A handsome release from Islay's newest distillery, Kilchoman Sanaig is an enjoyably peaty single malt which has been vatted from both bourbon and sherry casks. It's named after a small, rocky creek rather near the distillery on the west coast of the island. Look out for plenty of fruit and earthy peat coming through on this one, with a touch of dark chocolate-covered raisins.
Pineapple chunks and white grapes. Hints of fresh coffee carry the earthy, subtly spicy peat. Toffee cubes.
More light fruits (this time of the peach variety), with dark chocolate raisins and a whisper of red berries. Peat grows and grows, with a little black pepper too.
Quite long with coastal peat lasting.
Peaty notes take time to emerge, but earthy in nature. Initial hot is from the Olorosso sherry cask with the American White Oak hidden for a while, but vanilla starts to emerge. The colour betrays the dominant assertive nature of the Quercus Robur cask, with the high porosity initially overwhelming all else. Usual sultanas raisins dried apricots, apples, pineapple, banana, dried orange and lemon peel. Currants and figs also. American Oak difficult to identify sometimes. Can't say this is well balanced but it is pleasant and very sweet. Salty taste initially accompanied by spices. Medium to full bodied mouthfeel. Certainly mouth coating. Finish is very nice, sweet yet peaty and earthy.
Opens with delicious rich, raisiny, coffee/chocolatey notes, warm and spicy in the palate with a superb peppery sweetness building with dark chocolate pudding flavours and finishes long with spice, pepper and creamy, smokey oak vanilla. Quite fantastical!
a superb peated whisky. It have a wonderful and very rounded palate.
Darkness of colour suggest Oloroso cask ACE, especially since NCA, not sweet, waxy oily enough IMO for PX. Viscous, reflecting NCF. Peat initially, but not overwhelmingly so. Keeps waxing and waning in peatiness. Occasional hint of smoked meat but again dissipates rather rapidly. Certainly chocolate, raisins, hint of pineapples. Youthfulness shows through as slight hint of acetic acid but rapidly disappeared. 15 minutes airing the raisins sultanas and figs all strengthens as the peatiness recedes. Very nice, but has to compete with Ardbeg Uigeadail. For me, the latter wins. Still very pleasant.
Very good. Kilchoman have at least two things going for them with this dram: First a full bodied peat, that's very welcoming and avoids the stingy and stinkier peat notes that some young whiskeys have. Second, a very careful cask selection of good active casks, that seem to really add a lot of good flavor and fullness. This was made by a perfectionist and easily worth the relatively high price-point.
