Kilchoman PX Sherry Finish Single Cask

Purchased and opened on 3/3/2018, finished on 12/23/2018. Kilchoman OB Single Cask Release, Cask 510 (sherry), 5 years old. Distilled 11/26/2009, Bottled 7/15/2015, 61% ABV. Price: 130 USD. Without water, sharp notes of a young dessert wine don't mix well with an ashtray that needs emptying. The alcohol is too prominent, and the dram is too dense. Adding a generous amount of water reveals a more typical Oloroso nose, leading to a sweet BBQ palate and an ashtray finish. Water definitely softens this powerful spirit, but also uncovers some acrylic notes previously hidden by the high ABV. The artificial plastic taste is something that ruins young, sherried, peated whiskies. Some Laphroaig NAS expressions, like the PX cask and Triple Wood, are the biggest offenders. This Kilchoman earns praise for being a single cask with a clear age statement. However, that praise is withdrawn due to the price being well over $100. Young peated whiskies ought to be aged in bourbon casks. Rating (excluding price): 85/100 Purchase satisfaction (including price): 2/5

Amber color, natural. Peat on the nose, softened by the Pedro Ximenez with strong almond and walnut edges. Iodine. Rotting wood. Candied nuts. Bacon. On the palate, a mix of experiences. Peat. Smoke. Iodine. Wood present again. Salty. Long-lasting. With water, it opens up like a bitter orange liqueur.

Pleasant natural color. The aroma brings peat and lovely dark fruit. No ethanol sting. The palate offers brine, nuts, peat, and subtle dark fruit. Wonderful! A medium-long, steady finish of sweet, smoky peat. An excellent bottling from Kilchoman.

Intense peat at the start, transitioning to a sweet finish. Subsequent sips reveal more bitterness in the finish. There's some mouth burn, but it's otherwise easy to drink. It does cause a significant burn in the stomach, however.

Very smoky with a touch of wood. Fruity finish from the sherry finish.

Subtle peat undertones, a medium burn.