This bottle comes from a privately owned cask by Mark & Julia from NL who wish to remain anonymous. They have purchased this way back in 2007 and bottled it last year (2020), one of the oldest Kilchomans I’ve tried and certainly something highly interesting to see how their whisky changes after a long(er) period of maturation and in a classic Ex-Bourbon cask, no finishes, no shticks.
Kilchoman 13 yo , Bourbon Barrel 69/2007, 55.5% , OB for Max & Julia
Nose: lovely smoke with a nice sweetness to it as well, mostly in the form of sweet pastries and sweet dough, with a bit of saline-y notes followed by a dirty note of used engine oil, thyme, and black pepper with a distant ashy/ chalky note. quite gentle. With a few drops of water, the ashy notes are much stronger.
Palate: A fierce entry on the same Black pepper we’ve noticed on the nose, throw in a few chilly notes, and warm wood notes, along with wood spices and smoke. It’s less sooty and ashy than the nose suggested, but still, there’s a nice earthy/sooty touch to it, along with barley sugars. not medicinal though.
Finish : Quite dry with a lot of peat smoke, soot and earth along toasted oak.
Conclusion: This is a brilliant example of how good old Kilchomans can be. It’s lovely, complex, and really aging nicely. A lovely combination of smoke, wood, sweet, earthy and dirty notes all working well together. Not Cheap though at € 156.
Score: 90/100
Available at Best of Wines , € 156
Cheers for the sample Nils, Max & Julia