Review #16: Kilchoman 4yr 2006/2011, OB for WIN, 60.0%, bourbon hogshead, C#252/2006, 261 bottles

not the oldest release ever

Because this is the oldest release ever -- 6 (or maybe) 5 years old. It makes me wonder about buying Kilchoman now -- since there are plenty of other things to buy -- and the longer you wait, the older the whisky that becomes available. From what I can gather, quality is going up, too ...

I wonder if at some point they'll take bigger heart cuts, too. Apparently if you want something palatable at 3yrs old, you take a tiny cut from the middle of the run. But I imagine (on the basis of pure guessing) that that takes out flavor components that would be nice to have around 10 yrs later, too.

Anyway, Serge says that very young malts are always better as single casks (he might think), because individuality > balance in those cases -- with Kilchoman in particular. So here's one.

It's sweeter and more floral than I expected. I mean, sure, it smells like an incinerator, but on top of all the soot there's a nice floral sweetness -- vanilla toffee, honeysuckle, rose water. Lots of brine and camphor, too. The peat is mostly ashy, but at least it was something medicinal and something earthy that's been smoldering for a while now. A wet and thoroughly bandaged stablehand.

On the palate it's a fistfight between malty sweetness and ashiness, with some lemon trying to break it up. The ashiness wins, taunts everyone, lingers around for while, and says a few earthy things as the others depart.

This one is a lot of fun, though I wish I heard more from the earthy side of the peat.

score: 88