Rating: 15/23 N: Leaving it a few minutes, I get some rich meat with bitter smoke, a layer of something herbal starting to go rancid (slightly), a hint of chocolate sweetness, and a thin layer of toasty grain. There is though also a prominent tartness that's like a lemony grain whisky with a bit of a bite to it. That fades the longer I leave this in the glass though as the smoke and other scents rise out. An herbal character builds, though it doesn't have much definition. Overall, this comes across as quite balanced after 10 minutes in the glass, but it never becomes very complex. The fullness does at least improve substantially though. P: Pretty rich and full without letting its malt be overly sweet. There's smoke with some peat letting bitter herbs show. Some sweet, moderately rich malt up front, but it quickly fades. Some spices cause lots of prickling. Sweet vanilla nectar with a squirt of lemon and a note of woody bitterness all mixed in with creek water. A bit of earthiness. Toasted grains as this progresses and faint anise later on. I little roast chicken at points F: Smoke with sweet water, roast chicken, black pepper, some toasty grain that borders on malt. - Conclusion - It's pretty standard aged Kilchoman, which is to say that it tastes like a mild distillate has been aged for a moderate time and it isn't all that interesting. That said, the higher proof really does help this show some more flavor and not taste watered down. I wish the 2007 vintage (13/23) had been bottled at this strength since it really needed some more definition. So I'm saying that this is better than Kilchoman 2007. Compass Box Glassgow Blend (14/23) is mellower and perhaps more muddled than this is, but it shows better barrel aging and is more approachable. I think I like the character here better with its more distinct flavors and big smokiness. On the other hand, Amrut Peated (17/23, though maybe it should be a 16/23) tastes younger and sweeter, but shows plenty of depth and complexity with nice balance and none of the aggressiveness that this has. The Amrut is definitely better. And despite its substantially lower proof, Laphroaig 10 is also substantially fuller and richer than this is. This is in the 14 to 16 range, though I think 14 or 15 is most likely. It's a 15.