Kilchoman Loch Gorm (2019 Edition)

From core range this is my best. Well ballanced , smoked sherry style whisky. A lot of dark fruits, risins,plums,figs. Christmas cake with ash. It reminds me a little Lagavulin DE. Overall good whisky.

(3 Kilchoman Evening with a dram of Machir Bay, Sanaig and Loch Gorm each. This Loch Gorm is the 2020 release.) Nose: very welcoming with the delicious signature Kilchoman peat which btw I much prefer over the Islay veterans from Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Co. - it is on par quality wise with the peat style of Bunnahabhain which I also like a lot. Additionally there is some really dark and dry sherry which almost isn’t fruity anymore. Also cold iced black tea with pomegranate or maybe hibiscus flowers which are more sour than sweet. Very interesting. Palate: a nice fruity balance of sweet and red fruits / berries. Much more accessible as the Machir Bay for sure because it pulls equally hard an both the sweet and and woody peat strings. Very likable for sure. The alcohol is quite strong though. Intense but not smooth although nicely malty sweet - burned malt in fact. Finish: long and dominated by the peat but directly followed by a dry sherry depth. Very much recommend this as a fantastic Islay alternativ to people (like me) who can’t access the rubber / plastic / tennis ball / band aids / ash / cold smoke character of other representatives from that unique island. Very interesting, deep and intense.

For me, Kilchoman has been one of my favorites. They’ve consistently produced top notch products, with a very reasonable price tag. We don’t give enough credit to those distilleries that have such a consistent output across all their lines, and yet you can readily find it and pay not more than $110-125 in the US and $80-100 in EU. And, this , their Loch Gorm has that magical peat + sherry maturation to make it smoky sweet. This sample comes courtesy from my kiwi buddy @Soba45. I had my first Loch Gorm years ago, probably 2015 or so . That was a brute, but really well made brute. This is a different Loch Gorm. Creamier, more elegant. It’s aged well, adding a layer of elegance to the peat. You get the classic smoke up front, but the mouthfeel is more like liquified butter. If you see this around $100, it’s a no brainer buy. Skip the Ardbeg latest release hype or the Macallan “how deep are your pockets “ releases. This is better. Thanks @Soba45 for the pour !

This is a Christmassy malt. You get the upfront sherry and a good hit of smoky, peat, but the main thing you notice is the dark fruits. It’s a very smooth dram. The finish tends towards slightly bitter, but it doesn’t diminish the overall taste. Very nice!

Peat, iodine, pear, citrus, vanilla