Your entire whisky business is going through severe delays as a result of scarcity of each glass and cardboard. That can be why these two Kilchoman bottlings, which had been speculated to be accessible at The Whisky Present 2021, will solely arrive on the cabinets of The Whisky Trade at the moment.
It’s an attention-grabbing pair: each had been stuffed with the identical spirit, matured for 8 years in recent bourbon casks after which given a 7 month ending in a mezcal cask and a tequila cask. Each supposedly related spirits (tequila being a particular kind of mezcal comprised of blue agave and never smoked) but producing completely different outcomes, as we’ll quickly discover out.
For those who’d like to seek out out extra about Kilchoman’s method to cask experimentation and these two casks particularly, I counsel you watch this Whisky Present video that includes George Wills.
Kilchoman 8 yo 2012 ‘Mezcal end’ (52,8%, OB for The Whisky Trade 2021, single cask #828, 223 btl.)
Nostril: very, very pure smoke. Not the basic Kilchoman smoke, that is the footprint of the mezcal. Massive and extremely correct. Barely petrol-y, with an iodine edge, smoked lemons and light-weight berries. A recent sea breeze with smoked shellfish. Saline notes and white pepper. There’s a refined vanilla observe and honey within the background, however general that is the vertical model.
Mouth: sweeter now, at the least within the first onset. After that it shortly turns in the direction of sharp, blade-y smoke, with a bitter, leafy high quality and among the acrid sharpness that you simply get in mezcal. Natural, medicinal notes too, like burnt rosemary and thyme. Only a trace of candy agave and saccharose within the background.
End: lengthy, on gentle resins and ashes, briney fruits and natural tea.
I needed to get into this. I feel it really works, however you’ll should be a fan of mezcal within the first place. This has much more mezcal aromatics to it than the Lagavulin experiment as an example (my solely reference in the meanwhile). Somewhat excessive maybe, however effectively performed. Accessible from The Whisky Trade.
Kilchoman 8 yo 2012 ‘Tequila end’ (53,4%, OB for The Whisky Trade 2021, single cask #824, 247 btl.)
Nostril: fattier and fruitier, with extra agave popping out. Gooseberries and apricots? Even a biscuity observe. After all Kilchoman has this innate Islay peat character nevertheless it’s extra within the background now. Hints of smouldering hay, leather-based and seaweed. Then again to candy inexperienced fruits. Hotter, fruitier, extra horizontal than the mezcal model.
Mouth: a lot sweeter and rounder. Apples, vanilla custard, white gummy bears. The agave is noticeable, with some black pepper and peaty notes behind it. Nonetheless a little bit of the boozy high quality that I affiliate with tequila, with decrease complexity.
End: lengthy, on vanilla and fruits, medicinal smoke and aniseed.
Whereas I want the nostril of the tequila end, general I feel the mezcal bottling has extra character. I’m somewhat reluctant in the direction of the sweetness on the palate, which takes the upperhand on this bottling. Accessible from The Whisky Trade (additionally as a bundle by the best way, combining each editions). Rating: 85/100
