Kilchoman is also a little off the beaten path - we took the bus and shuttled up to the distillery. It's the newest distillery and my second favorite, due to the red wine cask bottling that both Erik and Root had gotten for me for my 50th birthday. We learned that American oak extracts peat better; sherry casks are bigger than bourbon casks. Sherry makes the whiskey dark.
We learned all about the guy that started Kilchoman as an "all-Islay" brand and how his kids let the peat malting burn up the building during the World Cup.
We toured the facilities and then had a large private room for our tasting.
Impromptu dueling at the tasting table:
We had a fino cask (dry sherry) that was 5-6 years old, 50 ppm, 50% alc, dry, oily mouthfeel with a golden color, slightly sweet:
We did like the Loch Gorm. This is 10 years old, in Oloroso sherry butts, 46% alc, 50 ppm, with a deep gold color. It was rich and chewy. Yum!
There was also a distillery exclusive 7 year old bourbon cask, 57.5% alc. It was sweet, thin, not very peaty. Not my thing.
Kilchoman has THE MOST AMAZING TASTING MENU! All you have to do is show up and they will give you as much free Sanaig and Machir Bay as you want:
We were able to taste, but NOT buy the red wine cask liquor of the gods:
We managed to eke out lunch there - sandwiches and bread for thoroughly happy people:
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