KILCHOMAN 2006/2015 SINGLE CASK FOR DENMARK - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

2 weeks ago, I reviewed the Kilchoman Port Cask which was not to my liking at all, actually its the lowest scoring whisky I've reviewed here on The Malt Desk. 

I've had a few comments from people on that review, both on Facebook and in my inbox, saying how they completely disagree with me on the Port Cask version.. I only have one thing to say - thank the whisky gods we do not all have the same taste! :-)

About a week ago I got offered another Kilchoman sample - a Kilchoman quite mature compared to the Port Cask version which I tried at a recent tasting.

This Kilchoman is the oldest I've seen bottled so far, carrying an ago of just over 8½ years. It's an ex-bourbon cask bottled exclusively for Denmark and this bottling is the remainder of a private cask previously owned by a small group of gentlemen here in Denmark who decided they drink couldn't drink a whole cask of Kilchoman after all. After taking a small share of the cask, the rest was then bought by the Danish importer FC Whisky and released for our enjoyment. This is also the 11th single cask bottled for Denmark...

You can find the rest of the details on the bottling below.

Kilchoman Single Cask No. 11 for Denmark © The Malt Desk

Kilchoman 2006 8yo (xx.07.2006/05.02.2015) 55,9%, ex-bourbon cask#165/2006, 250 bottles, Distillery bottling for FC Whisky Denmark

Colour is straw

Nose:

Lots of peat smoke and vanilla from the cask - all very fresh and lively and appearing very mature and well balanced. Very active oak - probably a first fill cask - shows a hint of what Kilchoman is about to become when gaining a little age.

There's both citrus and apple in here and I already mentioned vanilla. The smoke develops to have a character much like a smokehouse with both vegetal and meaty notes - quite intriguing! There's also a little farm yard to be found in here...

Taste:

Very nice! Very creamy arrival. It lends a big smoky hit followed by a rush of sweetness, mainly on vanilla and fruits. Some peppery notes then rushes through accompanied by the ever present sweet peat.

The finish shows a hint of varnish, camp fire smoke and pine resin, however this doesn't ruin the overall feeling that this is a very well polished Kilchoman and if this is a sign of things to come, we're in for some treats...

Did I mention how creamy this is? even at almost 56%?

A lovely youngster, this one... and since there's no ½ point here on The Malt Desk it reaches *drum roll*

85/100!

Finally, thanks to Soren from Skjold Burne Vinhandel for the sample!

KILCHOMAN PORT CASK - DISTILLERY BOTTTLING

This year, Kilchoman Distillery on Islay, celebrates its 10th birthday.

This, of course, is celebrated with a big birthday bash on the distillery's Open-Day during this years Feis Ile - the annual festival of music and malt, held each year at the end of May... with that said, I already hear you asking when and where you can buy a 10 year old release from them... Well, bottom line is 'you can't' and you probably won't be able to this year either... and the reason is pure and simple - available stock!

Starting out small like most do and to generate a cash flow, Kilchoman did what many other distillers do during their start-up phase - they sell casks to people (or rather 'sold', as they don't do private cask sales any more)... and as soon as they have enough old stock to call whisky they have also put some of that to market. They even put some of their spirit up for sale too around 2008 both as minis and full bottles to generate some return on their investment. All this, of course, has resulted in limited stock from the early years being available today - and this is probably the main reason why you won't see a 10 year old bottling from Kilchoman this year...

We've seen quite a lot of bottlings from Kilchoman already and some have better than others to say the least...
It's young whisky and sometimes it can carry some very undesirable notes. E.g. some of the 5 year old they're released have been really good, while still showing its youthful vigor and the Loch Gorm sherry editions have been very good too.

Last year, Kilchoman released a 3 year old bottling matured in ex-port casks for which was received very well most places. I've looked very much forward to trying this for a while now, since I think Port maturation, besides from the obvious sherry maturation, is one of the best wine types to go with whisky maturation... so is it any good?

The Kilchoman Visitor's Book ready for signing, May 7th 2011 © The Malt Desk

Kilchoman Port Cask 2011/2014, 55%, ex-ruby port casks, 6000 bottles, Distillery bottling

Colour is dark red/mahogany

Nose:

Young spirit and peat, almost sickly in style - not appealing at all to me. Some rhubarb and synthetic strawberry struggles to make its way through the peat.

Taste:

Sour buttermilk, sick, rotten veggies, a seaweed and peat mix that just off-putting to me - 2 sips and that was it for me! yuck! 

Kilchoman snake oil, anyone? :-O

That said, I've had both the Kilchoman New Spirit and 3 year old bottlings that was very drinkable, but IMO this just doesn't work at all and is some of the worst stuff I've had in quite a while! A big Kilchoman dud, this one !

I'll leave this to those that love this style - IMO, this just doesn't work and, putting it mildly, it wasn't a hit with the 60 people I presented it for this past weekend either. 

54/100!

KILCHOMAN 100% ISLAY 2ND RELEASE - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

More Islay whisky coming up as promised... :-) This time from Kilchoman who has released another 100% Islay - which means everything from barley to bottling has been done on the island.

Again, its a young release - a 3yo - but time one seems more mature than the first release of their 100% Islay...

Let's try this one:

Kilchoman 100% 3yo 2012 Islay 2nd Release, 50%, Distillery bottling

Colour is very pale straw

Nose:
Citrus and pear, young peat, new make and clear and present farmyard note.
Also a greenish notes and burning fresh leaves

Taste:
Perfumy style peat - not Bowmore style, but definitely a very aromatic style. Ash, citrus and fresh spirit...

Not overly expressive but it still performs nicely for a 3yo whisky.

78/100!

KILCHOMAN 6YO SINGLE CASK - DISTILLERY BOTTLING - DENMARK EXCLUSIVE

Danish importer FC Whisky is the only one who's (so far) been allowed to bottle a 6yo single cask from Islay's smallest distillery - Kilchoman. Its a single cask - actually its the 7th !! single cask they've done for Denmark - a very impressive record, IMO...

Kilchoman is really making a name for itself these days with ex-Bunnahabhain manager John MacLellan at the wheel - so much that they risk of becoming a victim of their own success as their casks from their first production years are going fast...

Rumours says this particular cask here in this review will be the only single cask they will bottle from 2006 - time will tell...

Picture by FC Whisky

Meanwhile, lets try it:

Kilchoman 6yo 26.07.2006/08.10.2012, 59,4%, fresh bourbon cask#162/2006, 234 bottles, Distillery bottling Single cask#7 for Denmark

Straw coloured

Picture by FC Whisky

Nose:
Vanillas straight of the glass from the bourbon cask along with fresh crispy sweet peat and bonfire notes. Also in here are quite a bit of farmyard after a short while.
Only small whiffs of new spirit are left in this one - hints of a little varnish/paint thinner comes to the surface once in while too along with a slight flowery/soapy hint and green banana - like very young Bowmore... I'm thinking fresh flowers thrown onto a bonfire?

Taste:
Huge on sweet peat and vanilla, of course, then fisherman's boxes, scallops, peppery, some oils and a bit of lemony notes - everything is clean as a whistle though it doesn't last for that long - i.e. a short finish that requires you to wet your palate often to keep your experience going...

This is not overly complex in any way, but very much a step towards a more mature style Kilchoman and it certainly promises well for the future... This is the same time the best I have yet had from Islay's farm distillery!

85/100! ...for the vibrant young peaty style this one has

NEW RELEASES - DENMARK EXCLUSIVES + GLANN AR MOR

The Autumn always sees new releases and Danish importer FC Whisky has again secured some bottlings exclusively for Denmark.

Like earlier in the year we got 2 single cask bottlings coming our way from indie bottler Signatory. The previous 2 - a Bowmore and an Imperial which were both really good are reviewed here and here.

This time we have a cask of Glenrothes 1996 and a North British 1997 grain hitting the shelves before long. Details on the bottlings can be found on the labels below:
























FC Whisky also imports Kilchoman to Denmark and the 7th danish single cask is a 6yo Kilchoman from a fresh ex-bourbon barrel. FC Whisky is the first to bottle a 6yo Kilchoman ever...

Full details on this one are:

Kilchoman 6yo Distillery bottling - Denmark Single Cask Release 7,  fresh bourbon barrel#162/2006.
Distilled 26.07.2006 – Bottled 08.10.2012 - 59,4% - 234 bottles!

On a bright final note, FC Whisky has also announced that they will start importing French Single Malt 'Glann ar Mor' and its peated twin - the 'Kornog'.

The Danish market will get these 3 bottlings from them:

- Kornog - 46%
- Kornog cask strength - 58,7% 'Taouarc'h an Hañv 2012'
- Glann ar Mor - 46%
















As the production from Glann ar Mor distillery is limited FC Whisky is very proud to get to represent Glann ar Mor in Denmark. The 'Kornog' peated version recently picked up 95points and a 'Liquid Gold Award' from whisky writer Jim Murray.