Origin: Isle of Islay (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 55.5%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Port
Chillfiltered: No
Additional coloring: No
Owner: Kilchoman
Average price: € 130.00
Official website: kilchomandistillery.com
Vote: 88/100
In Gaelic, comraich means sanctuary, which in medieval Scotland consisted of a series of sacred stones which made spiritually safe the area where they were distributed.
And as sanctuaries are seen those venues that, chosen on the basis of criteria of exclusivity and passion, become reference points for Kilchoman enthusiasts, where to find special and limited editions including one made only for these Comraich, which takes the same name.
Fifth batch for this cask strength whisky, distilled in June 2014 and fully matured in four fresh ex-Port hogsheads that produced 1,007 bottles in February 2022, sampled for the opening of Venice’s Comraich, Il Mercante.
This is the youngest of the batches made so far, consisting of:
– Batch 1 (2017) ex-Oloroso Sherry butts and ex-Bourbon barrels (nine years old), 55.5%ABV
– Batch 2 (2019) ex-Bourbon barrels (eight years), 55.3%ABV
– Batch 3 (2019) single farm ex-Oloroso sherry butts and ex-Bourbon barrels (nine years), 55.7%ABV
– Batch 4 (2021) ex-Bourbon barrels (nine years), 55%ABV.
Tasting notes
Pungent, earthy peat on the nose, with woody evocations of pine cones and bark mingling with Kilchoman’s proverbial citrus, with nuts, strudel, extinguished matchstick and an incisive nutmeg vein. The smoky component gains body over time, embodied in the roasted fruit (apple, pineapple) that embraces the nuts (pine nuts, walnuts), with a touch of liquorice and burning wood that maintain an inviting balance between rough and sweet.
It’s the sweeter side that makes its debut on the palate, imbued with black pepper, ginger and nutmeg that, together with sylvan smoke, offer good structure and oiliness embodied in citrus (crisp blond orange), tamarind, nuts, liquorice and a lively balsamic note that goes up to the nose better than a Monk’s. Perfect alcohol content, an excellent shoulder for the evocations that appear full-bodied and vivid.
Long, balsamic finish of toasted citrus and fruit, pepper, burnt wood, liquorice.
Very pleasant and with a killer drinkability, with that richness and complexity that makes you fill your glass almost without realising it. Honourable mention for the balsamic note that adds freshness to the smoky component, keeping it under control.