Kilchoman PX Finish is exactly what it’s name implies, though what its name doesn’t imply is that the single cask is the single PX cask that more than one ex-Bourbon cask was dumped into to finish the whisky.
In ImpEx’s Words: Kilchoman PX Finish
“The ImpEx Cask Evolution Series aims to demonstrate the importance of quality casks in the development of a fantastic Scotch whisky. These single casks are selected by Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder & MD and are exclusively available in the US. Each cask is specifically chosen to exhibit the diversity of character achieved by using different types of cask to mature Kilchoman single malt. “Single Cask Single Malt is the purest representation of any Scotch whisky, it is an unfiltered and undiluted representation of distillate and cask type.” Anthony Wills, Founder & MD”
Anthony’s attitude and approach to whisky is one of the reasons why I like Kilchoman so much. He runs it the same way I would; with the least amount of fussing with the whisky and treating it the way good whisky should be treated, even their core range.
Nothing from Kilchoman is released below 46%, nothing is ever chill-filtered and no caramel color is ever added. This should be the bare level of quality for all distilleries, but sadly we all know it isn’t. And with that sobering reality let’s jump on down to the Kilchoman PX Finish review!
Kilchoman PX Finish Info
Region: Islay, Scotland
Distiller: Kilchoman
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon ex-Pedro Ximenez
Age: 5 Years
ABV: 59.2%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Price: $110
Kilchoman PX Finish Review
EYE
Amber
NOSE
Peat, sherry, cocoa, spice, dark fruit, brine, honey, sulfur and fresh strawberries with a bit of iodine and chalk.
PALATE
Peat, sherry, iodine, cocoa, spice, dark fruit, brine, alkaline, caramel and blackberry syrup with a hint of minerality and chalk.
FINISH
Long fade of peat, sherry, malt, menthol, cocoa, spice and a bit of bitterness.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Well balanced, medium body and a light but slightly chalky feel.
OVERALL
Kilchoman PX Finish is a good sipping whisky. It’s a fulfilling dram that has a nice overall structure that flows from aroma to finish and gets tied together by peat, cinnamon-heavy spice, dark fruits and a malty sweetness. It’s a heavy whisky that edges towards brooding but never crosses the line, but that’s not surprising. You really need Oloroso to hit that brooding depth, PX is just too sweet. Still, Kilchoman PX Finish is a whisky worth spending an evening with.
SCORE: 87-89/100 (B+, consumed at a tasting)
