Kilchoman 100% (4th Edition, NAS)

I got my hands on another bottling from Kilchoman, one of my new favorite distilleries (and the youngest on Islay). This one is "100% Islay," which is made from barley grown at the distillery, along with water found on their land - therefore every stage of the process is tightly controlled, and completely original to Kilchoman. 

This particular Fourth Edition is five years old, aged in first fill bourbon barrels and bottled at a nice stiff 50%. No artificial coloring and no chill filtering either. 


I wasn't sure what to expect, coming from their core expression "Machir Bay," which I loved. Machir Bay has some sherry influence, and this doesn't, and Machir Bay also has some younger spirit mixed in. But otherwise the differentiation seemed small. Would this be another smoky victor from Kilchoman? Are there yet more peaty praises to be sung? 

Nose: Smoke, off the top. Pear underneath, intriguingly. Vanilla. Maybe vanillapple. Surprisingly light nose - and sweet! Sugar here, right in the nose. It's also vaguely savory, a little bit of BBQ drifting around in the air. 

It actually doesn't recall much of Machir Bay - the sherry influence there, along with the different age proportions, make a larger difference than I would have guessed.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth. Almost balsamic in its smoothness. 

Palate: Cereal and smoke. Poached pear and caramel. Sugar, black pepper. Barrel char, but lightly. More sugar, which merges into, rather oddly, salt and distinct tobacco leaf. The grains are foremost, though. This is a sweet, pure-tasting dram, with thick smoke lattices between the other flavors. Robust yet quite smooth and unperturbed. This one takes a while to fully unfold, I would recommend giving it a few minutes to unwind.

Finish: As expected, smoke and cinder and spice. 

Verdict: I would put this squarely in the Recommended category with the usual caveats that you must first be fairly confident in your affinity for Islay whisky. I actually rather prefer the Machir Bay with the sherried personality that imparts more red fruit, more nuttiness, more brine and more BBQ glaze.  

It wouldn't be out of place to say that Machir Bay has "night" flavors like cherry pits and dark green moss and sea salt and thick barbeque smoke, which 100% has "day" flavors like pear, vanilla, bright clear grains, sugar. Pick according to your preference. Another winner from this young distillery. 

Link to the website for 100%: http://kilchomandistillery.com/whisky-shop/single-malt-whisky-liqueur/100-islay-4th-edition