April | 2018 | Scotch and Sci-Fi

Kilchoman Port Cask (2018)

50% ABV

Non chill filtered

No added colouring

Colour.

Don’t usually talk colour, but this is natural and pink!

Nose.

Initial smoky burnt jam followed by lots of fruity jelly beans. Hints of farmyard. Mainly strawberry, but there is a mixture. Next sniff has a mix of creamy vanilla ice cream with blackberry sauce. Now there’s some ribs on a barbecue with fruity bbq sauce. Next sniff and we’re back to the fruity confectionary, but now with some accompanying cherry pie pipe tobacco. Next sniff is a little more mentholated, cherry tunes (cough sweets). This is an evolving and evocative nose. Always going along the theme of fresh, fruity, slightly smoky, rich and mouthwatering.

Palate.

In the deep end of red fruit sauces, reduced wine, fresh jam, blackcurrent cordial. Next follows some aromatic smoke, almost onto the soon to be defunct menthol cigarette aftertaste. The ABV tingles with youth and adds to the mentholated effect. Some peat reek comes through, farmyard-y, more fruit quickly follows, burnt red berry jam. Beautiful thick mouthfeel throughout. There’s a touch of heat which will level out with some water.

Finish.

Short to medium in length, strawberry chewits, hints of traditional Anglo bubblegum, some dry ash and old bonfire. Menthol fresh aftertaste. Marlboro Ice blast!

Adding water.

A good few drops added. The nose has taken a softer, sweeter back step. Less smoke, still a touch of menthol, lots of red fruits, riper than before, stewed now, on the boil to become jam. The palate has become a red fruit plethora, a berry basket, ripe and totally delicious. A slightly smokey whiff here and there, but it’s all fruit and a touch of menthol, especially on the finish where the menthol comes back in force. I love this with and without water, it’s massively intense either way. I think the undiluted just tips the balance for me in complexity, but diluted it is a bloody huge fruit bomb.

Conclusion.

For a 3year old peaty port matured whisky this packs punch and flavour. It’s bloody delicious. I’m not 100% sure in the price point yet, but I believe it won’t be particularly cheap, but what you get here is an honest to goodness crazy fruit, red berry blast, with a lovely smokey background. It’s great Kilchoman, and I’m straight in to get a bottle or two. I adored the previous port cask release, and if you did too, I don’t think you will be disappointed with this one either.

Thanks to Kilchoman for the official review sample.