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9th May 2021 |
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Review of the Kilchoman
Fèis Ìle 2021 DNA Tasting Pack which you
can join Kilchoman to taste live online
at 12.00pm on Thursday 3rd June.
Fèis
Ìle 2021, Islay's annual festival of
music and malt, is fast approaching and as
with last year due to the ongoing Covid
pandemic the 2021 celebrations will be
online. This year Kilchoman distillery
are planning a packed schedule of events
for their Fèis day on Thursday 3rd June,
everything from fully immersive 360
degree interviews with the production
team to behind the scenes Q&As, Live
Tastings and Food Pairings.
Kilchoman has made three special
Kilchoman whisky tasting packs available
for whisky fans to enjoy and to join in
with live tastings if they wish from the comfort of
their own home.
The first of those packs is the
Kilchoman DNA pack which contains four
whiskies from the Kilchoman core range
of single malts, but with a twist! Before
reducing batches of their signature peated
single malts of Machir Bay and Sanaig to
their regular bottling strength of 46%,
they have bottled them at their natural cask
strength to appreciate the full power
and character of their core range whisky.
This pack also contains the latest
edition of Loch Gorm and a preview of
the yet to be released 100% Islay 11th
Edition.
You can join Kilchoman to taste the
Kilchoman DNA pack live at 12.00pm on
Thursday 3rd June,
I was lucky enough to get hold of the
Kilchoman DNA pack and this is my
thoughts on the four whiskies in it:
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Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength Review
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Machir Bay is Kilchoman's signature
peated single malt, a vatting of
Kilchoman matured in a high proportion
of bourbon casks with a small sherry
cask influence. This cask strength
expression was bottled at 58.9% ABV, non
chill filtered and naturally coloured.
William
Morrison's Tasting Notes:
Nose:
Gentle peat infused
with a little sweet honey, vanilla and
lemon citrus is slightly rounded
by a touch of raisin and sultana fruit from the
sherry casks in the mix. A little pear
and some floral hints lurk in the
background
Taste:
The delivery brings slightly honeyed
peat smoke infused with a sugared raisin
and sultana sherried juiciness this is
quickly joined by some butterscotch and
lemon zest and some lovely late oak
spices.
Finish:
Deliciously long, mildly sherried sweet
peat slowly fades leaving a little
citrus zest and some drying oak spice.
Comment:
What can I say, to put it simply this is
the outstanding Machir Bay with a cask
strength flavour and pleasure boost.
SMW Score
93/100
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Kilchoman Sanaig Cask Strength Review
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Although also matured in both sherry and
bourbon casks, Sanaig has a high
proportion of Oloroso sherry influence,
giving a vastly different character to
the whisky. This cask strength
expression was bottled at 58.9% ABV, non
chill filtered and naturally coloured.
William
Morrison's Tasting Notes:
Nose:
Enticing peat smoke infused toffee, some
raisin and sultana sherried fruit brings
a sherried fruitiness and this is joined
by a mix of orange, pear and honey.
Taste:
Delicious slightly earthy sweet peat
leads the charge and is quickly followed
by sweet chocolate raisin, sultana and
cherry. Then some gentle
orange and lemon citrus, a little vanilla toffee,
a touch of cinnamon
and sweet oak spice.
Finish:
A deliciously rich long finish simply
echoes the palate, the raisin and
sultana is more sugared now, the orange
and lemon citrus is hanging in there
also, the cinnamon is a wee bit more
pronounced, a wee touch of coffee now
and the sweet peat stays to the end.
Comment:
More strength, more flavour and more
pleasure, this has a really delicious
Oloroso sherry influence.
SMW Score
92/100
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Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2021 Review
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This is a popular annual limited edition
release from Kilchoman, the Loch Gorm
range is always matured entirely in
Oloroso sherry casks. The 2021 edition
is a vatting of 24 Oloroso sherry butts
filled in 2011 and 2012. Bottled at 46%
ABV, non chill filtered and naturally
coloured.
William
Morrison's Tasting Notes:
Nose:
Gentle earthy peat smoke infused with
lemon citrus and rounded by the slightly
gentler sherry fruit, some toffee and a
wee touch of spice.
Taste:
A delicious slightly salted earthy peat
and sweet raisin and sultana infusion
leads, closely followed by some gentle
orange and lemon citrus, a little vanilla toffee, just a touch of cinnamon
and some lovely sweet oak spice.
Finish:
A deliciously long finish with lingering
sweet oak spices and sherry infused
sugar cured gentle smoky bacon peat, a
late touch of pear and some dark
chocolate.
Comment:
As always a delicious balance of
Kilchoman's earthy peat and sherry, as
modest as they are the sweet oak and
sherry spices build after a few
mouthfuls adding to the pleasure. I just
love the fact that each Loch Gorm
release is subtly different from
previous Loch Gorm releases as billed
and 2021 is another fantastic balance of
Kilchoman peat and gentle Oloroso
sherry. If you enjoy sherry with your
peat then this is hard to beat, it is
another well put together creative mix
of Kilchoman's peated whisky matured in
quality sherry casks.
SMW Score
91/100
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Kilchoman 100% Islay 2021 Preview
Sample Review
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This a cask strength preview sample of
the upcoming release the Kilchoman 100%
Islay 2021 11th Edition. Distilled from
Kilchoman's 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011
barley harvests, the 11th edition is
matured for a minimum of 9 years in 26
bourbon barrels and 7 Oloroso sherry
butts. This cask strength preview was
bottled at 56.5% ABV, non chill filtered
and naturally coloured.
William
Morrison's Tasting Notes:
Nose:
A fantastic clean, fresh
nose, gentle sweet peat smoke infused
with vanilla and a little mild zesty
lemon. A little salted toffee and honey
lurk in the background
Taste:
Lovely sugared peat smoke fills every
corner of the mouth, a little lemon
zest, green apple and pear, also a touch
of sweet raisin and sultana fruitiness,
vanilla, toffee and some oak spice.
Finish:
Toffee and lemon zest leave first, the
sweet peat lingers for an age before
fading out to leave a touch of rich
sherried fruit and a little mildly
drying oak spice.
Comment:
The delicious sugary sweet peat is the
star of this show but the touch of
sherried fruit adds to the peaty
pleasure.
SMW Score
91/100
The
Kilchoman Fèis
Ìle 2021 bottling and virtual tasting
packs will only be available from the
Kilchoman website but don't hang around
or you may miss out.
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Kilchoman Fèis Ìle 2021 Tasting Packs Reviews
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Select a whisky for more details and
review:
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