Kilchoman Fino Sherry Matured (2020 Edition)

This is Kilchoman’s newest offering, their first fully fino sherry matured. I don’t think I’ve had many fino matured whiskeys , and I’m no sherry expert. But a quick google on fino sherry shows that it’s one of the sweeter variants, and strong tastes of almonds. I’m expecting the sweetness somewhere between oloroso and PX I guess, and I’d imagine the Islay character to match well against it. So...about 14k bottles of this. To me, that’s not “limited” despite the marketing tag. I only bought a sample though...had no interest in a full bottle. What surprised me the most immediately is the color. It’s pale yellow...so, maybe the casks weren’t as active? The nose is immediately bonfires and smoke. Taste is really well balanced—-you get the campfire but then followed by a dry-smoky sweetness. It’s not overly sweet, thankfully, but the sweetness is there, just plays second fiddle to the smoke. If you like your Islays sweeter, this may not be for you. But if you like the upfront smoke, with a bit of almond-y sweetness, this is worth the attention. I think I bottle is about $60-70. For that price, it’s worth it.