26 March 2022.
A bit of history (those who are familiar with it can skip this part)
It's often forgotten, but Kilchoman remains the last independent distillery on the Isle of Islay. The man who founded it, Anthony Wills, is still its Managing Director. He had this crazy idea in the early 2000s to build a farm that would also be a distillery, or rather a distillery that would also be a farm. Where everything would be made on site. Or almost. The site was bought near the village of Kilchoman, with an investment of £4.5 million, the work was completed and the site was inaugurated in June 2005. The first distillation took place on 14 December of the same year.
Success came very quickly. In 2009, the very first bottling was snapped up. In 2012, the first Core Range expression, Machir Bay, was launched and went on to win awards. Today, 16 years after its launch, the distillery is part of the world of Islay and cannot be ignored. 20% of the barley used to produce the whisky is grown on site, and the rest is sourced from the Port Ellen maltings. The product is peated at 50 ppm, except for the 100% Islay, which remains at 20 ppm. The site is expanding, and the decision has been taken in 2019 to double production, although this has apparently not yet been achieved. The General Manager, who produces multiple bottlings each year, is a native of the island and is called Islay Heads. A short story, but a long way to go!
The Line Up Project
It's all about discovering this young distillery. What does it have to add to the older, more established distilleries? Being 123 years younger than all its predecessors can be a little intimidating. How did Kilchoman manage to make its mark? What is its identity, its profile? I'll try to answer these questions by sampling a few expressions.
However, there's one that I don't like very much, and that's
Machir Bay. I'm well aware that many are fans of it, and that it has even become the distillery's trademark. But I'm going to exclude it from my tasting, because I think it gives a false picture of Islay Heads' recent work. Too smooth, too young, too monochrome.
I also missed an example of the
100% Islay, an interesting annual limited edition that I didn't have on hand, even though I had the opportunity to taste it on two
occasions. It's a shame, because this very cereals-flavoured expression adds a special nuance to the distillery's range.
The Tasting
Kilchoman Sanaig :Launched in 2015, this second expression of the Core Range is for me the most representative. Aged mainly in Oloroso Sherry casks, it bears witness to an inclination that distillers have been pursuing for some time now.
Right away, the fruitiness of the Sherry and a full ashtray. Ripe, flavoursome plums that don't stop the peat from rising. A touch of iodine, then it becomes more syrupy, with amarena cherry. Seaweed. Pleasant palate, woody, leathery, dried apricots, pinch of salt. Quite long finish, a little aggressive, liquorice, ferns, heather.
Score: 85 Kilchoman Fino Sherry Matured :Launched in 2020, is this limited edition the start of a new annual product, like Loch Gorm or 100% Islay? Apparently not, as there was no new edition in 2021.
The nose is a little heavy, very sweet and thick, and the smoke is to be crossed to the knife, full of gravel and ash. After a while the two combine quite well, with morello cherries and leather. The palate is also fruity, acidic, gooseberry, strawberry, pomegranate, spices, nutmeg, chocolate, cloves. Raspberry cake with hints of charcoal. Powerful, earthy finish, with tinder, sandalwood, salt, coffee and tobacco. Score: 88
Kilchoman Am Bùrach : The result of an accident, or so the marketers told us, this new limited edition is a testament to the team's expertise in multiplying maturation.
The smoke is very balanced, woody and meaty, with a touch of resin, grilled bacon, tinder and Armenian paper. The port is not overpowering, but the smoke is not very strong either, everything is linked. The palate is again very fruity, rich, with a hint of salt. Spices, varnished wood, tobacco. Very long finish, with nutmeg and tinder, charcoal and heather. Score: 88
Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2019 :Loch Gorm has been around since 2013. It's a complete success, both in terms of quality and originality. Every year a new limited edition is launched with the same high standards.
The nose is enticing, with dried fruit and a fine, ashy smoke. Apricots, figs. Orange jam. On the palate, it's rich, still fruity, with spices, charcoal and good big peat. The finish is long and powerful, with tar, bitumen and liquorice. Score: 88
Quite fine smoke, in the heart of the Oloroso's swirls. Plums, blackcurrants, blackberries, all with woody hints. Chimney fire. Sweet palate, marzipan, cake pastry, pudding, then spices, peat, bitumen. Long finish, lignite, peat, mud, black earth, berries. Score: 88
A very fine, full-bodied nose of dried fruit, iodine and leather. Sweet, yet woody, with discreet smoke. On the palate, tangy fruits, Gariguette strawberries, gooseberries, with a pinch of salt and spices. Score: 88
The nose is highly nuanced and complex, with dried fruits, quinces and apricots on one side, soft, subtle smoke on the other, and a hint of iodine in the background with slightly acidic red fruits, gooseberries and raspberries. On the palate, fruits, very slight acidity, spices, smoke in the background. The finish is very long and really moves you, with wood and dry earth, damp undergrowth and dark berries. Score: 90
Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength :As an alternative to the classic Machir Bay, I suggest this cask strength version, which was released as a limited edition in 2020 and has a alcohol content of just under 60°.
Beautiful granitic and rocky peat, limestone, iodine, marine hints, a touch of banana and white grapes. On the palate, a dash of vanilla, thick peat and spices. The finish burns a little, but it is long, powerful, with seafood and rock. Score: 86
What I gain from it
- First of all, Kilchoman has its own identity. This is absolutely necessary if you want to survive on Islay. It's a whisky with a lot of iodine and a lot of peat. The peat gives it intensity and power, the iodine gives it breadth and character. But what makes it special is that it is very mineral. It's made from limestone, gypsum and quartz. So it's different from the other distilleries on the island.
- However, this personal touch seems insufficient for distillers. The last few years have shown that they are trying to make their whisky more complex, to mark it with all sorts of Sherry, Port and Madeira, very successfully in fact. You get the feeling that the distillery is still finding its feet, but at the same time this effort to diversify is attracting attention and driving collectors crazy. It's a way of being constantly in the spotlight.
- Added to this is a cereal tendency, particularly noticeable in 100%Islay, but which is beginning to be found in most expressions. Kilchoman is also a farm, and it's only natural that you should notice it in their juice.
- Finally, there has been a significant improvement in the product in recent years. The Kilchoman of about five years ago were certainly rather young, powerful and full-bodied, but lacking in nuance and complexity. Today, they have gained in maturity and subtlety, without losing much of their power.
Conclusion
Kilchoman had no trouble fitting into the world of Islay. It was immediately given the attention it deserved. It has carved out a place for itself, and better still, a personality. It's the first step for a young distillery. Today it is 16 years old, the age of maturity. However, the regular range is still as poor as ever, with two NAS that are certainly nice, but need to be improved. When will we see an aged expression? A 10-year-old Machir Bay, a 12-year-old Sanaig? When will there be some consistency in their productions? Right now you get the feeling that they're trying out a bit of everything just to see what comes out. They need a direction, an overview, over the long term. Maybe regular limited editions that come out every year, a bit like the Diageo Special Releases. With familiar names (Loch Gorm, 100% Islay), and one or two more experimental ones. That would avoid the feeling of getting a bit lost in the midst of all these new releases, and always having the sensation of having missed something.
For me, Kilchoman is at a turning point. They were very successful when they were born, they found themselves as a young distillery. Now it's the start of a second period, they have to find a direction, but are struggling to make a real commitment. It's a time of maturity. We're waiting for them.
All pictures were taken on the distillery site.
