Tastes

Feis Ile 2018 - Kilchoman update no. 5. I grabbed a sample of this from the distillery shop and was excited to try it out. In fact, it was the one I was most excited to taste. Unfortunately, a bit of a letdown here. The port finish doesn't add what I would have expected to Kilchoman's base spirit. The nose remains dry and earthy, with little sweetness: mushrooms, rice, odd savory notes abound. The palate is sweet, but the port leans toward adding medicinal sweet flavors, akin to Laphroaig. Again, unexpected. The finish features a burgeoning sweetness that combines with cinnamon spice and barley. The port tamped down the smoke in this release but really added some wild card flavors rather than the dark, rich fruits I anticipated. It's a strange dram, not unpleasant, but too surprising in odd ways to love while drinking. In comparison, the distillery exclusive PX cask showcased the crackling synergy possible with sweet and peat flavors.

I bought a bunch of samples from Kilchoman while visiting for Feis Ile 2018, just now getting around to typing out my notes. I would rate this as one of my less favorite Kilchomans, although I love their line as a whole, so it'd still be a solid B in my book. While Machir Bay is the best value in the line and a very similar scotch to Ardbeg 10, and Sanaig and Loch Gorm deliver sherry influence, Vintage 2009 is defined less by its finish and more by the clear vintage age statement, which marks it as significantly older than the other mainstays in Kilchoman's lineup. The age may help a little, but what it brings is more than a passing resemblance to Caol Ila 12. The nose is vegetal and peaty, with a vanilla note that's not present in other Kilchomans. The palate features a nice lemon citrus flavor that's familiar to any drinker of Machir Bay, more vanilla, and a light plum, along with the customary Kilchoman smoke. The smoke is most prominent on the finish. This boils down to a slightly more expensive bottle of Caol Ila 12, so I'll slightly downgrade its rating on Distiller's star system.

Feis Ile 2018 sample review, tasted alongside a host of other Kilchoman expressions, including some uncommon ones not on the site (Sauternes, PX distillery exclusive). Sanaig and Loch Gorm are two of Kilchoman's expressions that feature significant sherry influence, and the differences between the two were undoubtedly subtle. This is a classic, dry Islay nose of brine and smoked seafood. The palate has mild, malty, caramel sweetness complemented by rich hookah smoke. The finish is a bit hot and spicy at first, and lingers for a while with smoke and vegetal flavors. Loch Gorm gives a similar experience but at a higher price point, so I'd recommend Sanaig first.

Still catching up on Feis Ile 2018 updates, now working through my Kilchoman notes. Sanaig and Loch Gorm are two of Kilchoman's expressions that feature significant sherry influence, and the differences between the two were undoubtedly subtle. Loch Gorm has a dry, chalky, medicine tablet scent that belies a sweet, malty, and sherry-influenced palate. Loch Gorm is one of the less smoky Kilchomans, although there are wisps of it curling up in the mid-palate through the finish, which is also slightly grassy and fruity. Not quite enough smoky assertiveness here to hit squarely in my wheelhouse, but enjoyable nonetheless. Sanaig gives a similar experience and is significantly cheaper, so that one gets my nod, but you couldn't go wrong with either one.

Scottish trip update, had a dram of this whisky at Oban’s tasting bar. This might be one of the best value Islay whiskies out there. The additional maturation adds some more richness to this dram and heightens its family resemblance to its cousin, Lagavulin. The nose features brine, classic Caol Ila sweetness, and orchard fruit. The palate is mellow honey, warm bonfire smoke, and a slight herbal grassiness, combining to form a rich and complex whole. The end ties together toasted oak and coffee. Like a gentler Laga 16, particularly at the end.

Scotland trip update, tried this dram at Amber Bar in Edinburgh, one of the best and most affordable places in the city and my No. 1 recommendation for a whisky bar there. Torfa is most similar to, but not quite as good as, Ledaig 10. It’s all acrid peat and citrus on the nose, followed by an earthy palate of chewy loam and sharp orange citrus again. The finish continues with that sharp, slightly astringent peat note. It’s a hair too harsh and sharp, and I say this as a devoted fan of Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, etc.

Feis Ile 2018 update. Another day, another dram (or four, or seven). This was another pour sampled at Islay House Hotel and ... wow. This is quite something. It reminded me instantly of Ardbeg Dark Cove, an equally complex combination of sweet, dark fruits (plums), savory meats (ham, or bacon), salt, spice, and smoke. At the end, right on the swallow, an unexpected flourish of ripe raspberries overtook my palate. This dram outshined Lagavulin’s Feis Ile 2017 bottle and SMWS Laphroaig special release for 2017, a 21-year old single cask, both of which we tried on the same night. So, yeah, Kilchoman did something right here.

Feis Ile 2018 update. I had a dram of this whisky at Islay House Hotel, on the recommendation of a person who works at Lagavulin and one of the bartenders. It’s a more Lagavulin-like Caol Ila, so I can see why some will like it and some will be put off. The nose is very dry, mainly featuring a vegetal, dried-mushroom peat. The palate has more classic Caol Ila vanilla and citrus sweetness, and very little smoke. The smoke shows up on the finish.

Feis Ile 2018 live blogging. Laphroaig Cairdeas 15 is the second “special” 15-year old release from the distillery in the last few years. This one differs from the 200th anniversary edition because it uses exclusively Laphroaig floor-malted barley, as opposed to barley sourced from Port Ellen. That suggests this should be peatier, as Laphroaig peats its own malt to 50-55 ppm compared to the 45 ppm malt they get from Port Ellen (#tourfacts). On the nose, this whisky is medicinal, sweet, and herbal, with faint smoke and some inklings of then tart fruit that characterize mature Laphroaigs. The palate is well-balanced but a little muted: medicinal, tart fruit, chocolate-covered pretzels (salty!). A tad hotter than I expected. That tart or sour fruit flavor continues through a finish long as a May day on Islay (sunset here is 9:45 or so). Peat smoke and tar. Good but (perhaps unfairly) fading a bit compared to other drams from this week. Bonus fact: a swan named Gary lives in the shallows of the bay in front of Laphroaig.

Another live dispatch from Feis Ile. Unfortunately I’m missing Ardbeg’s open day at the end of the week because we’re leaving midway through the festival to continue our Highlands road trip. Thankfully, Ardbeg offers free samples and sells bottles of their festival release, Grooves, before the big day! I was ecstatic to get my hands on this and it did not disappoint. This has been the bottle of Feis Ile for me so far. The nose explodes with scents of sweet, crisp apple and earth. This is a complex dram with flavor far outpacing its moderate 46% ABV. The palate has a divine, creamy mouthfeel and a rich, savory combination of caramel (the dominant note) and spicy smoked salami. This whisky finishes with smoky, earthy, cappuccino peat. This is one of the best 3-5 scotches I’ve had in my life.