Category Archives: Kilchoman
Kilchoman 100% Islay whisky. First Edition vs 2nd edition
Islay Region – 50%ABV
1st Edition can be found for $?? sold out in most US stores | £77 (£66 ex VAT)
2nd Edition can be found for: $87 | £54 (£45 ex VAT)
I have a lot to cover in my side by side to these two Kilchomans so I’ll keep this quick. As an opener, know that the 100% Islay series from Kilchoman is quite different from their standard releases:
- They’re peated to a much lower ppm (25ppm as compared to 50ppm as per the usual Kilchoman release).
- I’m not sure if the distillate cuts are different compared to their standard spirit runs but over all, these are a different experience from other Kilchomans.
- Also, both editions of Kilchoman’s 100% Islay are all ex-bourbon matured whereas most Kilchomans are a mix of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks.
I love that Kilchoman runs this series and look forward to trying 3rd, 4th and, 5th edition 100% Islays!
On the nose — The first edition, in contrast to the latest 100% Islay, comes off as heavy and medicinal.
Truthfully, both are light in character but the second edition is quite sweet and filled with pear drops, a touch of sea air, malt, yeast and the actual sweetness of wash that permeates every inch of their distillery.
The second edition of the 100% Islay is transporting me back to my visit to the Kilchoman distillery.
Turning back to the first edition of this more lightly peated Kilchoman (both are peated to about 25ppm as compared to their standard level of 50ppm), the character is more like a rainy morning at a beach during low tide: salty, sea shells, some lemon, day old linens – comforting & relaxing as I nose it whereas the second edition is more lively and invigorating.
Two very different animals so far. Both enjoyable.
On the mouth — First edition: great mouthfeel and more of an initial sweetness (something I didn’t really get while nosing it). Phenolic, canvas army bags, lemons (again), salty to taste and very light vanilla influence. This is a fine example of a young Islay whisky. Drying as I get to the finish, too.
Second edition: More exotic in flavor! candied caraway seeds and candied young lime rind. I am reminded of a Thai dish I was told was called “Ming Com” I had once while in Seattle. There was some sort of green leaf I used to grab lime chunks and small red chilies – this is the combo I am getting here. A lighter mouthfeel than the first edition but the flavor combination helps to make up for that.
Finish — First edition: Medium length with just a touch of wood spice on the center of the tongue.
Second edition: a long, exotically sweet finish.
In sum — Two very different, yet satisfying drams. For my tastes (at least as far as today goes), the second edition’s style and the invigorating element to it made me really connect with it. I often enjoy whisky as a pick me up rather than something meant to relax me.
Want to relax? Get the first edition.
Need a pick-me-up? the second edition is the way to go!
Special thanks to ImpEx for the sample of 2nd edition Kilchoman. The 1st edition was my bottle but now I want a bottle of the 2nd edition 🙂
My guess is you’ll enjoy Jason from Guid Scotch Drink’s review of the Kilchoman 100% Islay 2nd edition
Jewish Whisky Company’s Whisky Jewbilee 2012 event in NYC — it’s coming Thursday, October 25th!
Hosted by the Jewish Whisky Company and Single Cask Nation, the first annual charitable Whisky Jewbilee is fast approaching!!
For those unable to attend WhiskyFest NYC this year (due to it landing on Shabbat), this is your chance to taste some of Scotland, Ireland, and America’s finest whiskies.
Kosher catering by Ari White of Gemstone Catering, food under Star-K.
Click this link for more information and to buy tickets.
This charitable whisky event engagement is limited to 250 attendees and is your chance to taste some fantastic whiskies (as shown below):
Distilleries and brands at the event, while not limited to, are listed below:
- Arran
- Balcones
- BenRiach
- Benromach
- Catoctin Creek
- Chieftain’s Range
- Corsair
- FEW Spirits
- GlenDronach
- Glenrothes
- Gordon MacPhail
- Highland Park
- High West
- Hirsch Selection
- Hudson Real American Whiskeys
- Kilchoman
- Koval
- Old Potrero
- Single Cask Nation
- Slieve Foy
- Smokehead
- Smooth Ambler
- …plus more to be announced!!
The pouring list is still being developed, however, here is a preliminary list of whiskies:
Arran
10 years old
14 years old
Balcones
Balcones True Blue Whisky
Balcones Single Malt
Balcones Brimstone Smoked Whisky
The BenRiach
10 years old
12 years old
16 years old
20 years old
Dark Rum Cask
PX Cask
**Alistair Walker is scheduled to be at the Whisky Jewbilee!
Catoctin Creek
Roundstone Rye
Mosby’s Spirit
Watershed Gin
Chieftain’s Range
Craigellachie 21 years old
Glen Keith 17 years old
Corsair
Corsair Wry Moon Unaged Rye Whiskey
Corsair Triple Smoke
FEW Spirits
FEW Rye Whiskey
FEW Bourbon Whiskey
“Special cask selections”
GlenDronach
12 years old
15 years old
18 years old
33 years old
**Alistair Walker is scheduled to be at the Whisky Jewbilee!
The Glenrothes
Select Reserve
Alba Reserve
1995 Vintage
1988 Vintage
Editors Cask
…maybe others
**Ronnie Cox is scheduled to be at the Whisky Jewbilee!
Gordon and MacPhail
Benromach 10 years old
Benromach 30 years old
Highland Park 24 years old
Old Pulteney 21 years old
Scapa 11 years old
Tormore 15 years old
Highland Park
Highland Park 12 years old
Highland Park 15 years old
Highland Park 18 years old
Highland Park 30 years old
High West
Double Rye
Rendezvous Rye
Son of Bourye
Campfire Whiskey
Silver Whiskey – Western Oat
American Prairie Reserve Bourbon
“Something special”
Hirsch and Slieve Foy
Hirsch Small Batch Reserve
Slieve Foy Irish 8 years old Single Malt
Hudson Real American Whiskeys
New York Corn Whiskey
Baby Bourbon
Four Grain Bourbon
Hudson Single Malt
Manhattan Rye Whiskey
Half Moon Orchard Gin
Jewish Whisky Company’s Single Cask Nation™
Arran 12 years old
Kilchoman 4 years old
BenRiach Heavily Peated 17 years old
Kilchoman
Machir Bay
100% Islay (2nd Edition)
Koval
Koval Raksi Millet
Koval Midwest Wheat
Koval Rye Chicago
Lion’s Pride Rye
Lion’s Pride Dark Rye
Lion’s Pride Dark Millet
Lion’s Pride 47th Ward
Koval Rose Hip liqueur
Koval Chrysanthemum Honey liqueur
Koval Ginger liqueur
Koval Coffee liqueur
Koval Jasmin liqueur
Old Potrero
Old Potrero 18th Cetury Rye
Old Potrero Straight Rye
Smokehead
Smooth Ambler
Smooth Ambler Yearling
Smooth Ambler Bourbon
Smooth Ambler Rye
This is a charitable event with a portion of the evening’s proceeds being donated to charity.
A single sherry cask, cask strength 5yo Kilchoman bottled exclusively for Royal Mile Whiskies.
Islay region – 59.6%ABV – £70 (available only through Royal Mile Whiskies)
Total spoiler alert here, dear reader. I fell head over heels for this whisky I’m about to share my notes on.
This is easily one of the best Kilchoman single casks I’ve tasted to date. The only one I enjoyed more is one yet to be released (details on that to follow, no teasers though as the focus NEEDS to be on this lovely wolf among whiskies).
At only five years old, this sherried Kilchoman covers all the bases for the true lover of peaty whiskies: Peaty, sweet, balanced, powerful, invigorating, lovely.
I can’t stand it any longer, I need to share my notes:
On the nose — Very sweet and with a good deal of soft peat.
Don’t let the word “soft” scare you away, dear Peat Head. It’s massively peaty but has a soft approach. Better put, at 59.6% ABV, it noses like a much lower ABV peat monster.
The sweet Kilchoman character of the spirit shines through and mixes well with the sherry cask. Not as medicinal as the Kilchoman Sherry Cask however that canvas sneaker element is here.
Burnt apricots and black pepper.
Star anise (subtle and well integrated with the peat smoke).
Chocolate covered espresso beans. Yum!
On the mouth — Oily and peaty. There is a great mix of sweet and medicinal happening here. This is a peat monster and the sherry influence is lovely here.
Briny, raisiny, sea-influenced goodness.
Untamed and making me wish I bought a second bottle.
Molasses cookies, minus the cookie.
Black licorice goodness.
Finish — Medium length and slightly effervescent.
In sum — A single cask of Kilchoman that shows just how good a fully sherried Kilchoman can be. Yummy from beginning to end. One for the cold winter for sure. But, heck, the colder wether is coming… This would be fine on a cool night by a bonfire.
A great, great single cask of whisky!
Kilchoman Sherry Cask Release – 2012 bottled at 46%
Islay region – 46%ABV – $79 – only 100 cases allocated to the US! This is already sold out in all of the UK shops I’ve checked.
Following Kilchoman’s success story as the months and years go on is a very fun ride for a whisky geek like me. And really, they go from success to success with a seeming ease
Kilchoman is Islay’s youngest distillery (as many of you know) and the tiny island’s first new distillery in over 124 years. If that’s not pressure on this small farm distillery, I don’t know what is.
Thankfully, Kilchoman has a great team on their hands as was evident when I visited them back in March of this year. You can read about my visit with Kilchoman here on the Jewish Whisky Company/Single Cask Nation blog – the post penned by Seth Klaskin.
So here we are today, again following the Kilchoman story line from start up and now getting ever closer to that 10 year mark. (They opened in 2005 so they’ll turn 7 years old in 2012.) And for today we have their 5yo sherry cask release, bottled at 46%ABV.
On the nose — Peat smoke upfront however, it’s somewhat abbreviated and what follows is a good deal of black licorice (salted licorice at that).
Citrus sweetened green cabbage. Now *that’s* an odd yet fun note!
More medicinal than expected given Kilchoman’s usual sweet peat profile and the fact that this whisky is from sherry casks.
Some notes of canvas sneakers (slightly loved).
A very promising nose. The black licorice-like quality is quite nice.
On the mouth — Window putty and fresh caulking. Somewhat artificial/industrial in flavor.
Slightly sweet yet very drying/tannic from the start.
A touch hot given the strength – it tastes closer to 50-55%ABV or more.
Unripened banana, hints of softening strawberry.
Better yet, Starburst artificial strawberry flavor (subtle though).
Finish — Long finish, the window putty and caulking notes last for a while as does the unripened banana element.
In sum — This is the first time I’ve tried a 100% sherried Kilchoman. Comparing this to the others I’ve tried, I think I more prefer the 1st fill bourbon matured ones or the releases that were a mix of ex-bourbon and sherry (E.G. the Kilchoman Machir Bay which is just lovely). I was not really able to connect with this one as I would have hoped. However, a lot of people out there will enjoy this one for sure. (In fact they already have, seeing as this has completely sold out in the UK and EU where most of the bottles have gone.) It does show promise for future. I look forward to trying more sherried Kilchoman.
Special thanks to the good folks at ImpEx for the sample!