Single Malt Splendor from a Inimitable Islay Distillery

Kilchoman 9 Year Old 100% Islay Barley K&L Exclusive Cask #549 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($149.99)
“This cask is a real stoater — a thing of exceptional beauty and grace.”
– Andrew Whiteley, K&L NorCal Spirits Buyer

This very special Single Malt was hand selected by our very own Andrew Whiteley on his most recent trip to Scotland. Produced by one of the most exciting and innovative distilleries in Islay, this 9-year-old is nothing short of heavenly. Anthony Wills, the founder of Kilchoman, is not a man to cut any corners. From growing his own grain to distilling and aging on site, every possible step is taken to maximize quality. Further, Willis feels that whisky, much like wine, is about place. This is very much on display in this exceptional dram. Fresh, expressive, and showing notes of herbs, Christmas spice, and sea salt, it is notable for its precision and focus. It perfectly captures all the best characteristics of an Islay malt. A wisp of smokiness from peating and its time in Bourbon barrels compounds its complexity, making for a rich and inviting dram.

Because it is a relatively new distillery (at least by Scotland’s standards), Kilchoman doesn’t yet have the following the more established brands enjoy. However, the tide is turning, as more and more Scotch drinkers are coming to recognize that Kilchoman is making some of the more intriguing bottlings in the region. As with all of our single cask exclusives, quantities are very limited, so we strongly recommend picking up your bottles today. This is an ideal scotch to drink now and through the holidays. For more on this remarkable single cask, be sure to check out our most recent Spirits Journal post.

Kilchoman 9 Year Old 100% Islay Barley K&L Exclusive Cask #549 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($149.99)

When Kilchoman opened in 2005 it was the first new distillery on Islay in 124 years. Their founder, Anthony Wills, had a special approach in mind for a new kind of distillery. He wanted to create something with purpose and intention. His dream was to engage with the entire process of whisky making. He bought a farm and opened a distillery, making whisky in the same way it was always made: grow your own barley, malt it yourself, make your own whisky, age and bottle it on site, and deliver a product that shows an incredible sense of place, quality, and the heart and soul of the people who made it. Kilchoman is a true farm distillery in every sense. We were fortunate enough to peruse the dunnage warehouses with Anthony himself this past May and after tasting many casks, we settled on this beauty. For one, it’s just simply an outstanding whisky. But just as importantly, it tells the story of Kilchoman from start to finish in a way that many others didn’t. Laid down in 2008, just a few short years after opening, this dram was bottled just shy of its 10th birthday, making it one of the oldest Islay barley bottles out there. It encompasses everything that makes Kilchoman unique. From the salt breeze, fresh-cut grass notes of newly harvested barley grown within eyesight of the stills, to the sweet smell of wood from the exclusive Buffalo Trace barrel, to the lighter peat treatment in their own malting barn and kiln, this whisky is a pure expression of people and place.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 22, 2018

This cask is a real stoater. A thing of exceptional beauty and grace. The 100% Islay barley sings its sweet song loud and clear. While the Machir Bay typically hovers around 50ppm in phenols, the Islay barley malt is lighter in peat smoke, roughly 15-20ppm. The result is a nuanced whiskey that cries out with freshness. In addition to the fruitiness, there are really complex floral and vegetal tones, like a field of clover blossoms. It’s citrusy, with notes of cut grass, a touch of sea salt, tropical fruit, and a delicate smoke like a campfire wafting across the bay on a foggy night. The palate is superbly balanced. The Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrel leaves a signature cinnamon and butterscotch profile while the barley, grown just a few hundred yards from its malting barn and stills, really dials up the sweet fresh fruit. The finish is clean and long, lingering with more citrus, creme brulee, and easy smoke.

Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 27, 2018

Kilchoman selects the best heart of what they distill, taking a very clean cut of the fresh distilled whiskey. This cask reflects this with its beauty and purity. The nose is pretty and seductive, a mix of smoke and sweetness with a hint of sea. In the mouth with no water it is round and balanced, much more subtle than one would expect. With a splash of water this cask opens up, showing layers of complexity with a nice sweet roundness, smoke, sea flavors and spice. There is a long finish.

Cameron Price | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 22, 2018

I know it’s only August but now is the time to start thinking about your Christmas whisky! And I hope you stock up on this one! Our exclusive 9 year Kilchoman is in my opinion going to be our Christmas smasher. This whisky is 100% Islay barley which comes from the farm on site at the distillery and is barreled exclusively for K&L in ex-Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels for 9 years! Islay is known for producing some dominating peated whiskies however with this one the balance is so incredible you almost have to search for it. First hit on the nose is almost like a cinnamon spiced cake with a bit of smoke coming in from the kitchen in which it was baked – but the room is far away so it’s not overpowering. There’s even a light flintiness to the nose with a moist waft of fresh hay. The palate, my word, that palate! A spicy, rich attack of sweet spices and salinity that are sure to carry you through the holiday. There is a lovely mouth-coating viscosity that takes that attack and calms it down, letting you macerate your taste buds for whatever length of time you desire. When I put this whisky to my lips, I pictured myself around the fire with a good book or off the coast of Scotland in a Viking ship fighting off invaders. Elegance and power are represented here and this little guy is sure to please the entire spectrum of the Scotch drinking crowd. Remember, only at K&L!

Miles Philippe | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: August 22, 2018

Two words that unlocked this for me: Elegantly composed. The nose on this is simply astounding! It’s got all kinds of spices; its slightly herbal, toeing the line of medicinal, and overall just damned pretty. And the peat is used beautifully here. Like how a chef would use salt to unleash the medley of flavors of a dish, so too did the master at Kilchoman utilize peat with this bottling. Just add a drop of water to open this darling up, then savor the orchestral performance!