It would leave a massive hole in the core range if this stuff disappeared. It offers something that you don't get from any of the others. I think Kilchoman do a great job with their core range in general really. They all offer something different and they're all good. Although I still have my favourites 🙂 Cracking distillery. Cheers Geoff 🥃
Thanks for reviewing this whisky, Shane. I'm a fan of Kilchoman but have not had much of the 100% Islay as it always seemed to sell out before I could grab a bottle. Cheers to another great review!
This is spectacular for me!! I love it! I am unhappy knowing casks will be changing. I’d pay any day for such high integrity bottling! Outstanding! This beauty did a fabulous dance on my palette!! Such a treat!! Terrific video!!
That's really great to hear. It's magical when you connect with a whisky like that. I hope you'll be able to get a spare bottle or two of this batch. Cheers Christine 🥃
Great review my friend! I’m a fan of the 100% Islay and I like the lower ppm peating, it really lets the wonderful Kilchoman spirit shine through. It was actually the 100% Islay 11th edition that made me a Kilchoman fan.
Great review, as usual! Lots of really good, detailed information. I really enjoy this bottle - haven't tried this Batch 13, but have 8th and 11th batches. Very visceral, and I like that they generally stick to mostly bourbon casks to allow the distillate to shine through. For me, it allows that soft farmyard funk from Kilchoman to be showcased.
I really loved the Batch 12 even more. Your take on it is so right, it's not that peat level for sure, probably more like 20-25PPM. But boy does that make a balanced product with such flavorful grain notes without being too funky.
Very true. All about balance. I struggled with the less intense peat in this one at first but grew to love it. It shows a side of Kilchoman that you don't get from any of the other releases. Really genuine 👍
I really need to get my head out of nether regions and buy this bottle. For some reason I never have and it's been on the radar for years. Unfortunately, I recently spent a similar amount on the Kichoman Fino which doesn't taste significantly different to the Machir Bay.
Always disappointing when a special doesn't deliver on the promise. Hopefully it's at least as good as Machir Bay. I recommend batch 13 of 100% Islay though. Like you, I've ignored it for a while. Tried it at the distillery in 2014 and thought, yeah, I can see the merit but it doesn't have the peat fireworks of Machir or the vintage releases and kept an eye on it through samples since then. It's certainly a well made integrity dram though. Despite the reduced peat fireworks...
Good info and it really brings home how much of a cask crisis the whisky industry is in right now. We sort of gave up on quality sherry casks years ago but but there was an endless supply of bourbon and bourbon casks. The sheer abundance of wine casks, which 10 years ago were viewed with deep suspicion, finishes, STR, etc, etc, tells us that those first fill bourbon casks aren't anything like as available as they once were. A consequence of the whisky Gold Rush. In the case of this Kilchoman we have to conclude that Buffalo Trace are selling to somebody else or have put their prices up. Still, at least when we have inferior casks, which impart virtually nothing, we can talk about the 'distillery character'.
Hi Whisky Lock! I agree with everything you said about the comparison with Machir Bay! It’s not quite double the price of machir bay in NZ so we’re a bit lucky here…. I love this whisky! I just enjoyed a dram of this while watching your review! And first time i hear the fire/less peaty story! Always learning! Top of my top 3…. your channel! As you see i have no clue why I’m commenting other than for the sake of commenting …. Cheers!
Hello mate. Nice to hear from you again. No problem, you don't need a reason to comment 😎 If the price was closer to Machir Bay I think I'd buy this one a lot more regularly. It is very good! And shows a side of the spirit that you don't get from the others. See this link for a little photo of the aftermath of the fire: www.kilchomania.com/en/timeline-2006/ I believe the original plan was for all Kilchoman to use their floor malted barley but the fire changed their plans. Cheers! 🥃
We just had Kilchoman here in Singapore for their Asia tour for the batch strength and amongst everything, I liked this best. Looking to add a bottle when it goes on sale, hopefully soon!
Nice review, Shane! When comes to peated malt whisky I think nowadays Kilchoman is at the very top among the Islay distilleries. Yes, their whisky is pricey, but the quality is all there plus all other Islay distilleries have their prices at the higher end. My favorite Kilchoman expressions so far are Loch Gorm 2020 and a single 10 yo ex-bourbon cask which was out-of-this-world good :) Haven't had 100% Islay yet but I've been eyeing the 12th edition for quite some time. It has some sherry casks in the blend, but clearly I don't have a problem with that :) Luckily in Bulgaria Kilchoman is relatively cheaper than in most of the Europe so I can have a bottle of it for the equivalent of roughly £56-£57. The 13th edition hasn't made it to our market yet. Cheers!
Thanks Nikolay. Totally agree. It's funny that not that long ago there was a lot of suspicion and doubts aimed towards Kilchoman. Being this new distillery on an island full of distilleries with 200 years experience. You don't hear such things anymore. Kilchoman are one of the highest quality Islay distilleries now and have surpassed many of those who have been relying on their reputations. £56-57 is a great price for this whisky. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am. Cheers 🥃
This bottle is $110 here in the US,where I live but I really enjoy the 100% Islay Barley they are very different from all the other bottling from Kilchoman and I think this is a great edition 👍
I haven't tried this one yet, but it seems like an interesting dram. For me Kilchoman is up there with Ardnamurchan and Arran as one of my favourite distilleries. I have the Machir Bay, Sanaig, and Casado and of those 3 the Sanaig is my favourite. Cheers!
It certainly fits well into that group of new distilleries reminding the old guard how it's done. To me, there's no distillery putting more care into their products than Kilchoman. Cheers 🥃
Thanks for the review. And there is an opportunity to conduct a test of the expanding line in the future: Kilchoman Genesis Peating Stage 3; Kilchoman 100% Islay Armagnac Double Cask; Kilchoman Madeira Cask 5 Years; Kilchoman 100% Islay Bourbon Single Cask; Kilchoman Cognac Cask Matured; Kilchoman Fino Sherry Cask Matured; Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured; Kilchoman Calvados Double Cask; Kilchoman 16 Years...😅
Great review Shane. I actually like when Kilchoman ends up less peat dominant as with the 100% Islays, the Casado or the Fino releases because of exactly what you mentioned about the quality shining through. I really liked the 100% Islay 11th Edition and thought the 12th Edition was a little less good. I will definitely pick up the 13th Edition after hearing your review.
Nice review Shane… although I appreciate this 100% ex-bourbon, I preferred batch 12 with a bit of sherry. But I enjoy both of these more than their Machir Bay. Cheers 🥃
Hi John. All personal preference for sure. The 100% bourbon maturation retains a little more complexity to my tastes and I like the extra bite. The quality is very consistent across the range though. Cheers 🥃
I think it’s pricey at £75 , it’s very good but I’d buy Sanaig at £55 whilst I agree Machir Bay is very good for the price at around £45. Just finished a bottle of machir bay cask strength which was excellent but my fav kilchoman is Loch Gorm which unfortunately at £80 is too expensive for me to keep in my core range bottles . Lovely whisky from Kilchoman 😊
Hi Jane. It is expensive. While I can see the justification for part of that price... it's still expensive! And that's part of why I wouldn't buy this regularly. There are much better value options in the Kilchoman range. I'm hoping to review a Loch Gorm at some point. I have a very old bottle on my shelf. Perhaps from 10 years ago. So that will be an interesting comparison. Cheers 🥃
@@WhiskyLock look forward to the loch Gorm review …I’ve had 2015, 2019 and 2021 … of which the 2019 just by a nose was my fav ..but they all scored very high marks for me.
I just got a bottle of this last week which I’m looking forward to opening soon (and also a Lagavulin Special Release 2023- they got me!- but we’ll talk about that later) For me, I think the four core range kilchomans are all pretty distinct, 100% for years was a softer more barley focused dram, but like you, I was both excited to see a return to all bourbon maturation in the 100% and also sad to learn it will be the final release with all Buffalo Trace casks. I’ll follow up later with thoughts after I try this one, but regardless, I was glad to snag a bottle.
Good haul! Yes, I love a distillery with a good core range and I think Kilchonan does. A lot of people don't like how many special releases they have (like Ardbeg) but (like Ardbeg) the core range is solid if you ignore all the fluff. Cheers 🥃
The 100% Islay ist around 20ppm (edit: sorry, you already mentioned that in the video. Should have watched till the end before commenting 😅)... about the future supply of barley: Kilchoman said that they are going to import mainland malt in the short term but they are also going to build their own malting facility eventually. I personally prefer the 100% Islay to the MB... especially if it's matured exclusively in exB.
To be honest I wasn't sure if this was still lower ppm but it certainly tasted more like 20-25ppm. So thanks for confirming! 😁 Great to hear that they're investing in a secure supply of malt. I believe their original plan was for all expressions to be 100% in house floor malted but after the fire, it didn't happen. It would be good to see some more expressions use their own malt. Perhaps Sanaig.
Thanks for your review mate. Out of the batches I have had batch 5 was easily my favourite one. All gone now of course but I remember there being more peat influence compared to later batches, even though still at 20ppm. Perhaps that is due to it being younger 🥃
Good point. Almost certainly a benefit of younger age. I actually quite miss the younger, brashly peated Machir Bay and Loch Gorn from years ago. It just hits harder. I love the new stuff too but I wish we could have both.
I'm really of two minds when it comes to Kilchoman. I love the Machir Bay and the Sanaig, in fact I think it's where anyone should start these days when it comes to peated Islay Scotch. Quality and value are phenomenal, they simply taste delicious.I also like the Loch Gorm and the PX edition and of course the whole farm distillery concept is great. But...the portfolio is so labyrinthine and overextended and there's so much really just mediocre overpriced stuff among that myriad of releases, I find it tiring and an actual turn-off. And I can't figure out (well, now perhaps I can) why higher priced releases like the 100% Islay are less convincing than "core core range" stuff, or often just don't quite seem to live up to what they could be. Likewise, the price for the 16 year old was simply ridiculous and I don't care whether the elven king personally worked the floor maltings for that one. So, I really hope that with higher ages more available they will severely streamline their portfolio, establish a sound quality hierarchy and offer age statement bottles at reasonable prices. I will not pay €100 or more for a 12 year old, that's for sure. Anyway, thanks for reviewing this really interesting distillery.
Rapid fire releases are certainly tiring and off putting. Especially when they start to become overpriced or gimmicky. I try to tune it out though. A quality core range is worth a lot and we shouldn't deprive ourselves of it just because the marketing department got carried away with the other stuff 🙂
Nice review I have subbed to you very nice and thorough review of this whisky. I'm not a big peat guy I have and enjoy the laugavlin 16 is this comparable to that if so I'm in if I can find it. Hope to see more from you. Enjoy!!
Thanks for the sub and welcome! I think if you're OK with Lagavulin 16 then you'll probably be OK with this. It's quite a different kind of peat but probably works out at a similar level of peat intensity with this being less peated and the Lagavulin being lower ABV. Cheers 🥃
Kilchoman 's cask presentation is a bit overwhelming, similar to GlenAllachie, on the shelf. A neverending supply of expensive options. It would be nice to keep it simple
Very true. There used to be people who would try to collect one of every bottling from their favourite distillery. I feel sorry for anyone still trying to do that with Kilchoman. Core range is great though 👍
Perfectly sums up my thoughts on this one. Massive fan of this, and I love how different it is. Cheers Shane. 🥃
It would leave a massive hole in the core range if this stuff disappeared. It offers something that you don't get from any of the others. I think Kilchoman do a great job with their core range in general really. They all offer something different and they're all good. Although I still have my favourites 🙂 Cracking distillery. Cheers Geoff 🥃
Agreed 💯 Geoff! As usual!! lol!! Cheers!!
Thanks for reviewing this whisky, Shane. I'm a fan of Kilchoman but have not had much of the 100% Islay as it always seemed to sell out before I could grab a bottle. Cheers to another great review!
Kilchoman is a fantastic distillery. It's true though that 100% Islay and Loch Gorm aren't as easy to get hold of as they were. Cheers 🥃
This is spectacular for me!! I love it! I am unhappy knowing casks will be changing. I’d pay any day for such high integrity bottling! Outstanding! This beauty did a fabulous dance on my palette!! Such a treat!! Terrific video!!
That's really great to hear. It's magical when you connect with a whisky like that. I hope you'll be able to get a spare bottle or two of this batch. Cheers Christine 🥃
@@WhiskyLock Magical for sure!! Thanks so much Shane! Be well! 🙂
What an excellent review, so much info I had no idea about. Much appreciated dear Shane. Thanks you 🙏 cheers, S.
Thank you Sandro. Glad I could share something interesting. Cheers 🥃
Hi Shane, haven’t had the 100% Islay but after this glowing review it’s now definitely on my list. Slàinte Shane 🥃
Hope you enjoy it as much as I am 👍 Cheers 🥃
Hi Shane ! Kilchoman is good distilery , i like sanaig , machir bay , px , 100% isla.... Slante !
They have a really great core range. Cheers 🥃
@@WhiskyLock gaumarjos ( cheers in georgian. ) !
Gaumarjos! 🥃
@@WhiskyLock )))
Great review mate :) I might look out for this in the future, but right now, I enjoy the Machir Bay, the Sanaig & Loch Gorm.
Great review my friend! I’m a fan of the 100% Islay and I like the lower ppm peating, it really lets the wonderful Kilchoman spirit shine through. It was actually the 100% Islay 11th edition that made me a Kilchoman fan.
It really does. All the elements have that little bit more room to breathe 👍
Can't go wrong with any of those 👍🥃
Great review, as usual! Lots of really good, detailed information. I really enjoy this bottle - haven't tried this Batch 13, but have 8th and 11th batches. Very visceral, and I like that they generally stick to mostly bourbon casks to allow the distillate to shine through. For me, it allows that soft farmyard funk from Kilchoman to be showcased.
Absolutely. You can't beat a bourbon maturation for getting to know distillery character. Cheers 🥃
I really loved the Batch 12 even more. Your take on it is so right, it's not that peat level for sure, probably more like 20-25PPM. But boy does that make a balanced product with such flavorful grain notes without being too funky.
Very true. All about balance. I struggled with the less intense peat in this one at first but grew to love it. It shows a side of Kilchoman that you don't get from any of the other releases. Really genuine 👍
I really need to get my head out of nether regions and buy this bottle. For some reason I never have and it's been on the radar for years. Unfortunately, I recently spent a similar amount on the Kichoman Fino which doesn't taste significantly different to the Machir Bay.
Always disappointing when a special doesn't deliver on the promise. Hopefully it's at least as good as Machir Bay.
I recommend batch 13 of 100% Islay though. Like you, I've ignored it for a while. Tried it at the distillery in 2014 and thought, yeah, I can see the merit but it doesn't have the peat fireworks of Machir or the vintage releases and kept an eye on it through samples since then. It's certainly a well made integrity dram though. Despite the reduced peat fireworks...
This is the last 100% Islay to use Buffalo Trace barrels. Going forward, they will be Breckenridge, I think, which might be a massive step down...
Yes, very concerning... anyone who is a big fan of 100% Islay might want to buy a back up of this...
Good info and it really brings home how much of a cask crisis the whisky industry is in right now. We sort of gave up on quality sherry casks years ago but but there was an endless supply of bourbon and bourbon casks. The sheer abundance of wine casks, which 10 years ago were viewed with deep suspicion, finishes, STR, etc, etc, tells us that those first fill bourbon casks aren't anything like as available as they once were. A consequence of the whisky Gold Rush. In the case of this Kilchoman we have to conclude that Buffalo Trace are selling to somebody else or have put their prices up. Still, at least when we have inferior casks, which impart virtually nothing, we can talk about the 'distillery character'.
Why would it be a massive downgrade? Is beckenthingy especially bad? Sorry, never heard of it…
I’m very concerned about the upcoming change. Agreed.
@@kiwigor I think you just answered your own question.
Got it a decent price and I am truly looking forward to it.
A little discount would make this a solid buy. Enjoy! 🥃
Hi Whisky Lock!
I agree with everything you said about the comparison with Machir Bay! It’s not quite double the price of machir bay in NZ so we’re a bit lucky here….
I love this whisky!
I just enjoyed a dram of this while watching your review!
And first time i hear the fire/less peaty story! Always learning!
Top of my top 3…. your channel!
As you see i have no clue why I’m commenting other than for the sake of commenting ….
Cheers!
Hello mate. Nice to hear from you again. No problem, you don't need a reason to comment 😎
If the price was closer to Machir Bay I think I'd buy this one a lot more regularly. It is very good! And shows a side of the spirit that you don't get from the others.
See this link for a little photo of the aftermath of the fire: www.kilchomania.com/en/timeline-2006/
I believe the original plan was for all Kilchoman to use their floor malted barley but the fire changed their plans.
Cheers! 🥃
@@WhiskyLock oh thanks for the link!
It kinda makes me appreciate the 100% Islay even more!
Cheers!
We just had Kilchoman here in Singapore for their Asia tour for the batch strength and amongst everything, I liked this best. Looking to add a bottle when it goes on sale, hopefully soon!
Great that Kilchoman has made it to you. I'm not surprised that you like 100% Islay best. It's very unique in their line up and very classy. Enjoy! 🥃
Nice review, Shane! When comes to peated malt whisky I think nowadays Kilchoman is at the very top among the Islay distilleries. Yes, their whisky is pricey, but the quality is all there plus all other Islay distilleries have their prices at the higher end. My favorite Kilchoman expressions so far are Loch Gorm 2020 and a single 10 yo ex-bourbon cask which was out-of-this-world good :)
Haven't had 100% Islay yet but I've been eyeing the 12th edition for quite some time. It has some sherry casks in the blend, but clearly I don't have a problem with that :) Luckily in Bulgaria Kilchoman is relatively cheaper than in most of the Europe so I can have a bottle of it for the equivalent of roughly £56-£57. The 13th edition hasn't made it to our market yet.
Cheers!
Thanks Nikolay. Totally agree. It's funny that not that long ago there was a lot of suspicion and doubts aimed towards Kilchoman. Being this new distillery on an island full of distilleries with 200 years experience. You don't hear such things anymore. Kilchoman are one of the highest quality Islay distilleries now and have surpassed many of those who have been relying on their reputations.
£56-57 is a great price for this whisky. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am. Cheers 🥃
This bottle is $110 here in the US,where I live but I really enjoy the 100% Islay Barley they are very different from all the other bottling from Kilchoman and I think this is a great edition 👍
Yes very different. And it's nice to be able to directly taste and compare the difference from the malt. I'm glad it's part of the range 👍
I haven't tried this one yet, but it seems like an interesting dram. For me Kilchoman is up there with Ardnamurchan and Arran as one of my favourite distilleries. I have the Machir Bay, Sanaig, and Casado and of those 3 the Sanaig is my favourite. Cheers!
It certainly fits well into that group of new distilleries reminding the old guard how it's done. To me, there's no distillery putting more care into their products than Kilchoman. Cheers 🥃
Thanks for the review. And there is an opportunity to conduct a test of the expanding line in the future: Kilchoman Genesis Peating Stage 3; Kilchoman 100% Islay Armagnac Double Cask; Kilchoman Madeira Cask 5 Years; Kilchoman 100% Islay Bourbon Single Cask; Kilchoman Cognac Cask Matured; Kilchoman Fino Sherry Cask Matured; Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured; Kilchoman Calvados Double Cask; Kilchoman 16 Years...😅
That's certainly a lot of expressions... and that last one is a bit pricey for me 😅
Great review Shane. I actually like when Kilchoman ends up less peat dominant as with the 100% Islays, the Casado or the Fino releases because of exactly what you mentioned about the quality shining through. I really liked the 100% Islay 11th Edition and thought the 12th Edition was a little less good. I will definitely pick up the 13th Edition after hearing your review.
Yep, Kilchoman has the quality to shine with or without the full peat 👍 Beautiful stuff 🥃
Nice review Shane… although I appreciate this 100% ex-bourbon, I preferred batch 12 with a bit of sherry. But I enjoy both of these more than their Machir Bay.
Cheers 🥃
Hi John. All personal preference for sure. The 100% bourbon maturation retains a little more complexity to my tastes and I like the extra bite. The quality is very consistent across the range though. Cheers 🥃
I think it’s pricey at £75 , it’s very good but I’d buy Sanaig at £55 whilst I agree Machir Bay is very good for the price at around £45. Just finished a bottle of machir bay cask strength which was excellent but my fav kilchoman is Loch Gorm which unfortunately at £80 is too expensive for me to keep in my core range bottles . Lovely whisky from Kilchoman 😊
Hi Jane. It is expensive. While I can see the justification for part of that price... it's still expensive! And that's part of why I wouldn't buy this regularly. There are much better value options in the Kilchoman range.
I'm hoping to review a Loch Gorm at some point. I have a very old bottle on my shelf. Perhaps from 10 years ago. So that will be an interesting comparison. Cheers 🥃
@@WhiskyLock look forward to the loch Gorm review …I’ve had 2015, 2019 and 2021 … of which the 2019 just by a nose was my fav ..but they all scored very high marks for me.
I just got a bottle of this last week which I’m looking forward to opening soon (and also a Lagavulin Special Release 2023- they got me!- but we’ll talk about that later)
For me, I think the four core range kilchomans are all pretty distinct, 100% for years was a softer more barley focused dram, but like you, I was both excited to see a return to all bourbon maturation in the 100% and also sad to learn it will be the final release with all Buffalo Trace casks.
I’ll follow up later with thoughts after I try this one, but regardless, I was glad to snag a bottle.
Good haul! Yes, I love a distillery with a good core range and I think Kilchonan does. A lot of people don't like how many special releases they have (like Ardbeg) but (like Ardbeg) the core range is solid if you ignore all the fluff. Cheers 🥃
The 100% Islay ist around 20ppm (edit: sorry, you already mentioned that in the video. Should have watched till the end before commenting 😅)... about the future supply of barley: Kilchoman said that they are going to import mainland malt in the short term but they are also going to build their own malting facility eventually.
I personally prefer the 100% Islay to the MB... especially if it's matured exclusively in exB.
To be honest I wasn't sure if this was still lower ppm but it certainly tasted more like 20-25ppm. So thanks for confirming! 😁
Great to hear that they're investing in a secure supply of malt. I believe their original plan was for all expressions to be 100% in house floor malted but after the fire, it didn't happen. It would be good to see some more expressions use their own malt. Perhaps Sanaig.
Thanks for your review mate. Out of the batches I have had batch 5 was easily my favourite one. All gone now of course but I remember there being more peat influence compared to later batches, even though still at 20ppm. Perhaps that is due to it being younger 🥃
Good point. Almost certainly a benefit of younger age. I actually quite miss the younger, brashly peated Machir Bay and Loch Gorn from years ago. It just hits harder. I love the new stuff too but I wish we could have both.
Informative review as always.
Thanks Sandy 🥃
I'm really of two minds when it comes to Kilchoman. I love the Machir Bay and the Sanaig, in fact I think it's where anyone should start these days when it comes to peated Islay Scotch. Quality and value are phenomenal, they simply taste delicious.I also like the Loch Gorm and the PX edition and of course the whole farm distillery concept is great. But...the portfolio is so labyrinthine and overextended and there's so much really just mediocre overpriced stuff among that myriad of releases, I find it tiring and an actual turn-off. And I can't figure out (well, now perhaps I can) why higher priced releases like the 100% Islay are less convincing than "core core range" stuff, or often just don't quite seem to live up to what they could be. Likewise, the price for the 16 year old was simply ridiculous and I don't care whether the elven king personally worked the floor maltings for that one. So, I really hope that with higher ages more available they will severely streamline their portfolio, establish a sound quality hierarchy and offer age statement bottles at reasonable prices. I will not pay €100 or more for a 12 year old, that's for sure. Anyway, thanks for reviewing this really interesting distillery.
Rapid fire releases are certainly tiring and off putting. Especially when they start to become overpriced or gimmicky. I try to tune it out though. A quality core range is worth a lot and we shouldn't deprive ourselves of it just because the marketing department got carried away with the other stuff 🙂
Nice review I have subbed to you very nice and thorough review of this whisky. I'm not a big peat guy I have and enjoy the laugavlin 16 is this comparable to that if so I'm in if I can find it. Hope to see more from you. Enjoy!!
Thanks for the sub and welcome! I think if you're OK with Lagavulin 16 then you'll probably be OK with this. It's quite a different kind of peat but probably works out at a similar level of peat intensity with this being less peated and the Lagavulin being lower ABV. Cheers 🥃
Kilchoman 's cask presentation is a bit overwhelming, similar to GlenAllachie, on the shelf.
A neverending supply of expensive options.
It would be nice to keep it simple
Very true. There used to be people who would try to collect one of every bottling from their favourite distillery. I feel sorry for anyone still trying to do that with Kilchoman. Core range is great though 👍
🥃👍🏻😁