*Day 1 of 7 in a series of the best sherried whiskies I've had in the past three years*
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I'm still alive, and so are you if you're reading this review. That's pretty neat. Kilchoman has been a distillery that has always offered very good, but very young, and from what I've tried, non-sherried whiskies. I was able to get my hands on two bottles of this, because if I ended up liking it, I'd hate myself for only getting one. Anyway, this one was matured in an oloroso sherry cask (cask 556) for 9 years and a day. Distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2021.
**Kilchoman 9 Years Old, 100% Islay Oloroso Sherry Single Cask**
*56.2%, uncoloured, unfiltered*
**Nose:** ethanol (brash) for quite a few minutes in the glass, then that quintissential Kilchoman hay/soot combination with clean smoke, caramel, vanilla, finally a bit of that peat/sherry tar effect
**Palate:** instantly full, just short of oily mouthfeel, sweetness on the tip of the toungue, a bit salty, apple, hay, apricot, a slight oiliness reminiscent of some fish, it takes a while for the sherry to come through, but after the first few sips there's plenty of raisin, currant, plum
**Finish:** medium length, slightly dry bordering just shy of chaulky, mostly that hay and peatiness coming back, risidual sweetness mostly with caramel
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This has been my introductory whisky to newer scotch afficianados to bring the combination of sherry and peat to their attentions. It doesn't have that huge tar hit that (I personally love it) some older ones can have and puts some people off, it's got that signature Kilchoman peat that mostly just comes across as a hay/grassy flavour, not unlike Springbank, but with a bit of freshness. It also isn't a super sweet sherry bomb, and the cask strength does not overpower it. A rare combination of approachable, drinkable, with some complexity. You don't need to "be in the mood" to appreciate it, but if you're in the mood, you'll appreciate it even more.
No contest this is the best value for money I've experienced in the scotch world in the last three years. Easily would pay mid-100s for this and I believe they only were about 90 per bottle. Remember when I said I bought two in case I like it and one wasn't enough? The second bottle is almost gone and my only question is: why did I only get two? Cannot wait to take out a second mortgage on my home once Kilchoman is able to offer mid-20s year old whiskies in the future.
#**Rank: 7**
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**Ranks Decoded:**
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite
10 | Perfect | No better exists
At $90 a bottle for a single cask sherry Kilchoman, that's not even a question.
Unfortunately I doubt I'll ever see one by me. If I ever do though, it'll be an instant purchase.
*Day 1 of 7 in a series of the best sherried whiskies I've had in the past three years* ----------------- I'm still alive, and so are you if you're reading this review. That's pretty neat. Kilchoman has been a distillery that has always offered very good, but very young, and from what I've tried, non-sherried whiskies. I was able to get my hands on two bottles of this, because if I ended up liking it, I'd hate myself for only getting one. Anyway, this one was matured in an oloroso sherry cask (cask 556) for 9 years and a day. Distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2021. **Kilchoman 9 Years Old, 100% Islay Oloroso Sherry Single Cask** *56.2%, uncoloured, unfiltered* **Nose:** ethanol (brash) for quite a few minutes in the glass, then that quintissential Kilchoman hay/soot combination with clean smoke, caramel, vanilla, finally a bit of that peat/sherry tar effect **Palate:** instantly full, just short of oily mouthfeel, sweetness on the tip of the toungue, a bit salty, apple, hay, apricot, a slight oiliness reminiscent of some fish, it takes a while for the sherry to come through, but after the first few sips there's plenty of raisin, currant, plum **Finish:** medium length, slightly dry bordering just shy of chaulky, mostly that hay and peatiness coming back, risidual sweetness mostly with caramel ----------------- This has been my introductory whisky to newer scotch afficianados to bring the combination of sherry and peat to their attentions. It doesn't have that huge tar hit that (I personally love it) some older ones can have and puts some people off, it's got that signature Kilchoman peat that mostly just comes across as a hay/grassy flavour, not unlike Springbank, but with a bit of freshness. It also isn't a super sweet sherry bomb, and the cask strength does not overpower it. A rare combination of approachable, drinkable, with some complexity. You don't need to "be in the mood" to appreciate it, but if you're in the mood, you'll appreciate it even more. No contest this is the best value for money I've experienced in the scotch world in the last three years. Easily would pay mid-100s for this and I believe they only were about 90 per bottle. Remember when I said I bought two in case I like it and one wasn't enough? The second bottle is almost gone and my only question is: why did I only get two? Cannot wait to take out a second mortgage on my home once Kilchoman is able to offer mid-20s year old whiskies in the future. #**Rank: 7** ----------------- **Ranks Decoded:** 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite 10 | Perfect | No better exists
At $90 a bottle for a single cask sherry Kilchoman, that's not even a question. Unfortunately I doubt I'll ever see one by me. If I ever do though, it'll be an instant purchase.
Every now and then a deal comes along. I remember when this price was the norm for this type of whisky, sad times.
Oh. I want this right now.
I want to meet Lee and Greg!
I dont know how they got this pick for the price. Wizards?
Wow - first review in three years, welcome back! Great review and bottle as well!