Tasting Notes:
Kilchoman Club Small Batch Release Fourth Edition
Style: Ashy and Subtly Sweet
Nose:
A puff of sweet vine grapes quickly engulfed by ashy smoke. Followed by a dash of rice vinegar, pepper and spice. Creamy caramel can be traced in the almost overwhelming smokescreen, is this a competition with Lagavulin? No…Different style, not as meaty. Clearer fruits and peat sitting at the finish line.
Palate:
The sweetness from the grapes amplifies, yes, some French dessert wine this is, satisfying sweet and grape-y fragrance filling my mouth. Then I am shrouded in smoke again, flakes of ashes fired up with heated spice, this is no ordinary Kilchoman. The sweetness in the body stays strong, it transcended to a multiple fruitiness, some orange and mango notes… The oak gives an extra bitter bite at the very end.
Finish:
Plenty of grapes and fruits sweetness lingering on the finish without too much hassle, the veil of smoke slowly waning. Left we have more of the oak and peat. Ticklish spice fizzles for a short bit and all comes to an end.
Thoughts:
I tried a fair few Kilchomans and this is something different. You have a lot of smoke in this. While I think the sweetness from the Sauternes was utilised to balance against the robust smoke, but interestingly the flavours did not merge. Instead the sweetness and smokiness are somewhat parallel to each other, it is like a dessert sweet Kilchoman is traced by a shadow of smoke and burning ashes. Bold, interesting character that I enjoyed more and more when I re-taste it (Yes, I usually taste a few times when I write my reviews, if it is my own bottle…).
[60% • 2015 • Non Chill Filtered • Non Coloured • Cask Strength • Aged approximately 5 years • Limited Edition • Bottle Number 352 • 909 Bottles]
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