Kilchoman 100% Islay 3rd Edition hails from 2013 and is a bottle I’ve been holding on to until the day arrived that I could do an entire week of Kilchoman whisky reviews… I ended up holding on to it till I could do 3 weeks worth instead
In Kilchoman’s Words: Kilchoman 100% Islay 3rd Edition
“All parts of the production process for the 100% Islay have taken place at the distillery – from barley to bottle; grown, malted, distilled, matured and bottled, making for a unique character. We are proud to be the only Islay distillery distilling single malt from barley both grown and malted on Islay. Bottled at 50% ABV and peated to a lower level to that our other releases, 100% Islay has a lighter, fresher feel to it. Citrus and lemon notes come through with soft peat smoke and a long smooth finish. First launched in 2010 a new edition of the 100% Islay has been released every year since.”
And with that, on to the Kilchoman 100% Islay 3rd Edition review below!
Kilchoman 100% Islay 3rd Edition Info
Region: Islay, Scotland
Distiller: Kilchoman
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon
Age: NAS
ABV: 50%
Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Price: $100
Kilchoman 100% Islay 3rd Edition Review
EYE
Light amber
NOSE
Honied fruit, peat, malty sweet, touch of hay, spice, lemon, minerality, saline and camphor with a bit of plastic and vanilla.
PALATE
Honied fruit, vanilla, peat, minerality, lemony citrus, grassy malt, light saline, cinnamon oil, and a touch of pepper.
FINISH
Honey, vanilla, fruit, malt and peat.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good balance, full body and a silken feel.
OVERALL
Kilchoman 100% Islay 3rd Edition is a solid whisky with a crisp elegant aroma and a warm inviting taste and feel. It’s a comfort whisky with great layers of minerality mixed with spice, peat and honied fruit that mingle and balance well. It’s an absolutely enjoyable dram from start to end. It’s great to see so much maturity from such a young whisky and despite how much I like it there’s something a little odd about this one.
The plastic note I’m picking up I usually attribute to Laphroaig. I don’t get it very often in Ardbeg which is what Kilchoman so often, especially lately, reminds me of. I attribute this to the 100% Islay malt since they’re not getting their usual “Ardbeg Spec” malt from Port Ellen Maltings. It’s been a joy to watch the Kilchoman mature over the years and drink releases like this Kilchoman 100% Islay 3rd Edition. I’m truly excited for the future of this distillery.
SCORE: 86/100 (B)