Madeira Finish Single Cask 765/2011

At the 3rd Kilchoman Online Tasting with Anthony and James Wills on 3 April 2020, the Madeira Finish Single Cask was one of the highlights. Shortly afterwards, Kilchoman released it as a single cask bottling, which can be purchased exclusively through the distillery’s online shop. At a time when the closed visitor centre means that distillery shop bottlings are not available there, this is a nice alternative and we hope that this will not be the last online edition! The bottles are still available at the moment (£89.50 + shipping).

Distilled on the 9.12.2011 the whisky matured for almost 7 years in a 1st-Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel and then in a fresh Madeira Hogshead for 19 months (!). On April 3, 2020, 254 bottles with an alcohol content of 55.0% were bottled.
In our opinion, Kilchomans from the Madeira Barrel are a very successful combination, as the following tasting notes from Archer about this bottling show:

Nose
Dried dates, raisins, blackberries, raspberries. A pleasant note of peat smoke hovers over it. Not too intense, not too shy. Delicate herb mix with thyme, rosemary, savory and marjoram. The herbs take away the sweetness of the fruit and make the nose look balanced overall. 87

Taste
Soft, velvety and creamy start. I didn’t expect that, especially if the nominally strong 55%. However, these are only noticeable with a warm mouthfeel, otherwise this is a delight for the palate and tongue. Mild herbs that increase in intensity over time and become tart. In this regard, a reflection of the nose, thyme and rosemary leading. Here too raisins and dried dates, milk coffee, espresso beans. Pepper out from the back, cozy warm peat smoke all the time. 89

Finish
Medium-length finish, now dry. The creaminess has gone somewhere on the tongue and now leaves smoke, berry fruits, mild herbs, dry wooden chips and pickled raisins. 88

Hm, Madeira. Provides great fruit notes here and generally seems to harmonize quite well with smokers when I think of the Laphroaig Cairdeas from the corresponding barrel. Delicious Thing! 88 points