Sunday 6 May 2012

Whisky Discovery #97

Kilchoman 100% 3 Year Old 100% Islay Bottle (50% abv, OB, 2012)
Islay Single Malt Whisky
Circa £70.00

Kilchoman 100% Islay

Kilchoman, (pronounced kilhoman) was the first distillery to be established on Islay in over 124 years. The distillery was built in 2005, with the first run of new spirit coming off the stills later that year. It’s also is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland with an annual production of approximately 100,000 litres of alcohol, but gives everyone the opportunity to see all that is best in the grass-roots traditions of malt whisky distilling, from barley to bottle.

Kilchoman is one of only six distilleries to carry out traditional floor maltings, but the key difference is that the barley is grown right there on their farm, whereas other distilleries purchase barley from around the country.

100 tonnes of malting barley (variety – ‘Publican’) is grown and malted at the distillery. This represents 30% of their annual production. The balance of malt is purchased from the Port Ellen Maltings on the island. They are one of only six distilleries in Scotland that carries out its own traditional floor maltings. The majority of distillers purchase their malt from large commercial maltings.

Both malts are kept separate throughout the production process, and this 100% Islay single malt whisky - from barley to bottling was recently created.

The whisky has been produced from barley grown, malted, distilled, matured and bottled at the distillery. Peated to 20ppm this inaugural 100% release has been aged in a combination of fresh and refill Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels for over 3 years.

So what did I think?
Light and Golden in colour and far more complex that you would ordinarily expect from a young whisky. On the nose there were soft peaty aromas, citrus, pear drops, fennel and vanilla, and after the initial sweetness on the palate the soft peat smoke, vanilla and even a touch of butter scotch. A really enjoyable whisky and this is destined for my shelf.

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