Line Up #26 : Just a Few Recent Kilchoman

12 July 2024. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Line Up Project :

The idea is simply to taste some of Kilchoman's recent expressions and compare them with older ones. This will give you an idea of where the distillery is at, after all, it's still young and has a long way to go. In the previous Line Up devoted to the distillery, I said that it did not yet have the same quality as the other Islay brands, that it lacked older expressions and a real regular range. Since then, a 16 year old has been released, which hasn't totally convinced me. I haven't included it in the Line Up, as I don't have it to hand, but I do have two other editions from this year. That's enough for a nice little tasting.

Thé Tasting :

Kilchoman Loch Gruinart : This one appeared in 2020, first exclusively in France and then worldwide. It's an interesting alternative to Machir Bay, of which I'm not a fan.
Beautiful mineral peat, typical of the distillery, barely hindered by the influence of Bourbon. It's airy and iodised. Very light on the palate, with only peat and a little pepper. Perhaps a few drops of honey. Nice finish, quite long but lacking explosiveness, quite fruity and also maritime. Score : 85

Kilchoman Sanaig : Launched as early as 2015, this is one of the distillery's flagship expressions. Its ageing in Sherry casks gives it a certain sweetness.
Deep sherry with charcoal and mother-of-pearl. Honey, leather, caramel. Quince jelly and peanut butter. Well-crafted, full palate, woody apricot, light spices. Amadou. Long but slightly flat finish, dried fruits, dates, raisins, soft caramel. Score : 85

Kichoman Loch Gorm 2018 : This one is reputed to be the best of this annual limited edition, which has been around since 2013. It's a successful marriage of Kilchoman peat and Sherry.
Fine, grainy smoke, coal nuggets, liquorice, velvety prunes, damp wood, toffee-topped hazelnut.
Very well done on the palate, but a little pale, soft caramel that melts under the tongue, marzipan, loukoum, filled dates, milk chocolate, perfectly integrated spices. Long, languorous finish, forest undergrowth, mushrooms, pine needles, dark chocolate, walnuts. Score : 88

Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2024 : The 2024 edition is the 12th of the Loch Gorm for which the distillery is famous.
Bewitching smoke, lightly burnt wood, dark Sherry, black grapes and red plums. Toffee and dried banana. Very velvety and woody palate, toffee, melting chocolate, measured spices. Quite explosive finish, charcoal, cola, heather earth. Score : 88

Kilchoman Batch Strength : A new entry in the regular range, this cask strength edition shows the staff's efforts to diversify and rekindle the flame of the early years when the fledgling distillery went viral.
The nose is still very green and vegetal, with tall, damp grass, sunburnt turf and steamy peat. Iodine and tide. We've got just the right marine fragrance. The surf. On the palate, it's not exactly what you'd expect, very slightly bitter wood, Guérande salt, virulent spices. The finish is a success, as violent as one could wish, with spices, cola and pine cones. Tobacco, salt, white fruits. Score: 87

What I gain from it : 

• The regular range is as young and unaged as ever. The distillate is fine, vigorous and full of character, but lacks the finesse and subtlety to counterbalance the virulence of the peat. The new Batch Strength doesn't break the rule, and is even saturated with vegetal fragrances that don't match the distillery's usual profile.
  

 

 

• The limited editions have this finesse and subtlety, almost too much so. But they are hard to find at a price that matches their quality.
  

 

• There is little difference between the two Loch Gorm, although 6 years have passed from one to the other. This shows that the distillery is stagnating a little, if not regressing, as the 2018 edition is slightly higher than the 2024.
  

Conclusion : 

I'm beginning to wonder if there aren't a few problems with this distillery. The regular range is somewhat weak for an Islay, with unaged whiskies that have a good character, but lack complexity and depth. The limited editions are often really good, but the value for money is not there. 

 

 

 

 

All in all, there is very little really worthwhile from this distillery, whose potential is nonetheless enormous. The distillate is magnificent, but often too young. The ageing in Sherry casks is very well done, but then it lacks power. There's not much missing to bring it up to the level of its Islay brethren, but it just doesn't get there, is the step too high? 

 

 

 

 

 

It's been the status quo for several years now, and the distillery is going to have to step up to the plate, with a regular range featuring properly aged bottlings, advantageous limited editions and where the distillate really comes into its own. We'll be waiting.