Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Matured 2024

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 50% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

For the limited 2024 release, this Islay single malt underwent full maturation in ex-Sauternes barriques rather than receiving only a finish. Founder Anthony Wills selected whiskies from two distillation years, the younger being 2018. The composition combines 22% fresh Sauternes casks with 78% Sauternes casks previously used for whisky maturation. The whisky was bottled at 50%, without added colouring or chill filtration.

Most of the selected refill casks had previously been used for the Sauternes finish of the 2018 release. That brief period of use reduces some of the casks’ particularly intense wine influence. During the subsequent full maturation, they can continue to impart Sauternes character without overshadowing the distillery character. Unlike the 2018 release with its five-month finish, this edition thus returns to full wine-cask maturation.

Buttery sweetness, grilled pineapple and candied ginger meet floral notes and peat smoke. Tropical and candied fruits complement this sweet, smoky character, while the nose also reveals a delicate salty sea breeze.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Creamy, buttery notes mingle with ripe fruit on the nose. A delicate salty sea breeze and subtle peat smoke accompany them.
• Palate: On the palate, butterscotch and floral notes meet tropical and candied fruits. The peat smoke remains integrated into the flavour profile.
• Finish: The sweetness continues into the finish. Distinct lingering smoke provides a contrast, while the texture remains rich.

Distillery/Bottler:

Anthony and Kathy Wills founded Kilchoman in 2005 at Rockside Farm on Islay. The family-run distillery combines farming with whisky production: for its 100% Islay range, it grows its own barley and malts it on its own malting floors, where it is turned by hand.

Fermentation lasting around 90 hours encourages the development of fruity, creamy and buttery notes at Kilchoman. The small stills are controlled by hand, allowing the distillery to respond to differences between distillation runs. Kilchoman distils the whisky and creates the compositions for its official bottlings; the whiskies mature in selected casks on Islay. Since 2011, every Kilchoman release has been bottled at the distillery itself.

Facts: