan. This will give me an opportunity to see if its worth opening or hold on to and maybe sell later on when its value has increased. Pale straw color. It smells of vanilla, rhubarb, grassy, spirity, malty, some coastal notes and a hint of chopped onions. Not very interesting. The taste is burnt, cinnamon, bitter leaves, spirity, a bit too young in my opinion. If you have one of these at home, I think its one that will increase in value over the years to come and you just might hold on to it because of that. But for drinking, it's not very complex.

Young whisky with potential, a bit spirity but not many off-notes: 4


Kilchoman NAS OB 46% Autumn 2009 Release

Even younger Kilchoman, but much darker in color, deep amber. It smells of tobacco, wheat, rubber and hay. Interesting, but also a bit spirity. I must tell you these young spirits aren't very complex, I guess that will come with time. The taste is light, sawdust, sulphur, cinnamon, leather, tobacco, quite spicy too. I must say this version is way better than that of Winter 2010. I guess its a matter of cask...

Great promising young Kilchoman: 6.5


Kilchoman NAS 46% OB Spring 2011 Release

The oldest of these seasonal bottlings in this session. Pale golden color. It smells of light, malty notes, shrimp paste, turf, peaty, coastal, smoked salmon, brick dust. The taste is sweet, vanilla, caramel, syrup, peppery, carrots, floral, blackberries. The finish is peppery and peaty, medium long.

The palate creates the magic in this one: 6


Kilchoman NAS 46% OB 2006 Vintage Release

A 5 year old whisky, or thereabouts, bottled in 2011. The color is pale. It smells peppery, latex, grassy, peaty, coastal, mint leaves and cream crackers. The taste is sweet, drying, peppery, cinnamon, wheat, sulphury, a bit bland and boring when compared to the Spring and Autumn. The finish is bittersweet. A wheaty and biscuity malt, but for me, its a setback compared to to earlier releases.

Seems older than 5yo, but this is more or less blend territory: 4


Kilchoman NAS 46% OB 2012 Machir Bay

Machir Bay is a beach on Islay. According to Kilchoman, this is the first real OB that they will continue making for a while. All prior bottlings have been short-lived series and bottlings to discover what to do in the future. This is a mix of young 3yo whisky and some older Kilchomans(!). The color is golden. It smells of peaty, minty, light and sweet notes. Becomes more peppery after a while. The taste is peppery, sweet, honey, grape fruit, ginger, lemon, sour notes. The finish is peppery and bitter.

I like this one a lot, good young whisky: 6


Kilchoman NAS 50% OB Inaugural 100% Islay Release#1

This one was bottled in 2011, there's now a second version of this on the market. I tried it in denmark a month ago, and it was superb. 100% Islay means that all ingredients except the yeast is derived from Islay. The color is golden. It smells of peaty and peppery notes, coastal, salty, ginger, lime, smoked salmon, herrings, pickle, vinegar, nice stuff. The taste is sweet, sun-dried tomatoes, stewed onions, peat, peppery, salty, cheddar, thyme, butter, beautifully rounded Islay malt. The finish is peppery and drying.

Great Kilchoman: 7.5


Kilchoman 4yo 2006-2011 60% OB for WIN cask#252

There are many Kilchomans single casks out there, and I recommend you checking them out if you have the opportunity. Germany, Holland and Denmark have a lot of single cask bottlings. The color is golden. It smells of peppery and mideicinal notes, iodine, very strong whisky. The taste is sweet, caramel syrup, banana jam, vanilla, extremely rich, creamy, fruity, honey, strawberries. The finish is burnt, sweet, minty.

Bottled a couple years before its prime I think, but nevertheless great stuff: 7



Next tasting: Caol Ila Distillery