Whisky: Kilchoman 13 Year (2008) for Spec’s

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 56.1%

Cask: Ex-Bourbon

Age: 13 Year (Distilled 31 May 2008, Bottled 8 June 2021)

Nose: Salty, herbal, and citrusy. Toffee blondies bars and lemon cookies adorned a tray of almond raspberry tarts beside a bed of morning glories. Pastry brunch on the beach with subtle notes of mineral-rich salty air and antique rattan furniture. Subtle smoke from last night’s bonfire behind vanilla and shortbread notes. The wife found it a tad meatier with smoked salmon skin.

Palate: Medium-bodied with herbal, salty pastry notes. A basket of shortbread cookies by the sea— grab bag of sea salt, butter, pineapple, coffee, and macadamia nut flavored. Hints of rattan furniture, dried bamboo, and beachy florals. Brûléed salmon mayo and onion nigiri careened by at train-themed kaiten sushi joint while subtle salty vanilla and herbal green tea lingered at the end. 

Finish: Lingering dryness with wood and subtle salt.

Score: 6

Mental Image: A Salmon’s Short Bread Brunch

Notes: I initially tried this blind and thought that, with the prominent pastry and salt notes, this must have been a Glen Grant. I guessed it was about 16 years old and around 58%. I mention those last two parts of the guess because they were at least not terribly far off— though my guess at the distillery was not even close. I was surprised to discover that this was a Kilchoman! I do not think I have ever had one quite like it. I did not find the tobacco notes I usually associate with the distillery, perhaps a hint of them hiding on the nose and palate. I have never had a Kilchoman that was quite so malty or studded with hints of tropical shoreside florals.

The wife had an easier time picking out heady maritime meat and smoke notes on the nose with more maple syrup, cherry cough syrup, and caramel on the palate. We did at least agree on the woodiness, with her describing it as a bamboo cutting board rather than rattan furniture. Either way, this was quite different from any other bottle I have had from the distillery. Older and more mature— perhaps tamer after thirteen years in the cask— this was a far cry from some of the younger and punchier Kilchoman that I have typically gravitated toward.

Image Credit: Whiskybase