Category Archives: Cask Strength

Birthday Chorlton – Tormore 28 year 42.4%

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When David Bennet sent his summer 2021 email letting his devoted Chorlton followers know about this Tormore 28-year, I simply couldn’t resist! At that time, I had tried only one whisky from Tormore – a very special 10 year from the 1970s at Singapore Whisky Live’s Collectors Room. More recently in 2022, I had the pleasure to try the Tormore 29-year bottled by Gordon & Macphail at London’s Whisky Show.

While we had to be a bit patient to try this Tormore 28-year, we made it count! It was sampled over four evenings, of which below I’ve captured an amalgam of impressions from some.

Tormore 28 year (Nov 1992/Jul 2021) 42.45% 253 bottles

What did we think of this dram – contrasting our experiences between a fine fall evening in London vs two warm evenings in Mumbai…

  • Nose
    • London: Incredibly rich, beautiful nose, sunshine sweetness, fruity marmalade, apple crumble pastry, heavy on the cinnamon and brown sugar… as it opened up, there was also light saline, shifting into something heavier… like wandering into a forest, faintly mineral, wet stone, then shifted again into brazil nut, buttery, red food coloring
    • Mumbai: Very salty, metallic, some kelp or seaweed, misty, cold water from a copper jug, slowly opened and sweetened into gingerbread, lebkuchen, candied ginger, followed by fruits, minute by minute becoming “jammier”- starting with plum jam then sweetening into a melange of strawberry and raspberry, like that mystery red jelly that you aren’t quite sure what exactly it is!
  • Palate
    • London: Exceptional! Silky smooth, hot buttery biscuits, a bit nutty too… gorgeous… was there even a puff of smoke too?
    • Mumbai: Honey, ginger, wood tannins, walnut, orange rind, light smoke…. utterly lovely! Light yet complex, very open and approachable, boiled lemon sweets
  • Finish – Very dry, long, and lingers bitter almond
  • Water
    • London: No temptation to add!
    • Mumbai: Brings out a bar of lovely milk chocolate on the nose… needed? No. But still worth trying this way too…
  • Revisit – Fab fruity with nutty caramel – yum!!

One of our ladies in Mumbai had tried this earlier in the year in London and noted there was some impact of oxidation between the freshly opened bottle she tried and our evening in November, where some elements had muted and shifted.

For myself, I recall the first experience just a month earlier in London as simply stunning – one class act! I could just sit with this whisky alone… savoring it slowly. Remarkable. Lovely… Pure delight in a glass!

What was most appealing is how it developed in the glass – from maritime to mineral to marmalade on the nose, silky smooth, light yet complex on the palate, and closing with a strong, long, dry bitter finish. Simply superb!

There was no doubt this is indeed a special treat – rare and worthy of slowing down to enjoy.

What did David have to say?

Properly matured single malt here from the reliably fruity Tormore distillery!

On the nose this is a real fruit basket (red apples, orange drops, marmalade, juicy Riesling), backed with some mineralic and foresty depth (waxes, flints and ferns). The palate is lightly syrupy and waxy, with cream teas and biscuits mixed in with the fruits. The finish is very clean, with blood oranges and mandarins. Very summery, and utterly delicious.

This whisky was distilled on the 16th November 1992, and matured in a refill hogshead until being bottled in July 2021. It produced 253 bottles at a cask strength of 42.4% and they are available for £175 each.

I purchased this in July 2021 which joined three more from La Nouvelle Vague series:

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Birthday Chorlton – Glen Elgin 12 year 52.6%

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The wonderful thing about an ‘Appetizer’ is how it helps calibrate your palate for wonders to come… This was our plan with the affordable Glen Elgin from Chorlton‘s  La Nouvelle Vague series… a whisky that was sampled in several sessions across two continents.

It was the youngest of the Chorlton Birthday quartet which featured the Tormore 28 year, Bunnahabhain 18 year and Orkney (Highland Parrk) 22 year. So… what did we think?

Glen Elgin 12 year (21 Apr 2009/July 2021) refill hogshead 52.6% 287 bottles

From our London evening, October 2022 (alas I missed the June experience!):

  • Nose – Happy day! After an initial sharp spice gave way to a lovely waxy sweetly floral candle aroma, we found white flowers, orchard fruits with crisp ripe pears, with a chasing of citrus….
  • Palate – First sip had a peppery spice, whereas, with the 2nd sip, the spice was joined by  a fruity kiss
  • Finish – Spice with nutty nougat
  • Water – I found a splash of water nicely mellows out this dram. Yellow plums, some malt, freshly baked biscuits on the nose, with the palate rounded out
  • Revisit – Curiously after an hour the initial whiff was a bit sour, then on an even later revisit it was deliciously floral and fruity

Next up from our first Mumbai evening and second tryst from November 2022:

  • Nose – Red apples, including the core and skin! Joined by other orchard fruits like pears, some aniseed, and fennel, then honey sweetness followed again by orchard fruits with perhaps a light lime twist… young, fresh with a bit of ‘malty’ elements
  • Palate – Initially it was rather like sipping Calvados! Some spice, more depth on the palate than anticipated from the nose, and still lots of apples and some pears! Was also quite prickly – like having pop rocks bursting in your mouth! Also found grapes, light licorice, slightly bitter, quite straightforward
  • Finish – Minty, herbal, refreshing
  • Water – Yes, please! Water brings out yellow plums, glucose biscuits (like Marie), more malty notes, and some resin on the palate… and after time shifts more into pastry like an apple crumble or shortbread, vanilla, mint… 
  • Revisit – There wasn’t much remaining in the glass but we had such contrasting reactions – most thought it lovely, whereas one found it foul!

We found many similar elements though one lady found this one a bit tough and rough, much heavier… she also found the revisit, not at all to her liking. Whereas for others, this was a good place to begin, appreciating the fruity flavours and how they contrasted with something of more substance followed by a pleasant finish. When I read David’s tasting notes, there was overall agreement!

And finally, from our next Mumbai evening, November 2022, did we have anything to add? In truth, much of what the ladies found rang true.. so much so that I simply blended the observations with the gents into those of the ladies!

Overall we thought whilst adding water didn’t do too much for the nose, it really improved the palate, bringing out the fruity elements, apple jack, grapes, reinforcing the herbal close.

And with that, our explorations began… next? The stunning Toremore 28 year!
What did David have to say?

I’ve always been a fan of this distillery’s charming and somewhat classy spirit, even if it’s often felt a bit under the radar.

The nose has a toffee-apple-esque balance of sweetness (butterscotch, cinnamon sugar, pain au raisin) and tart green fruits (lime, apple). The palate has a thick and oily texture, with caramel wafer, malted milk biscuits, peachy fruits and lemon peel. The finish is malty and hazelnutty. A hefty spirit, here, but with light feet!

This whisky was distilled on the 21st April 2009, and matured in a refill hogshead until being bottled in July 2021. It produced 287 bottles at a cask strength of 56.6%.

I purchased this in July 2021 for £65 plus tax and courier charges.

Here are a few more from Chorlton‘s earlier L’Ancien Régime series:

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Chorlton Birthday Drams – Glen Elgin, Tormore, Orkney, Bunnahabhain

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This Chorlton quartet was the birthday gift that just kept giving! It began as a single bottle purchased as an extra special 60th birthday gift. Then the other Bombay Malt & Cigar gents offered to ‘chip in’, so I purchased another 2 bottles. The trio was then augmented with an additional bottle to become a remarkable quartet!

All four were from the La Nouvelle Vague series:

The quartet was originally opened in June 2022 in London during a special evening with Sukhinder Singh (Elixir, The Whisky Exchange) and two Bombay Malt & Cigar gents (naturally including the “birthday boy!). As I missed it, we rescheduled for October 2022, also in London, sharing with a former Bombay Whisky Lady and other friends.

However, our tastings with these bottles weren’t done! Two sets of 100ml samples were re-bottled and dispatched to Mumbai for two evenings:

  • Whisky Ladies on November 1 as a special joint birthday treat for myself and one other Whisky Lady (sharing the same birthday) who flew in from Hyderabad… the only challenge here was splitting 100ml between 8 ladies!
  • Bombay Malt & Cigar gents on Nov 6 to share with the others who were intended to be part of the original 60th birthday celebration that inspired the whole set! Which just so happened to also be my partner’s birthday (who joined us for dinner)

It was so interesting to see the commonalities and differences between the tasting sessions! Different settings, different personalities, and different whisky style preferences meant we could experience different dimensions. What an incredibly rewarding way to experience such lovely and varied whiskies!

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London Whisky Show – TBWC Part 3 with a Secret Speyside + Calvados!

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That Boutique-y Whisky Co floored us with their range at the London Whisky Show. After quite the ‘continental tour’, we simply had to go back to merry old Scotland for a ‘proper’ dram! In this case, part of their “Secret Speyside” series (ahem Glenrothes!)

Speyside #3 (Glenrothes) 6 year (2022) Batch 2, 49.3% (TBWC)

  • Nose – Burst of fruits, vanilla, and strawberries with meringue and cream, beneath the sweet dessert was some wood
  • Palate – Such a classic quality, full, well-rounded, lovely balance
  • Finish – Rich honey

Though it was robust, it could still make a great ‘day dram’ too. The only problem was this clearly isn’t one to just sniff, swish and zip through!

However, one rises to the challenge of such a tasting bounty to keep to a path of light samples, sometimes even veery off the path of whiskies alone! This brings us to our next offering – cheekily crossing out the “whisky” from their That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s label, our attention was drawn to Christian Drouin’s Calvados.

Now… for those less familiar with Calvados, it is a brandy made in Normandy from apples or pears and Christian Drouin is a venerated name for its multi-generation commitment to quality. More recently they have branched out to cidar and gin (Le Gin – beautiful!), however, their core focus remains the family traditions with Calvados.

Christian Drouin Calvados 21 year (Dec 2020/2022) (TBWC)

  • Nose – What a delight! Over-ripe stewed apples, butterscotch toffee, dates, yum!
  • Palate – Pucker up! This is a serious Calvados – delicious! Think of fresh green young apples which then develop into a delightful apple crisp, sprinkled with roasted nuts and cinnamon on top

Such a treat to try something different like this! Would have loved to try on its own when it isn’t sandwiched between whiskies!

Here’s what the folks at TBWC have to say:

This is a particularly intriguing Calvados from Christian Drouin. The story for this one begins at the very end of the year 2000, when the spirit was distilled.

  • N: Rich, fruity and floral.  Delicate orchard blossom followed by stewed apples, caramelised poached pears. raisins and Medjool dates. A complex, and dvine nose
  • P: Complex and beautifully balanced.  Notes of cinnamon baked apples and a delicate wood spice. Waxy wood polish, roast nuts, and raisins. Drying, waxy  finish. Just beautiful!

So then… what next? Shsssssshhhhh…. Dave had a nip of something extra special in his hip flask!

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Islay Duo – Bruichladdich vs Kilchoman

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When the weather is wet, cold and miserable, there is nothing like a bit of peat in your whisky to pick you up! While we still have a few more days of summery weather, our last selection of the evening from a Drinks by the Drams Single Cask Whisky Advent Calendar turned to a pair of peaty Islay single casks, bottled by the folks over at Master of Malts:

  • Bruichladdich 16 year (2002) Single Cask 62.6%
  • Kilchoman 6 year (2012) Cask 405/2012 56.9%

We began with the Bruichladdich….

Bruichladdich 16 year (2002) Single Cask 62.6%

  • Nose – Initially greeted us with some maritime sea spray, then the peat subtly surfaced more and more, a lovely herbal sweetness, toffee… then after the initial sip, we were rewarded with sweet maple bacon, sweet grass
  • Palate – Yum! Such delicious peat – Montreal smoked meats, roast pork, tobacco, frankly just very tasty!
  • Finish – Really long lovely smoke 
  • Water? I felt no need to add however one of my tasting companions did and shared how it made the whisky much sweeter

For me, this was a singularly fine specimen from Bruichladdich! We speculated it must come from the “Port Charlotte” line – clear stamp of peat but not amped up like an “Octomore”!

What more do we know? Here is what the folks over at Master of Malt have to say:

A wonderful bottle of Bruichladdich, bottled by yours truly – that’s right, it was bottled by Master of Malt! This 16 year old single malt was distilled on Islay back in July 2002 and filled into a refill sherry hogshead, where it slumbered until January 2019, when we bottled it up at cask strength, with no chill-filtration or additional colouring.

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

  • Nose: Apple and dried pear, golden syrup over steamed pudding, thick vanilla and toasted almond, then freshly polished wood and light wood smoke.
  • Palate: Toasted barley, brown sugar, vanilla and lemon peels lead. Plenty of earthy spice and oak shavings emerge underneath.
  • Finish: Lasting citrus sweetness and vanilla-y barley.

As on September 2022 it is still available for a whopping Eur 210!

What next? We moved on to the Kilchoman…

Kilchoman 6 year (2012) Cask 405/2012 56.9%

  • Nose – Iodine and bandaid adhesive, smoke meats and spice, pastrami and toast
  • Palate– Sweet and peat, some spice, young with the wood element clearly showing through
  • Finish – Warm and lasting

While we couldn’t say for sure, it was clear this had something more than an ex-bourbon cask at work. Was it sherry or something else? Who knew but it added a nice sweetness.

As for the Kilchoman? The folks over at Master of Malt also had something to share:

A single cask bottling of tasty Islay single malt from the Kilchoman distillery, bottled for Drinks by the Dram! This one was matured for 6 years, from July 2012 to August 2018, which included a finishing period in a red wine cask, before being bottled at cask strength.

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

  • Nose: Scones, jam and clotted cream – a classic combo. Lasting earthy peat and some tobacco notes later on.
  • Palate: Digestive biscuits, salted butter, raspberry and soft sandalwood hints.
  • Finish: Clove, cinnamon, barley, smoke and oily walnut.

It is now sold out, however, when it was available it was priced at approximately Eur 92.

And there we have it, three pairs of samples explored and enjoyed!

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Going Grainy – Girvan 30 year and Cameronbridge 36 year

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Grains are rarely found solo as their main purpose is to round out the more dynamic malts in a blend. However, there has been increasing attention on some grains – including Cameronbridge with its new “Haig” brand.

So we decided to turn our attention to grains and select a pair from our Drinks by the Drams Single Cask Whisky Advent Calendar:

  • Girvan 30 year (1988) cask 13076 58.1% (Xtra Old Particular)
  • Cameronbridge 36 year (1982) cask 8289 His Excellency (Bartels Whisky) 51.9%

Both are from the Lowlands region in Scotland and we began our exploration with the Girvan…

Girvan 30 year (1988) cask 13076 58.1% (Xtra Old Particular) 230 bottles

  • Nose – Yikes! Is that glue? The kind of old-style molding glue from childhood, a bio-chemistry lab… a bit of citrus polish, some tannins? Then a curious thing began to happen… after our 1st sip, it opened up, unfurling like a flower from which a joyful honeyed perfume emerged, joined by milk chocolate, vanilla, chocolate, over-ripe fruits – particularly bananas, then more floral and herbal
  • Palate – Wow! Pure honey delight! Then deepens into chocolate, full, rounded with a lovely balance, fruity with resins, ‘sacher torte’, heavy oils, phenomenally creamy, showing its maturity
  • Finish – Lovely finish with more chocolate, sweetly lingers

There was such a surprise with this one – the initial aroma was not at all inspiring but then on the palate? Just fabulous! And when we went back to the nose, it just became more and more interesting and inviting. Even hours later the empty glass was a delight. This was an exceptional grain and we were lucky to have an opportunity to try it. Whilst now sold out, it was once available at Master of malt for Eur 166.

What do the folks at Master of Malt have to say?

Distilled in July 1988 at Girvan, this single grain Scotch whisky was aged in a single refill hogshead which yielded 230 bottles. After 30 years this special liquid was bottled at 58.1% ABV in March 2019, for Douglas Laing’s Xtra Old Particular series. Very extra and very old indeed.

Tasting Note by The Producer

  • Nose: The nose brings a vanilla fudge character with milky cereal and rhubarb.
  • Palate: The creamy palate bursts with toffee apples, pineapple chunks in syrup and cinnamon.
  • Finish: The finish is long and warming with polished oak, BBQ’d bananas and runny honey.

We then moved on to our next grain… this time 36 years!

Cameronbridge 36 year (Feb 1982/Nov 2018) cask 8289 His Excellency (Bartels Whisky) 51.9% 192 bottles

  • Nose – Clean and fresh, light and very sweet, a hint of fruit, friendly or sympathetic but then… nothing much more
  • Palate – Very sweet, a bit of roasted barley or biscuits, pleasant but unidimensional, some sweet grapes, apples, or even a grappa-like quality
  • Finish – A bitter edge, a touch of caraway

While it had a promising start, it quickly fell short. After the Girvan, we were expecting, well, more. It is a quite pleasant grain, but misses having something distinguishing or remarkable. We concluded that it simply isn’t a ‘solo act’, singing a single simple melody that is nice and uncomplicated but would probably be more interesting when in harmony with others.

What more do we know? Well, the folks at Master of Malt have this to say when it was for sale for EUR 75 – now sold out:

As part of the His Excellency series, Bartels Whisky have bottled a rather delightful 36 Year Old single grain from Cameronbridge, the largest grain distillery in Europe. It was taken from a single cask, filled in February 1982 and then bottled November 2018. A limited outturn of only 192 bottles.

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

  • Nose: Cereal notes, creamy milk chocolate and fruit cake with cinnamon and ginger spices.
  • Palate: Stewed apples, another helping of spices and digestive biscuits.
  • Finish: Think scones with clotted cream and zingy jam.

Curious about other experiences with these grains? Here are a few previous brushes:

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Getting started – Royal Brackla vs Tamdhu

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It felt a bit like putting on ‘training wheels’… getting back into the spirit of tasting spirits with a small selection from a Drinks by the Drams Single Cask Whisky Advent Calendar.

We chose our first ‘double header’ with two single casks from independent bottlers:

  • Royal Brackla 11 year (2006) cask 310864 60.9% (The Single Cask)
  • Tamdhu 11 year (2007) cask 6833 61.9% (Lady of the Glen – Hannah Whisky Merchants)

Royal Brackla 11 year (2006) cask 310864 60.9% (The Single Cask) 285 bottles

  • Nose – Apple core, pear, loads of orchard fruits, Johannisbeer (red currents) or sour cherries… then it started to evolve from fresh fruits to dry fruits with raisins
  • Palate – Initially quite a shock to the system – hot and quite a punch of alcohol! Then we started to adjust… with the spice comes some of the fruit promises on the nose, however still masked by the cask strength
  • Finish – Nice! A bit bitter, some tobacco leaf with a lovely teasing spice

This was my 1st pick of the evening. In retrospect, we perhaps should have ‘eased’ into tasting with a ‘palate calibrating’ lighter 43 – 46% whisky. However, instead, we plunged into the ‘deep end’ going straight to full cask strength at 60.9%!

This is why we quickly switched to adding a few drops of water – transformative!

  • Nose – So delightfully aromatic! From fruits to toffee, a hint of wood then a green leaf, fresh and fabulous! Then back to fruity desserts with a generous dollop of rich cream
  • Palate – Delicious! So much fuller, bursting with fruits and cream, indulgent and just a wee bit voluptuous, sweeter, brighter

Definitely have this one with water – it opens it up beautifully! With a splash, the whisky revealed its classic character, well constructed with all elements in harmony. We concluded this is a lovely summer dram

What more do we know? It is an ex-bourbon American oak single cask bottle by The Single Cask. I’m not sure if you can still snag a bottle however once upon a time, it was available for  GBP 85 and here is what they have to say:

  • Nose: Fruit and barley springs from your glass, followed by musty oak green ferns dusted with white pepper.
  • Palate: A soothing balm of oak and spice that’s both rich and sweet with rock sugar, green tea and white wine.
  • Finish: A mellow and long finish where that rock sugar and white wine lingers alongside some dusky oak. 

We then shifted gears to something completely different with the Tamdhu.

Tamdhu 11 year (2007) cask 6833 61.9% (Lady of the Glen – Hannah Whisky Merchants) 60 bottles

  • Nose – Oh my! Very metallic, stainless steel, wet granite, then quite vegetal, cabbage, then began to open up more – with some sweetness seeming into the mix. Primary notes remained metallic and mineral joined also by light saline… as it continued to air, became chocolaty with salted pralines, some nuts
  • Palate– Quite thick, wood and leather, tobacco leaf, mild sweetness, solid character of chocolaty toffee
  • Finish – Very mild, a hint of bitter
  • Water – DON’T! We found it needs the full cask strength to better show off its character, particularly loses out on the palate with water – just became harsh with spice and little else

What a contrast to the Royal Brackla! While our first was a summer dram, the Tamdhu was pure autumn. We found it very smooth and not at all sharp – deceptive at such a high cask strength. There is also an almost marine quality –  unexpected for a landlocked distillery.

Along with it being more of a fall dram, we also thought it better suited to ‘bad weather’ dram – something to enjoy coming in from miserable wet, cool conditions. While not something exceptional, it was a whisky we put in the category of: ‘interesting to try once, not one to run out and buy’.

What more do we know? The folks at Lady of the Glen kindly keep an archive of older bottles here and have this to say:

This single malt whisky was distilled on the 24th of September 2007 and bottled on the 10th of April 2019. 50 litres were taken from Bourbon Hogshead cask #6833 to be finished in an intense Pedro Ximenez sherry octave #6833A for 3 months. This is the second and final batch of this particular release. A unique whisky, as only 60 bottles were yielded from this octave.

Our Pedro Ximenez octaves are sourced from a family-owned bodgega near Porto in Portugal. Pedro Ximenez is a very intense sweet, dark sherry. Octaves are small 50 litre oak casks that provide great levels of oak to spirit contact.

On the palate, expect flavours of hazelnut, dark toffee and butterscotch.

What an interesting start to our tasting evening. We took a break for a terrific dinner at Estragon… and returned to check out two pairs of grains and Islay drams.

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Getting back into tasting! With miniatures…

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One of my favourite ways to taste whiskies is at home, with a friend or two, focused on some interesting whiskies. Even better if they feature miniatures that we would likely never buy – either as they are too rare or too expensive! Back in 2019, pre-Brexit, I bought myself a treat of Drinks by the Drams Single Cask Whisky Advent Calendar, sampled a few but then set aside for when could share the experience with one or two fellow whisky aficionados.

Fast forward to a fine 2022 September evening in Nurnberg with friends. We had dinner plans however a wee whisky tasting was also on our evening agenda. Out came the miniatures and we each picked whiskies we were curious to try.

We decided to pair up our choices – two before dinner as an “appetizer”, then two additional pairs post dinner.

What did we start with?

And then our next set? Here we shifted gears completely and selected two grains:

Our final set was a further contrast – switching to peated Islay drams with:

It was a lovely evening and good fun to contrast and compare without distraction.

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Coveting Chorlton… Delayed pleasures

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We’ve been on a bit of a “Chorlton” journey… I’ve become a complete fan of David’s cask choices, his gorgeous labels and so over the last few years I’ve done my best to snag a nice set or two with plans of having a few special tastings.

Last week I was supposed to be enjoying these beauties… carefully collected as a special 60th birthday celebration which was postponed a few times as we struggled to organize a gathering across countries. Finally the night was planned in London, flights booked and the bottles ready and waiting to be opened! And then along came a rather unpleasant bout with COVID…. sigh… So whilst I missed the evening, considerable enjoyment was reported along these lines:

  • Glen Elgin 12 year 56.6% – A lovely appetizer dram
  • Tormore 28 year 42.4% – One of those rare remarkable whiskies
  • Bunnahabhain 18 year 53.4% – Really stood out
  • Plus a bonus bottle purchased by our birthday boy – the Orkney 22 year 53.4% (aka Highland Park) which also made quite the impression!

Hopefully, in a few months, there will be an opportunity to get to London and quite possibly snag a wee sample to experience myself!

Thanks to shipments finally making it to Europe, I have these lovelies with me in Nuremberg;

  • From April 2022 releases: Mannochmore 13 year 59%, Caol Ila 11 year 60.4%
  • From December 2021 releases: Staoisha 8 year 59.9% (aka Bunnahabhain)

Whereas I’m not sure when I will be united with these waiting for me in London or Paris:

  • From December 2021 releases: Ledaig 12 year 55.5%, Speyside (Glenrothes) 13 year 64.6%
  • From the May 2022 releases: Faemussach 21 year 56%, Teaninich 12 year 54.2%, Benrinnes 14 year 55%

However, I won’t be sampling these anytime soon! Not being very patient, I’m left with memories of previous tastings…

However rather than long for what I can’t try, here is a quick summary of those from Chorlton’s La Nouvelle Vague series I have had the pleasure of trying:

And from Chorlton‘s earlier L’Ancien Régime series:

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Kilchoman Tequila Finish 53.4%

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It has been a while since I sat down and properly tasted a Kilchoman… in truth, I don’t think even once since meeting Kilchoman’s charming founder Anthony Willis in the Spirited Stories tent at The Vault Biennale. I will fully admit to a certain fondness for Kilchoman – in part as this Islay distillery is part of the ‘new generation’ of distilleries who have proven with an eye to quality and artistry, you don’t need to wait more than a decade to produce a fine dram.

So what did we think of Anthony’s experiment with Tequila? Did it need salt and lime to knock back as a shot? Or favour an extra anejo? Or reveal little to no influence of the agave finish at all?

Kilchoman 8 year (11 Dec 2012 / 15 Nov 2021) Bourbon Cask No 824/2012, Tequila Finish 53.4% (50 PPM) TWE Exclusive, Bottle 147 of 267

  • Nose – Ripe mushy bananas, a fruity sour mash, leafy and a bit vegetal, saline with light hint of smoke, we even speculated if there was a touch of black salt? However the more time it spent in the glass, the more it opened up… shifting into candied red apples, marshmallows, then more tropical fruits
  • Palate – Unmistakable peat and sweet, powerful yet exceedingly well balanced, chewy with a good mouthfeel, some pepper and sweet spices, perhaps a bit of that agave element subtly peaking through
  • Finish – Sweet red cinnamon candies, followed by a nice agave finish
  • Water – Not necessary but holds well with a splash, becoming more herbal

So…. does the tequila work? Yes… as it has only a subtle influence rather than being very pronounced unbalancing the other elements. And that was the success here – everything in perfect harmony – sweet and salt, peat and sweet, spice and herb – all working together.

What more do we know? As usual, Kilchoman peats to 50 PPM and in this case used an ex-Bourbon cask for 8 years before finishing for approx 8 months in an ex-Tequila cask. It reminded me why Kilchoman has made its mark – there is no dramatic heavy peat here – instead, the peat provides a lovely interplay with the other cask elements.

I noted down the official tasting notes from the bottle:

  • Nose – Malted hay and tropical fruit sweetness
  • Palate – Herbacsious with layers of fresh fruits and burst of agave
  • Finish – Waves of agave freshness with soft sweet peat

In large part, I would agree with the notes… however, personally found the peat more pronounced on the palate with the agave much more subtle.

Talisker, Kilchoman, Stauning

So here goes an evening devoted to a curious trio of Rum, Tequila and Mezcal finishes with:

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