Scottish Whisky

Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Finish

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Finish
2018 Limited Edition

50% ABV
$95 – $100
Website
Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Finish

What the Distillery Says

Sauternes Cask Finish, a limited edition release of just 30 casks, is on its way around the world, hitting shelves any time from Monday 1st October 2018.

The Sauternes Cask Finish follows a range of wine cask releases we’ve bottled over the previous five years. This latest offering differs in that it was initially matured in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred into fresh Sauternes hogsheads for five months prior to bottling. This finishing period allows the caramel and vanilla influence of bourbon barrels to be accentuated by the buttery sweetness of the desert wine casks. Meanwhile the classic peat smoke and citrus character of the Kilchoman spirit brings a distinct depth and punch to the whisky, emphasised at the increased strength of 50%.

We have previously favoured full-term maturation for our wine cask releases, bottling fully matured Port, Madeira, Red Wine and Sauternes editions every other year since 2013. The Sauternes Cask Finish approach has arguably provided a more balanced character, combining both the maritime peat smoke and tropical fruit typical of Kilchoman with the softer buttery floral notes characteristic of the Sauternes casks.

As with all recent limited editions, a neck tag details the number of bottles (10,000), casks, ages and cask types used in the vatting; in this case, the Sauternes Cask Finish is a combination of thirty 2012 bourbon barrels married in Sauternes wine casks for five months before bottling.

Anthony Wills Kilchoman Founder and MD, “The full-term wine cask maturations that we’ve released in the past have been hugely successful, but we wanted to show a more measured approach this time around. The five month Sauternes finish has allowed a more subtle sweetness and buttery character to be imparted into the spirit while maintaining the fresh fruit, citrus and vanilla notes so typical in Kilchoman releases.”

What Gary Says

Nose:  BAM! Peat smoke smacks you immediately, earthy, vegetal, a bit of sea air mist with hints of vanilla, caramel, lemon, and some sulfur in the back.
Palate:  Starts off sweet than really warms and sharpens quickly; honey, subtle vanilla, orange cream candies, caramel before a peaty, peppery bite; bit of water delays the sharpening and brings the caramel and orange notes out front a bit more.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with peat smoke and pepper spice.
Comments:  This was the first Kilchoman in a flight of three I received in a Flaviar tasting box.  I selected the flight as I’d never spent any quality time with Kilchoman, so what better way to learn!  This is definitely a peaty dram, but not in the typical Islay peaty way; I don’t get the iodine or medicinal notes. Quite a cutting, aggressive whiskey; a little unbalanced for my taste. The sauternes finish is hard to pick up.

Rating: Average

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Lagavulin 8 Yrs Old Single Malt

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Lagavulin 8 Yrs Old

48% ABV
$60-$70
Website
Lagavulin 8 yr old

What the Distillery Says

This bicentenary limited edition is magnificently full-on in flavour – a celebration of the people and craft that make Lagavulin great.

Nose: Immediately quite soft with clean, fresh notes, faint hints of milk chocolate and lemon and then developing fragrant tea-scented smoke alongside nose-drying, maritime aromas, with subtle cereal. A prickliness seen earlier now develops, while the trademark Lagavulin dryness emerges as fresh newsprint. Softly sooty. Softer, fuller and more rounded with water: it’s not hugely fruity but there’s just a trace of red berry preserve, perhaps, beneath the smokiness, which comes sharply into focus.

Palate: A soothing light texture, with a magnificently full on Lagavulin taste that’s somehow even bigger than you expect; sweet, smoky and warming, with a growing, smoky pungency, then dry, with more smoke. Charred, with minty, dark chocolate. Beautifully balanced midpalate then salty, oven-charred baked potato skins and smoke. Water rounds things, the taste still mighty yet more succulent, sweeter, spicier and now tongue-tingling, mint-fresh and warming.

Finish: Lovely; clean, very long and smoky. Smoothly, subtle minted smoke surrounds chocolate tannins, leaving a late drying note to emerge in time. It’s warming, soft and still smoky with water, not as long or intense now, yet still leaving the palate dry as sweet smoke lingers on the breath.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Peat smoke, earthy, musty, light iodine, notes of husky grains.
Palate:  Sweet peat, honey with a sharper oak and pepper spice.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with a hint of stout (seriously – Guinness?).
Comments:  Compared with Lagavulin 16 yr, the color is much lighter, the nose is less rich, and the palate is sweeter but has less depth. But for being only 8 yrs old, it is surprisingly delicious. Unmistakably Lagavulin. I’m sure the higher proof helps with the comparison (and leaves me dreaming of what 16 or 20 yr old cask strength Lagavulin must be like). Fans of Lagavulin should seek this out if only to experience the whiskey at half the age. I was definitely impressed on that score.

Rating: Stands Out

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Lagavulin 16 Yrs Old Single Malt

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Lagavulin 16 Yrs Old

43% ABV
$90-$100
Website
Lagavulin 16 yr

What the Distillery Says

Aged in oak casks for at least sixteen years, this much sought-after single malt has the massive peat-smoke that’s typical of southern Islay – but also offering a dryness that turns it into a truly interesting dram.

Region: A roaring bonfire from the coast of Islay.
Appearance: Deep amber gold.
Nose: Intensely flavoured, peat smoke with iodine and seaweed and a rich, deep sweetness.
Body: Full, rich bodied.
Palate: Dry peat smoke fills the palate with a gentle but strong sweetness, followed by sea and salt with touches of wood.
Finish: A long, elegant peat-filled finish with lots of salt and seaweed.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Intense peat smoke, worn leather, cigar paper, creosote, iodine, all on an musty, earthy foundation.
Palate:  Sweet peat notes with oak and honey to start, before nutty spice and a hint of bitter cocoa; subtle notes of celery.
Finish:  Long and lovely, slowly drying with peat smoke and hints of pepper.
Comments:  If you like peat, this is absolutely a ‘Must Try’. I’ll admit – I was surprised we hadn’t ever reviewed this – and upon that discovery set about to correct that oversight. A very well balanced pour – bold without being too aggressive. In fact, in terms of peaty single malts, I’d say this is the most seductive of the various Islay distillery’s standard bearers.

Rating: Must Try

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Wolfburn Northland Single Malt

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Wolfburn Northland Single Malt

46% ABV
$60 – $65
Website

What the Distillery Says

The smooth and warming flavours present in Northland come from the unhurried way in which the spirit is made, and from the maturation, which takes place in American oak quarter casks. Matured and bottled on site, Northland represents the first chapter in the history of Wolfburn.
Non chill-filtered @ 46% ABV.

Tasting notes
ON THE NOSE: Initially sweet with notes of fruit and fresh sea air. In the background you’ll find citrus freshness and hints of cereal, and just a trace of peat smoke.
ON THE PALATE: Sweet, nutty tones come to the fore, with hints of grapes and honey in the background. Floral flavours abound, enhanced with just a hint of dried fruit and spice.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Gentle sweet malt, smoke and subtle peat with ripe pears, cherries, and canned fruit undertones, freshly cut hay.
Palate:  Sweet barley sugar with honey and pears that sharpens with a touch of peat.
Finish:  Short to moderately long with an earthy, smokey note and a bit of pepper spice.
Comments:  A fairly ordinary single malt. Little peat and smoke (which I enjoy), nicely balanced, and I appreciate the non-chill filtering. It stands out when I throw a few drops of water in, tamping down the sharp edges and thickening the mouthfeel a bit.

Rating: Stands Out

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Glenfarclas Highland Single Malt 40 Years Old

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Glenfarclas Highland Single Malt 40 Years Old

46% ABV
$500 (when released; current 43% retails for $900+)
Website
Glenfarclas 40 Yr

What the Distillery Says

Tasting Notes
Colour: Autumn Gold.
Nose: The Glenfarclas 40 Years Old, now at 43%, has a fresh sweetness and fruity Turkish delight aroma on the nose. Its freshness and power is similar to the first time you open a bag of freshly ground java coffee beans.
Flavour: Sweet taste, followed by a peppering of caramel and chocolate explosions. Sherry power creeping its way to the back of your mouth releasing dark chocolate, raisins and sultanas.
Finish: It ends with a sweet, crisp, dry & lingering finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, thick, intense fruitcake and mincemeat pie full of raisins, figs, stewed apples, pears, plums in an old English library; old leather furniture, pipe tobacco and musty smoke.
Palate:  Rich sherried fruit, coffee cake, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, oak, dark chocolate-covered espresso beans.
Finish:  Moderately long with lingering raisins, clove and oak.
Comments:  Damn this pour is dark! This is one of those drams where I actually prefer nosing it over drinking it. Don’t get me wrong – nothing offputting on the palate (for 40 yrs old, the oak isn’t as prominent as I’d expect – which I appreciate!) The nose is probably in my top 5 favorites with such depth, complexity and balance. The palate is very nice, but not in my top 5 – and or even top 10. Don’t get me wrong – it is really good, but less complex than the nose led me to expect. This sample was from the higher-proof version (this was first released at 46%, not sure when they brought it down to 43%), and from what I’ve read this was initially a bargain at around $500 (currently much more). That’s a lotta cheddar for a bottle of whiskey – although thankfully since I like smelling it more than drinking it, I’m gonna stretch this sample out for a while..

Rating: Stands Out

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