Scottish Whisky : Scotch

"Machir Bay at cask strength has such intense flavours, the tropical fruit on the nose jumps out of the glass and the citrus sweetness on the palate is so concentrated and powerful."

- Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.

Kilchoman Distillery sits nestles amongst the traditional buildings of Rockside Farm on the north-west coast of Islay. Famous as Islay's Farm Distillery, the distillery's barley fields stretch west to the shores of Machir Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Kilchoman is unique in many ways, most notability for their 100% Islay range, Scotland's only Single Farm Single Malt. The Madeira Cask Matured was distilled in May 2016 and filled into 46 fresh Madeira Hogsheads for over 5 years. This, the second Madeira Cask Matured release, has been matured solely in fresh casks, adding an abundance of juicy fortified wine notes and a rich mahogany colour to the Kilchoman spirit.

Sanaig, named after an inlet on Islay’s rugged Atlantic cost, is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in both sherry and bourbon barrels. This sherry cask scotch whisky is matured in a high proportion of oloroso barrels, imparting a balance of dried fruits, dark chocolate and rich peat smoke into the spirit.

Sanaig, named after an inlet on Islay?s rugged Atlantic cost, is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in both sherry and bourbon barrels. This sherry cask scotch whisky is matured in a high proportion of oloroso barrels, imparting a balance of dried fruits, dark chocolate and rich peat smoke into the spirit.

The 2020 Kilchoman Small Batch Release is a vatting of Bourbon & Oloroso Sherry matured Kilchoman at 47.4% with one specially selected Pedro Ximenez Sherry Hogshead at natural cask strength.

Expect to find the classic Kilchoman citrus and peat smoke with added layers of treacle, toffee & cooked fruits.

This is batch 2 of the Small Batch Releases with 1,260 bottles produced.  

This new expression from Kilchoman has seen their spirit fully matured in ex-Cognac casks from Tonellerie Bossuet (France). 

These casks impart a herbaceous, sweet and spicy character that balances against the robust peat smoke character of the whisky. The palate carries a toasted oakyness, with lush fruit laced with crystalised ginger warmth.

 A tang of citrus oil lifts through the smoke and sweet wood in the finish.

Single malt Scotch whisky from the Knockando distillery in the prolific Speyside region, aged for a dozen years before being bottled. Interestingly, they seem to have done away with including the vintage for this bottling...

Nose: Banana chips, honey'd barley and a few fleeting floral flourishes.

Palate: Cadbury Fingers, brown bread with butter, sultanas and honeydew melon.

Finish: A slow build-up of cinnamon and black pepper.

A 15 year old  single malt Scotch whisky from the Knockando distillery in Speyside. It has been matured in a combination of Sherry and refill bourbon casks. Knockando whisky is one of the major components to the renowned J&B blend.

An elegant, sophisticated Knockando, Master Reserve 21yo is made with casks lying in the coolest part of the warehouse. These casks take longer to mature and the resulting malt is extremely smooth.

Nose: Ginger, oak spice, ice cream and pralines.

Palate: Almond and clove, with a touch of Sherried raisin. Honey-covered apples.

Finish: More honey, with a little touch of spearmint.

Originally released as a Travel Retail Exclusive, behold this 10 Year Old from Islay's Lagavulin! Having rested in first fill American oak bourbon casks for a decade, it's a glorious combination of sweet, salt and spicy notes, all wrapped up with fragrant peat smoke.

Nose: A sea breeze runs throughout rock salt, ripe apple, burnt sugar and maritime peat smoke.

Palate: Sweet and salty, with a good kick of chilli pepper, followed by roasted almond and more smoke.

Finish: A creamy, smoky, spicy finish.

Inspired by the spirit of intensity and pride that shines through a Lagavulin history more than 200 years long, our Malt Master explores the famed symbols of the ancient Mesoamerican art of tattoo, rich in story and significance. The whisky, finished in Don Julio An?ejo tequila casks, pulses with herbal flavors ancient and modern, engraving an indelible story.

Tasting Notes:

Appearance: Bright pale sunlight. Good beading and legs.
Nose: The immediate aromas are slightly more medicinal than smoky, showing hints of carbolic soap and soothing rub that soon mingle with aromatic wood smoke from a driftwood bonfire on the beach. As the intense, herbal smoke takes over, a savoury note drifts through it, suggesting barbecued pork. A drop of water reduces the intensity yet adds more maritime and darkly fruity notes, making the smokiness yet more aromatic.
Body: Medium.
Palate: At natural strength, the robust texture is creamy-smooth and mouth-filling, while with its ever-richer swirling flavors the taste is sweet at first and citrus-like, adds a good sprinkling of salt, then reveals notes of juicy plum in an increasingly smoky and lip-tingling finale. With a dash of water, it?s a little sweeter and smokier still.
Finish: Long, with a salty tang and finishing very smoky, with just a hint of that light meatiness in a smoky aftertaste that is both lingering and mouth-cooling. It is drying, with a lovely warm-heartedness.
ABV: 56.4%

Aged in oak casks for at least sixteen years, this much sought-after single malt has the massive peat-smoke that's typical of southern Islay - but also offering a dryness that turns it into a truly interesting dram.

Back in the 1880s Alfred Barnard, author of The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, enjoyed an 8 year old Lagavulin he described as "exceptionally fine". As part of their 200th anniversary celebrations, the distillery have therefore decided to recreate an 8 year old! It's bottled at an exciting 48% abv and was matured in refill European and American oak casks.

Nose: Salted popcorn, honey-roasted nuts, tarry ropes and light hints of freshly-chopped cedar. A touch of burnt sugar sweetness lingers.

Palate: Smokey peat appears first on the palate, followed by coriander seed, barley sugar, cumin powder, smoked kipper and marzipan.

Finish: Layers of apple crumble, toasted almond and ash. Another kick of cooking spices right at the end.