Kilchoman Sanaig (2016 Edition)

Named after a rocky inlet in the northwest of Islay, Kilchoman Sanaig is the distillery's second NAS core range bottling beside 'Machir Bay'. What a flattering nose! Cooked fruits, cloves and bonfire smoke harmonize with toffee, marshmallows and hints of salt. After a mouth-watering and warming arrival, the sherry cask influence becomes more prominent. Imagine peaty sweetness, wood tannins, brine and lemon zest, lingering on the palate for endless minutes. Almost reminiscent of Lagavulin DE, this young single malt scores with quality and character. RATING: 3.9/5.0 stars ≙ 86 pts → FIRST-CLASS [-]

Well-rounded. Beautifully peaty while still finishing on sweet notes. A pleasurable experience for the Islay lover. You want this in your cabinet.

This is really enjoyable, with plenty of flavour. I found a very good balance between peat and sherry. It is a little similar to Laphroaig PX, only much more rounded and cohesive. The peat is a supporting base tone, with fruit and chocolate playing at the sweet end. Hot and long on the finish

This was Scot's contribution as part of our Scottish sampling team. I'm constantly amazed as to how well Kilchoman produces really good whisky; I guess it's not a new comer anymore, being that it's 10 years old. But, relatively speaking, it's still a young distillery. I also think it a full farm to bottle operation, if I'm not mistaken. Grown on Islay, fermented, distilled, and bottled there. NCF and no-coloring too, which is a bonus. The aromas and flavor remind me of a young Lagavulin. Burnt rubber, briny, salty peat, and enough citrus backbone to keep it all tied together. Last year's Loch Gorm blew me away, and this is almost up there as well. Thanks Scott.