I'm finally getting around to reviewing this Islay single malt that I've had sitting on my shelf for what seems like over a year. It's been open (but preserved with gas) since November 2016 and I've only had a few sips here and there. Kilchoman is Islay's newest distillery, established in 2005, but has quickly made a name for themselves. Grown, distilled and matured exclusively on Islay, always non chill filtered and natural color. This one is a pale straw color and bottled at 46% ABV. It is matured in ex bourbon casks and finished in sherry casks for a few months. Although it's a NAS expression, I believe it contains whiskies that are between 3-6 years old. This was bottled March 28, 2016 The nose is greeted immediately with bright citrusy peat. Like a lemon cake with powdered sugar that was rolled in a peat bed. Smoked bacon and cold bonfire ashes. Slightly medicinal Laphroaig-y notes. Brine, sea air and a mineral note. There is a faint sherry influence, some dates and raisins, but nothing all that strong or notable. More citrus emerges in the form light oranges. Some white grape juice towards the bottom of the glass adds some sweetness. Mostly just smoke after that. Very good for how young it is. Smoked brisket dusted with lemon zest on the palate. Salt and pepper with a little oak. There is a sweetness to it in the form of soft vanilla and caramel/butterscotch. Some vegetal notes with what I can only describe as a muted mint note in the background. Like with the nose, mostly just smoke after that. Medium to full bodied with a dry mouthfeel. The finish is a bit odd. It's long and short at the same time. Peat smoke lingers for a long long time, but everything else kind of falls off the table and becomes very dry. I have to say, if they can get this kind of quality out of 6 year old stock, Kilchoman has a very bright future ahead of them. For the age it is very good. Flawed in that it lacks complexity, but overall it hits all those peaty chords that I come to expect from Islay. For the price ($60) however, I'd rather save $10 and buy a Laphroaig 10 or Ardbeg 10 as I enjoyed them more than this one. Still, I'd be very to try a 10 or 15 year old Kilchoman (if they can keep theirs stocks up) in the future. 3.75 Cheers