Kilchoman - Fino Sherry Cask Matured (2023)

Kilchoman Distillery

Fino Sherry Cask Matured (2023)

This is the 2nd release Kilchoman has done of a Fino sherry matured take on their whisky (the last one came in 2020).

From the Distillery: “The 2023 Limited Edition Fino Sherry Cask Matured Becomes Our Second Fino Release. Anthony And Robin Have Hand-Selected A Total Of 20 Fino Sherry Butts Of Which The Spirit Was Distilled In 2018. Fino Provides Our Spirit With An Entirely Alternative Maturation Style; One Which Isn’t Often Seen From The Distillery With More Emphasis Typically Placed On Oloroso Sherry Casks, Predominantly Used For Our Expressions Of Sanaig And Loch Gorm. As Ever, The Sherry Butts Were Purchased From Bodega Jose Y Miguel Martin (Spain) For Their Impeccable Standard. Each Cask Selected For Fino Cask Matured Has Been Chosen For Its Quality And Individuality. Combining 20 Of These Casks Together After A Minimum Of Five Years Of Maturation Has Developed A Dry Salinity Which Is Balanced With A Green Fresh Fruit Influence And Elongated Delicate Islay Peat Smoke.”

50% ABV - 100 Proof

750ml, Non-Chill Filtered, Natural Color

Single Malt Scotch

For those not familiar with the Kilchoman Distillery, it was the first “new” distillery on Islay in 124 years when it was established in 2005, paving the way for a new crop of young distilleries such as Ardnahoe, Port Ellen, and soon Portintruan, Finlaggan and possibly more. But even when all those distilleries are built, this is still the only farm distillery — they operate a large farm that grows barley, something that is immediately obvious when you visit, literally dodging tractors as you work your way to the parking lot. While they do not have the capacity to grow all the barley they need to make their whiskies, no other distillery on Islay has committed to farming in any meaningful way, certainly nothing like Kilchoman has, which today remains a family-run operation by Anthony Wills and his sons (and now the family of the farm they partnered with and ultimately merged with are involved as well). Truly extraordinary whisky — and Peated Islay single malt Scotch at that.