Kilchoman Red Wine Cask Matured (2017 Edition)

This is my 200th review, celebrating with a sample from friends in a Scottish distillery group. It's a Kilchoman matured entirely in casks that held Portuguese red wine, not Port. Bottled at 50% ABV, it's non-chill filtered with a natural dark copper color and had a worldwide release of about 10,000 bottles. The aroma is initially reserved, showing only a hint of peat and sweetness after ten minutes. After another five minutes, notes of sweet red wine, mint, and earthiness appear, followed by light honey and florals. Rich fruity scents emerge, like raspberry and blackberry jams and plums, with subtle hints of toffee, chocolate, brown sugar, and maple. Adding water reveals orange, tangerine, and light tobacco aromas. More water brings out increased florals, such as lavender, and more mint. The taste has peat, but it's less intense than I've come to expect from this distillery. A dark fruitiness lies behind the peat, with mixed berry jam, red grapes, a hint of oak, and dark chocolate. It has red wine notes with a touch of orange peel, reminiscent of sangria without the alcohol or sugar. More water increases the sweetness without adding new flavors. The texture is medium-bodied, slightly watery, but coats the mouth before becoming dry. The finish is medium in length, featuring light peat, wine notes, and a distant hint of mint. It's quite good, but I anticipated a bit more. I had to work to uncover the flavors rather than being immediately impressed. Perhaps a finish in a strong Oloroso cask would have provided the extra punch I desired. Nevertheless, it's a fine whiskey. Is it worth $110? Possibly. A decent choice for my 200th review. I rate it 4.25 and thank the sample provider.

While sifting through a collection of samples accumulated over the past 8-10 months, I rediscovered this sample from our SDT's fifth round: Kilchoman Red Wine Cask Matured. It was provided by our newest member. I've been a strong admirer of Kilchoman since their products began appearing, so let's assess this one... It presents a lovely, bright copper color in the Glencairn glass with minimal legs when swirled. Despite its substantial 50% ABV, it appears quite oily. The aroma begins with smoke, richness, and salt, reminiscent of the initial stages of smoking your favorite cut of meat. A welcoming wave of red berries and brown sugar precedes notes of light, charred oak. The taste is hot and salty, with BBQ smoke and a rich chocolate sweetness. The wine influence isn't as pronounced here, likely due to the high ABV and salt content. It remains mouth-watering and delicious, but the expected wine flavors couldn't fully emerge. This is slightly disappointing, though I won't penalize it yet. The finish is spicy and peppery, long and eventually drying. However, at the very end, a lingering stickiness of residual grape and blackberry jam appears. This serves as a redemption for the subdued wine notes on the palate and works exceptionally well. As the heat subsides, the berry sweetness remains. It might be the finest finish I've experienced from a Kilchoman. Wonderful. In summary, this is another excellent Kilchoman. Once they release more aged statements, other Islay distilleries should be wary. This is truly high-quality spirit. My thanks again to Jason for the sample; this is a solid 4 to 4.25 star dram. Seek it out and discover it for yourselves. Cheers.

My favorite bar's selection of Kilchoman continues to impress. For a little over $20 USD, I sampled this, a Hazelbank 13 yr Olorosso, Springbank local barley 11 year, and a 2004 Connoisseurs Choice. All were excellent, with none falling short. I appreciate how this place lets you maintain a list of desired tastings; you can stop by and inquire. This particular bottle had just arrived and wasn't even displayed yet; the staff hadn't tried it themselves. After they retrieved it from storage and I began my tasting, several others joined in:-). Deciding between the Hazelburn and the Kilchoman was difficult. Both were fantastic. This one offered a subtle hint of ash and red wine berries. It's priced at $90 USD here, which seems reasonable. I'm undecided if I prefer this or the Sanaig; I'll call it a draw. I'm giving it 4.5 stars. Update: About three years after my initial review, I acquired a bottle. While organizing my whisky collection to sell to friends and at auction, I kept this as my final bottle. As I entered a short period of sobriety, I reluctantly let the bottle go to avoid temptation. Surprisingly, it didn't sell at auction, with buyers focusing on well-known brands like Macallan and Ardbeg. The auctioneer offered to buy it at cost, but I decided against it. I had resumed drinking by then, so I took it back, sent the auctioneer a couple of samples, and finished the entire bottle within two weeks. In short, it tasted just as good as I recalled, and I'm very glad I drank it instead of selling it!

Every Kilchoman I have tried has been excellent. The newest Islay distillery to release its product has now confirmed my belief, after sampling their third expression, that they are skilled at crafting remarkable spirits. This young whisky, created in 2012 and bottled in 2017, was aged solely in red wine barrels and presented at 50% ABV. This maturation process results in a beautiful chestnut hue. Let's get to it: On the nose, it hints at the flavors to come on the palate. Peat, with grassy and earthy notes, appears briefly before a burst of sweetness arrives. Red fruits like cherries and strawberries emerge, alongside herbal peat and rosemary. Following the initial taste, the sweetness deepens with notes of maraschino cherry syrup, blackberries, and strawberries. On the palate, this is a fascinating spirit. Cherries and cinnamon are present in the center of the tongue, while gunpowder, sulfur, and ash notes surround them. These sensations occur simultaneously but in distinct areas of the mouth. The finish is also impressive. Smoky and very enjoyable, it doesn't feel like 50% ABV. It offers prune peel, with a potent salty and seaside character. In summary, this is a delightful and intriguing dram. Its excellent balance, scoring 23 points in each category, earns it a 92 out of 100. Cheers!

Machir Bay was my introduction to Kilchoman, and I was surprised by the quality considering its 4-year age. Since then, I've been a supporter. Having tried several samples and bottles, they've mostly produced quality whisky. Now, thanks to a friend, I can try another one. The peat aromas are earthy and boggy, not smoky, soaked in a salty-sweet maritime brine. Notes of maraschino cherries, vanilla-infused Challah bread French Toast with maple syrup, and cigar tobacco are present. The palate is sweet but not excessively so, with a medium body. It tastes like sweet BBQ sauce on smoked baby-back ribs with citrus zest. Raspberry jam fills the palate as it leads to the finish. The finish is drying with a hint of peat, marmalade, and Concord grapes, though it's a bit short. A very pleasant dram. Easy to relax and sip. It's ideal as an after-dinner cordial following a rich meal due to its sweet, light nature. Kilchoman continues to prove themselves as a quality distiller. If only the price were more accessible (though I find myself saying that about most whisk(e)y these days. Thanks again to a friend for bringing this to the group. [89/100][Tasted: 3/31/18]

Kilchoman, a young Islay distillery, consistently produces incredible whisky. Their spirit is highly complex, capturing exceptional flavors and aromas from carefully selected casks. This particular expression was matured in red wine casks from Portugal's Duoro Valley. Bottled at 50% ABV, it displays a beautiful reddish hue. The nose is unparalleled. Imagine a fresh can of tennis balls, dry moss, and the plastic from water balloons. Hints of chocolate with dulce de leche, herbal spice, red fruits, and tobacco emerge. It's a sensory journey with abundant dulce de leche, chocolate, and bubblegum. Absolutely amazing. The palate serves as a transition to the superb aftertaste. It starts with ash and salt. A second taste revealed red fruits, gooseberries, and pepper. The finish is superb: bonfire, salt, and gunpowder. Very well-balanced and ashy. Overall, purchasing a Kilchoman guarantees a delightful experience. This single malt masterfully blends intense peat profiles with sweet notes. While the palate was slightly less remarkable due to its simplicity, it still earned a well-deserved 89 out of 100.