Kilchoman Loch Gorm (2021 Edition)

N: Doesn't get much more Islay than this: vegetables roasted over a peat fire, then boiled in a sea water brine. (Don't ask me why you would roast and then boil.) Then there's a rush of notes all jumbled together: red fruit and red wine, vanilla, graham cracker, berries, lemon, honey, tea, sugar cookie, mango, citrus... It just keeps going. Bread notes come later. The peat is undeniably Islay with a profile that lands somewhere between Lagavulin and Bruichladdich. It is pervasive and always there, but is also always earthy, fragrant, and refined. P: Rich, robust, well rounded. Classic vanilla and caramel notes, lemon cake, honey, floral notes. More of the cooked vegetables and peat, just a dash of sea spray. Earthy, piney, slightly mineral. Oily and a bit salty. Late mid-palate some red fruit notes lay on top of a rich fudge like base - it's not quite chocolate, more like a hazelnut-vanilla-chocolate fudge. Finish is delicate and a bit on the short side. Lemon, honey, sweetened white tea. Only a dash of cinnamon spice heat - just enough to note it. Closes where it begins with a classic scotch caramel. Picked this up at the same time as the PX Sherry limited edition. Thought both were excellent, so I jumped on a USA Small Batch shortly thereafter. Also excellent - probably the best of the group. Then snagged the last Machir Bay gift set (two rocks glasses - oooh pretty!) on the shelf on a random Costco run. Also excellent. I love the Kilchoman peat character - it's earthy and perfume fragrant like Lagavulin, but less aggressive with more of the delicate floral notes/character you get from something like the Port Charlotte 10 year. I love both of those profiles - this is a fine marriage of both. This is my new favorite Islay distillery. Four winners out of four buys; plus they seem to really know how to get more out of their barrels because each of those four are really quite different. Ready to pick up anything they offer. Loch Gorm feels like the most classic Islay of the bunch I've mentioned. Great place to start, but I find myself favoring the sherried bottles. That said, this is still an excellent scotch and I would recommend grabbing a bottle if you see one - they are relatively limited (but not, best I can tell, subject to secondary market pricing).

Review #003 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 46% Comments: aged 9 Years, ex-oloroso maturation Tasted after: Kilchoman Sanaig Appearance (no score): Mahogany color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, it starts to bead up quickly but legs are slow to form. Nose: 15/20 Smoke, leather, sweet sticky raisins, and just a hint of vanilla. Palate: 34/40 Smokey, briny, black tea, red currents, just a little orange peel. Finish: 33/40 Nice long finish, introduces some pepper and gets my mouth watering as that sweet and spicy flavor runs, then turns salty at the end. With Water: Didn’t try with water unfortunately. Total: 82/100 Final thoughts: Not disappointed, it’s a very good dram, but at this price point I wish it would have wowed me a little more. Price: $120 Would recommend: yes Would buy: maybe Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Whisky Tasting, 09 April 2021). Nose: Peat, smoke, rye bread, lemmon drizzle, dark spices. Hints of ash/burned wood. Palate: Wood / roasted nuts, dark chocolate, cloves & allspice. There is a little dried fruit (dates & figs) as a background note. Finish: Ash/wood. Damp smoke, dry sherry, tobacco/liquorice/leather. Lightly sour on the aftertaste. Well balanced between damp wood and peat smoke, and dried dark fruits. Lots of nice dry notes with a cigar smoke finish. Lovely creamy mouthfeel. Nice dram. Matured in 24 Oloroso sherry butts from 2011 & 2012 1 of 17,000 bottles 50ppm Came 1st out of the six drams, with 38% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 88% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky.

Wow! L'étoile de notre soirée à l'Ile Noire. Kilchoman sait comment faire des produits agréables et distinctifs. Odeur de fumée, de dattes et de raisins. Au goût, on sent immédiatement un mélange de vanille, de fumée saline et de citron. Plutôt long en bouche. Un scotch bien balancé, qui donne le goût d'en acheter une bouteille! Gouté à l'Ile Noire en 2023-03.

Nez : caramel doux, un peu fumé, un peu figue ou abricot, vanille Bouche : fumé, tourbé, fruits séchés, poivre Finale : un peu fudge, longue finale, epices poivrées et le fumé qui reste longtemps Bon pairing avec chocolat grand cru noir du pérou 64% cacao

Nez : Caramel, fruits secs (figue, abricots), vanille, fumée Bouche : Moyennement huileux, fudge, vanille, bois, fumée Finale : Poivre, caramel, tourbe, assez longue Bon mariage avec Eddy Laurent grand cru noir Pérou 64%