New Release: KILCHOMAN 2007-2016 8 Year Old Officially for Islay Festival 2016 #429/2007 56.6%

Among the Sherried KILCHOMAN, this one is particularly well-crafted. KILCHOMAN KILCHOMAN 2007-2016 8yo OB for FEIS ILE 2016 #429/2007 56.6% one of 634 bottles, Oloroso Butt The aroma has a rich, strong barley note with gentle sherry, plum, soft berries, and a strong peat with some seaweed and smoke, slightly cool, faintly salty, and a light fish stock. When tasted, the sherry sensation gently wraps around everything, with jam-like fruits and a rich sweetness. The barley's umami comes through with each bite, along with the stock-like depth. A sharp, strong peat, rich, and a long, sweet aftertaste. [Good/Very Good] This KILCHOMAN was released for this year's Islay Festival. Distilled in 2007 and aged for 8 years in a Sherried cask. As KILCHOMAN's festival bottling is single cask, it must have been difficult to get up early and queue for purchase. Although the 8-year aging in a cask leaves some strong barley notes, most of the harshness has been mellowed, and it's full of umami. There is no sense of dissonance with the sherry, and there's a good sense of unity in both aroma and flavor. Natural jam-like rich sweetness, barley umami, and an Islay-style fish stock-like umami with a strong, youthful peat. It's delicious. Recently, more delicious KILCHOMAN expressions have been appearing, but as this one was made from a specially selected cask, it's already quite refined. Clearly, the average quality of KILCHOMAN has risen, and I look forward to future releases.