Kilchoman KWM Single Cask Release

This release is part of their Single Cask Series. It was bottled exclusively for Kensington Wine Market in Calgary, the best liquor retailer in Canada. Distilled on July 17 2008, this matured for over five years in bourbon cask #326/2008 before being bottled on Sept 10 2013. Oh, did I mention in the last one that all Kilchomans are non-coloured and non-chill-filtered?

The colour is a pale light gold. On the nose, quite fruity with lemon, pear and honeydew. Definite peat, of course, but it never overshadows the fruit and barley sugar. A definite fresh crispness that is a hallmark of this distillery - and again, that sourdough element. A welcome drop of water brings out more barley sugar and peat smoke. Again, fascinating.

On the palate, some definite heat exploding on the tongue, with hot habanero smoke. It takes some time for the other notes - chocolate, caramel, ginger and pinecones - to come through. The creamy mouthfeel helps tie everything together - creamier with water, with the heat backing down and allowing the complexities to shine through.

The finish is unique: the peat is tamed by the citrus and light herbal essences, and is surprisingly smooth finish for a whisky with such a high ABV. Another excellent Kilchoman. Though it doesn't have the balance of the 2007, it's complexity and disparate elements warrant attention and fascination. How does it compare to the 2007? I fine the 2007 richer and with a fuller body, despite being only one year older than the KWM. But believe me, you can't go wrong with either.

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