Origin: Isle of Islay (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 50%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry, STR
Chillfiltered: No
Additional coloring: No
Owner: Kilchoman
Average price: € 90.00
Official website: kilchomandistillery.com
Vote: 80/100
The first Italian edition of this bottling that sees three different maturations, hence the name that recalls not only the triad of casks but also the distillery’s symbol of Celtic origins, killing two (or three) birds with one bottle.
Ex bourbon casks, ex Oloroso sherry casks and the now famous ex wine casks treated with the STR process (shaved, toasted, recharred) that produced 1,260 bottles by the end of 2023.
At the time of writing, versions for other European countries have also been released, united by the same principle and with similar strengths but in some cases with different casks: Sweden and France (in the first batch) as Italy, Holland with bourbon, sherry and sauternes and the second batch for France with bourbon, sherry and port.
This new series picks up on the spirit of the Small Batch Releases for Selected Markets of a few years ago, in which the Machir Bay (aged mostly in ex-bourbon with a proportion of ex-sherry) underwent additional maturation in a third type of cask.
Tasting notes
On the nose, peat smoke permeates the confectionery counter with tarts (with sour cherry jam and red fruits), soft chocolate and orange biscuits and banana bread, although it soon brings out a fleshier, fatter appearance of grilled sausages and lard. Hints of malt and burnt herbs, with a slight vegetal background inflection. Along the length, a balsamic vinegar reduction left too much on the fire emerges.
Sharp and spicy at the mouth, black pepper and ginger ally themselves with paprika to open the curtain on a compote of orange, clove and star anise, with liquid smoke overflowing everywhere, amidst toasted wood and clippings thrown into the fire. Little room for finesse, with sketches of catalan cream and chocolate fondue slipping under the surface, in a swirl of ash.
Quite a long finish, in which orange marmalade, spices and cinchona gasp in the sea of bragies.
The traditional 50ppm of Kilchoman’s peat reigns supreme, let loose without much respect for Kilchoman’s soul, scarcely present and lacking the elegance to which they have accustomed us. As sycophantic and flattering on the nose as it is raw and ungainly on the palate.