Kilchoman may be a young whisky distillery, however it is making its mark.
Our merry malt group were fortunate to sample the Kilchoman Machir Bay and 100% Islay… long before I was disciplined about writing tasting notes. We even had an opportunity to meet the master distiller Anthony Willis and his delightful wife for dinner in Mumbai for a marvellous pairing of these whiskies that could hold their own with desi khanna (that’s Indian food folks!).
So on my last chance to grab a bottle at Heathrow Airport, the quite reasonably priced Coull Point caught my eye.
And when we decided the kick off a kick @$$ whisky women evening, it seemed fitting to bring along the Kilchoman.
Kilchoman Coull Point (Table For ONE)
Kilchoman Coull Point NAS 46%
- Colour – Pale straw
- Nose – Needs to breathe if just opened (unless you enjoy chloroform!), then the most gorgeous sea breeze, salty, briny, peat, a little sour curd… after some time sweeter fruity elements emerge, a little vanilla
- Taste – A touch of cinnamon spice then sweet, citrusy or pear, then just cranks up the sweet, replacing the cinnamon spice with cinnamon candy like those red heart candies, increasingly softer the more it opens
- Finish – Bold yet smooth, a hint of spice and that woodsy peaty breath
- Water – Yes please! While it doesn’t need it, brings back the zing on the palate and awash of sea breeze
- Overall – A mighty fine dram. It may be young, but it transports one to a beatifull bonfire on a beach.
I love one of our merry lasses (TableForOne) tweeted about the Coull Point:
This #Kilchoman is like a kiss on the beach, snuggled up against a bonfire.
Yup! Sounds about right!
While I will admit at the end of the evening my hand reached for the Compass Box Asyla, it was in part as I knew this baby was coming home with me.
It would be interesting to revisit the Machir Bay, 100% Islay with Coull Point. While my memory was overall positive for the others, I have a funny feeling there is something more with Coull Point… just a few baby steps further into the territory of more complex nuanced whiskies… Bottom line, these folks are on to a good thing!
Coull Point (Whisky Lady)
Like all Kichoman expressions, there is a story behind the name. In this case, Coull Point is half a mile north from the distillery on Machir Bay, described as a “rugged outcrop of rocks on the west coast of the Island.”
The box notes share it is a vatting of 4 to 5 year single malt, matured in fresh bourbon barrels, with the 4 year old finished in oloroso sherry butts for 4 weeks prior to bottling.
What the Kilchoman folks have to say:
- Colour – Light beech
- Nose – Soft cooked fruits with strong peaty aromas
- Palate – Soft mixed fruits and vanilla with an intense sweetness
- Finish – A classic Islay malt now showing the benefit of additional ageing. A long lingering finish.
And here’s what others say:
Kilchoman Coull Point 46% (Whisky Lady)
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