Single Malt
Scotland
1 Jan 2009
1 Jan 2017
The 2017 release of Kilchoman's Loch Gorm, the Islay distillery's yearly Sherry-cask-matured single malt. Ageing exclusively in Oloroso Sherry butts, this expression blends peat smoke and rich, chocolatey sweetness wonderfully. 13,500 bottles were released.
Orange and lemon notes, rich smoky peat and cooked fruit.
Rich chocolate, cinnamon and cloves combined with peat smoke.
Long and full bodied with a balance of sweet smoke.
Loch Gorm an exceptional creation. The sweetness from the sherry casks offers a sweetness on the palate and a smooth finish with enough smoke to remind you of where it's from.
It does what it intends to, providing a sweeter than normal profile and counterbalancing it with soft peatiness. Unfortunately it is rather lacking in the complexity department, even for a Kilchoman, with very little estery fruit on the nose (which you typically find much of in most 10+ Islays) and nothing too much on the finish. But, for those who like easygoing, pleasant, well-balanced Islay drams (e.g. Bowmore 15), it's quite nice and you can't go wrong with it.
Lovely dram, excellent quality, very promising (just 8 yo). Reminds me of Ardbeg Uigeadail but a little more peppery.
