Kilchoman USA Small Batch No. 3

Cask type: 50 % Port Hogshead / 47 % Bourbon Barrels / 3 % Oloroso Sherry Casks

Age: NAS

Date Bottled: 20.8.2020

Strength: 48,9 % abv

Level of phenols in malted barley: 50 ppm

Number of bottles: 1.260

Bottle volume: 0,75 l

Bottle code: SB 20.08.20 20/105

Barcode: 8 92032 04521 6

Market: USA

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With the series of Small Batch Releases for Selected Markets, which was launched in 2019 and discontinued at the end of 2023, Kilchoman showcased its experimental side. Each individual batch was created specifically for individual export markets and demonstrated the influence of different cask types on the maturation of Kilchoman whisky.

The basis of each bottling was an already finished Machir Bay vatting or Machir Bay Collaborative Vatting, i.e. a whisky with 46% alcohol strength, which has previously been matured for 3-5 years mainly in bourbon casks and 5-15% in Oloroso sherry casks. This vatting was then married with an additional special cask.

In autumn 2020, the USA Small Batch No. 3 was released, which meant that the United States had the most Small Batch Releases at that time. A special feature is that the additional cask – a 6 year old Ruby Port hogshead – makes up 50% of the batch, which is much more than usual for the Kilchoman Small Batch Releases. The port character is therefore also very distinct in colour, smell and taste.

James Wills, the US Brand Ambassador wrote about it: “Normally we wouldn’t use such a large proportion of Port matured whisky for a Small Batch however USA Batch No.1 [another port cask offering] was such a success that we thought we’d revisit this style but this time with even more Port cask influence.”

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