Kilchoman 100% Islay 8th Edition

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Producer: Kilchoman Distillery Co. Ltd

Category: Single Malt

Age: NAS (Non Age Statement)

Barrel Type: Bourbon & Oloroso

Alcohol Content: 50% (100 proof)

Size: 750ml

Level: Casual

Kilchoman Distillery is one of the youngest on the island. Founded in 2005, it was the first new whisky distillery builted in 124 years on Islay. In the vision of its founder Anthony Wills, Kilchoman was born as a "Farm Distillery" a very common concept in the old days of Scotland. Where the surpluss of barley after harvest was distilled into whisky during winter. Under the slogan "from barley to bottle" Kilchoman implements this concept lost in the modern Scotland. Every production step is supervised or carried out by the distillery itself, from sowing the barley, malting, steeping, mashing, fermenting, distilling up to storage and bottling, all is donde on site.

Kilchoman 100% Islay 8th Edition was realeased on September 10th, 2018. It is the result of blending 23 bourbon barrels and 7 oloroso sherry casks. All of them filled between 2008 and 2012. The barley used was Optic variety, which was sown and harvested between 2007 and 2011 at Rockside Farm. Speaking of which, Rockside Farm was adquired by Kilchoman Distillery in 2015, thus covering the entire production line.

It is an smoky expression, quite well balanced and with only 20ppm. The peat is comes from Cnoc Dubh (Gaelic name for Black Hill) near the distillery. Unlike other expressions such as Kilchoman Sanaig, the malt was not sourced from Port Ellen, but brewed on site.

The use of sherry casks was the big revelation on the 100% Islay series, as in the years before only bourbon barrels had been used. According to Anthony Wills, the sherry casks (which make up approximately 40% of the whisky) "bring additional depth and complexity, adding layers to the predominant flavours of fresh fruits and vanilla nuances". Kilchoman 100% Islay 8th Edition is finally bottled at 50% ABV (100 proof) with no colouring and non chill-filtering.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A pleasant smoke, a saline mix and charred embers of barbecue, opens with citrus notes (tangerine, orange peel, green grape and apple) followed by a slight sweetness and cinnamon. Some malt or bread.

Palate: Light and rounded body that does not seem to have the 50% ABV that it has. It starts spicy and smoky, from there it gives way to fruity and sweet notes.

Aftertaste: Medium length, warm with a good balance between smoke and fruity notes

Something I liked is that the aftertaste improved as it progressed in the bottle. When opening it, it was too spicy and smoky. When returning, the whisky became more balanced, giving a pleasant experience that invites you for another dram.

I found a curious fact when doing the research for this entry: The design of the bottle also changed this year. Designer Craig Mackinlay of Breeze Creative, who has worked with Kilchoman since its founding, has designed a clear polypropylene label for them that stands out from the traditional glass transfer variant. It gives it a different look and certainly stands out from the other expressions.

My Rating:

I clasify whisky into 4 categories: Introdutory, Casual, Intermediate and Complex. and from there I rate each one acording to their aroma, palate, complexity and palatability

Level: Casual

Aroma: 5/5

Palate: 4/5

Complexity: 4/5

Palatability: 5/5

Overall Rating: 9/10

Official website: https://www.kilchomandistillery.com/