Whisky: Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured 2021 Edition

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 47.3%

Cask: PX Sherry Matured & Finished

Age: 6 Years (Distilled 2013/2015, Bottled 2021)

Nose: Stewed fruits and aromatic spice— plums with cinnamon and anise— led to leather, tobacco, sweet herbal smoke, and a kiss of salt; burning heather and sage with a touch of shoe polish.

Palate: Medium to light-bodied, oily at times, stewed fruits and herbal smoke with cinnamon, nutmeg, plums, and mellow cigar smoke; barbecued meat further in with tar, malty sugars, and a kiss of salt.

Finish: Medium-length with dried fruits and wispy smoke.

Score: 6 (78)

Mental Image: Fire in the Gingerbread Town Gum Drop Factory

Narrative & Notes: I initially tried this blind as part of an online whisky group mystery advent calendar. The smoke and fruit quickly led me to imagine that this was a sherry-matured peated malt— but which one? It did not immediately strike me as similar to any of the Islay mainstays and it lacked some of the dirty industrial quality I would expect on Ledaig.  Ardmore felt the most likely— but I have been wrong on plenty of these before.  The whisky also felt a bit light, as though it was not quite cask strength.

It turns out I should have kept my guesses to Islay! The mystery pour was the Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask special release from 2021. Of course, now that I know what it is, it is easier to contextualize my notes and see that some of these are pretty typical things I pick out on Kilchoman.

Overall, a pleasant sipper and one that I enjoyed returning to a few times— occasionally more of the meaty side appeared, but generally it was on the sweeter end for Kilchoman.