Kilchoman Small Batch, La Comptoir Irlandais, Bourbon/Oloroso/Fino / 49.2%/ 0.7l

Kilchoman Distillery began operation in 2005, the first distillery to open on Islay in 124 years.

The owners call it a “farm distillery,” as some of the grain used for distillation (around 25%) comes from nearby fields. The barley malted on-site has a phenol content of 20-25 ppm, while the barley delivered from the Port Ellen malthouse has twice that. An expansion completed in 2018 doubled the capacity of the plant to 480,000 litres of distillate per year. This limited edition from 2022 was exclusively for the French importer and distributor, Le Comptoir Irlandais. The whisky, distilled from malt with a phenol concentration of 50%, was aged in three types of casks: bourbon (70%), Oloroso sherry (5%) and Fino sherry (25%). 1,260 bottles were released.

Nose: peaty and fruity, green apples, lemons, grapefruits, plums, vanilla, caramel, salted peanuts, white pepper and a hint of salty breeze.

Palate : peat smoke, salty breeze, seaweed salad, apples, pears, lemon peel, brined olives, white pepper, milk chocolate and a hint of vanilla.

Finish : quite long, with notes of peat smoke, roasted nuts, salted caramel, apples, lemongrass and oak.