Kilchoman 100% Islay 12th Edition announced

Kilchoman today announced the release of its new annual 100% Islay Limited Release. It is expected to be available at retailers worldwide later this week.

This year’s 12th release is a vatting of 29 ex-bourbon barrels and 6 oloroso sherry butts that matured for over 8 years in Kilchoman warehouses. The barley used was of the Publican variety, harvested at Rockside Farm in 2011, 2012 and 2013. As usual with the 100% Islay range, the whisky was bottled with an alcohol content of 50.0%. The edition size is 12,500 bottles.

Like the bottlings of the last two years, this year’s release was also partly matured in sherry casks. After the 40% of the previous year and the good 10% of the year 2020, this time it is about 35% sherry cask content.

Since the 12th edition is the first 100% Islay Limited Release to contain no casks from before 2012, it is also the first to contain whisky distilled exclusively from Publican barley. Thus, the transition from the Optic barley variety grown in the early Kilchoman years is also comprehensible here for the Kilchoman connoisseur in terms of taste. As one could already see from numerous 100% Islay single cask bottlings, there are quite clear differences in taste between the two barley varieties used. While the earlier 100% Islay releases had a very special fruitiness reminiscent of strawberries, the newer bottlings tend more towards tropical fruits (“pineapple note”).
A detailed review will be available here soon!

Kilchoman founder Anthony Wills wrote: “It’s a lovely 100% Islay, rich and fruity on the nose then lots of citrus sweetness and tropical fruit on the palate with waves of peat smoke coming through on the finish.”

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Cask type: Bourbon Barrels, Oloroso Sherry Butts

Casks filled: 2012, 2013, 2014

Bottled: 08 & 09/2022

Age: 8 yo

Strength: 50,0 % abv

Phenol level: approx. 20 ppm

Number of bottles: 12.500

Bottle volume: 0,7 l / 0,75 l

Bottle Code:
100 30.08.22 22/142

Barcode: 5 060210 706012

Distribution: worldwide