Kilchoman Loch Gorm (2019 Edition)

Nose: Relaxed and laid-back woody peat-reek, smoke-dried fruit (is there such a thing?), oiled leather, mild baking spices and candied orange peel. There's an earthy, almost mouldy note at play as well. Adding water develops strong sweet berry notes. [The dry glass has a very faint smoky aroma]. Palate: Sweet, mildly spicy smoke with good density and many dark fruity notes in the foundation. It has a buttery quality and a fig jam note appears in the development. The oloroso sherry casks can be clearly discerned and the texture is oily but balanced by slight dry tannin. The addition of water is highly recommended as it develops the palate further and certainly produces more smokiness. There is no trace of plastic or metallic notes and no intrusive alcohol heat. Finish: Medium. The jammy note slowly changes to berry compote on the aftertaste. Sweet lingering smoke is the final impression, and adding water intensifies this. This is the most dark-fruit styled Loch Gorm I've tasted. It's unquestionably a good whisky and arguably the most complex and complete bottling to date. It's also heading steadily away from its roots towards the direction of Sanaig's profile. I think I preferred this whisky a couple of years ago when it was more raw and less polite. There was once a brisk feral woodiness to the peat-reek but it seems to be getting more domesticated with each release. In my review of the 2018 bottling I said that in comparison to the 2017 the "bonfire smoke had moved from the beach to the farmyard". Now it seems to be smoldering in the forest, and the fire is burning on damp ground. Over time in the glass the wood-smoke character of the new make begins to reassert itself over the cask influence, but it's not the instant hit in the face it used to be. It gave me the impression of being complacent rather than bursting with enthusiasm. However adding water improved this dram considerably and I'd strongly recommend a half to a full teaspoon. There was no Australian allocation for this release so I've not quoted a price below, but going on the trend from past years it would probably have been around AUS$175. Many thanks to @Soba45 for the tasting sample. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars)

When I poured my first dram of the Loch Gorm, there was an unfortunate dribble which I collected on my hands and rubbed them together before taking a deep sniff. Now I was excited. Heavy campfire smoke with BBQ grill the morning after putting a good crust on a pork roast was dominating. It was time to get my nose in the glass after contemplating the smell of the oils on my hands a few minutes. Surprise! The smoke and peat were there on the nose, but subdued and layered with dark fruit, sultanas, oak, pepper, some earthiness. The sherry cask influence is beautiful, fruity, and giving this peated scotch unexpected depth. I’ve read that this years release contains barrels from 2006 - 2011. The 13 and 12 year-old barrels are adding some depth and dark fruit that can only come with age, while I’m getting some of the sharper, younger smoke and peat as well. This is well integrated and to my taste. The palette does not disappoint. Rich, oily mouthfeel confirms that this is not chill-filtered. Dark fruit, earthy peat, smoked meat, ash, brandied sultanas, brine, oak spice. The finish is oak and some astringent quality. I put off buying this because, despite liking the Sauternes Finish release from 2018, I’d read some fairly negative reviews (and some good ones) of the 2019 Loch Gorm. Whiskey is a subjective thing. I spoke to a coworker today who loves Dewars. Seriously? So I decided to give the family distillery the benefit of the doubt and picked up a bottle. I’m glad I did. I’ll savor these drams.

Meaty, peaty, gamey smoke, maple syrup, oaky vanilla. Full oily mouthfeel. Butter toffee and spice on the tail. 11 Dec

Smoky, vanilla, marzipan nose. Soft, woody, dark fruit, smoky on the palate. Dulled but in a fantastic, smooth and refined way. Soft finish.

Had a Nikka Single Barrel before. Didn’t let it breathe properly. Nice smoky nose Smoke in the background. Spicy/sour and otherwise rather flat Finish alcohol and shoe polish?! The smoke will linger a while :) Not gonna buy a bottle.

Nez fumée. Bouche tourbée assez courte

Moderate smoke and iodine on the nose. Smoke, sweet, fruit, and bandaid on the palate.