Kilchoman 10 yo Single Sherry Cask 401/2007 for The Whisky Exchange

Cask No.: 401/2007

Cask type: Oloroso Sherry Butt

Date Filled: 14.11.2007

Date Bottled: 24.11.2017

Age: 10 yo

Strength: 58,5 % abv

Phenol level: 50 ppm

Bottle volume: 0,7 l

Number of bottles: 599

Market: UK

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After the French Kilchoman importer La Maison du Whisky had released the bottling of the Oloroso Sherry Butt 417/2007, which was by far the longest sherry cask maturation of a Kilchoman whisky at that time with almost 10 years, the well-known British whisky and spirits trader The Whisky Exchange set a new age record just three months later with the bottling of the sister cask 401/2007 listed here.

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Tasting Notes:

Florian Lenhardt:

• Nose:
  red fruit, in the first impression not so dark, but rather strawberry, tobacco, spicy smoke, some cinnamon, vanilla, almonds, but not sweet enough for marzipan, the almonds just take up the whole aroma, slightly malty, like foam strawberries, after the first sip it opens up more and you get behind the almonds again, the strawberry is now also a carrier of sweetness, caramel, coconut too, now I have to think of a foam kisss with coconut sprinkles, so we’re definitely in the confectionery department here, the almonds are now slightly burnt too.

• Taste:
  oily, sweet, really sweet at the start, strawberry here too, then comes medium smoke, really sweet as sugar, like sweetener, like heavily sweetened strawberries, at the second sip the smoke is more intense and also brings the typical cinnamon for me, but then the brute sweetness, wow, sweet red berry, like a sweetened strawberry juice concentrate, vanilla, cotton candy, totally intense and I also think I find a few coconut flakes here too.
• Finish:
  the sweetness holds its own, the smoke is dry, slightly ashy, the mouthfeel becomes drier, the strawberry remains but it loses more and more sweetness and then at some point reminds of the unsweetened original.
• Summary:
  That’s a house number when it comes to sweetness. If anyone ever asks me for a whisky with strawberry notes, I now have a recommendation. Do I like it? Generally, yes. Is it too much for me? For that I’ll just have to finish the dram in peace and quiet. No, it’s quite a good thing… it’s not for every situation, but it’s very tasty now and then.
  

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