Kilchoman, the youngest (distillery founded 2005) of the Islay whiskies, is not yet available in the US, but should be arriving on these shores in the fall. Meanwhile, I picked up a bottle of the Spring 2010 release while on Islay on our recent vacation. This release was aged three years in bourbon barrels and finished for 3 and a half months in oloroso sherry. The color, as one would expect, is a light gold. On the nose I get grain, smoke and a slight hint of sherry. There is a cloying sweetness there. The taste is round, spicy, drying smokiness with a touch of heat. Once I added water the nose calmed a bit, coming across as a softer, light smoke. There's dry sherry, perhaps candy? (Later in the week I swear it started to have a Dr. Pepper flavor to it). The taste is still spicy, with a long finish and a round mouth-feel. For a young whisky it is quite good, but I would love to see this with a bit more age on it to see how it rounds out. I don't think it has the depth and complexity of flavor yet that it really needs to be an outstanding whisky. This one is worth seeking out, however, when it comes to the States.
No comments:
Post a Comment