Taste Guide: Sauternes Cask

The first “Sauterne(s) Cask Release” from Kilchoman appeared on November 16, 2015 exclusively for members of the Kilchoman Club. For this 4th Club Release, three fresh Sauternes hogsheads were selected that had been filled in November and December 2010 and January 2011.

The first Sauternes Matured Limited Release then followed a year later on September 7, 2016, continuing the series of annual wine cask maturations. Distilled in late 2010 / early 2011, the whisky was matured for over 5 years in French Sauternes casks.

Anthony Wills was not entirely satisfied with this bottling, however. In his opinion, the Sauternes influence here has turned out too dominant and overlays too much the typical Kilchoman notes. For the second Kilchoman Sauternes release, he therefore opted for a Sauternes finish rather than full maturation. The “Sauternes Cask Finish Limited Release 2018” released on October 1, 2018 is a vatting of 30 bourbon barrels from 2012, which were subjected to a 5-month finish in Sauternes hogsheads.

While Sauternes single cask bottlings were still relatively rare in the first years after 2015, Sauternes finishes of whisky previously matured in bourbon barrels have been among the most popular Kilchoman finishings since 2021. The Kilchoman aficionado can now taste whiskies with Sauternes finishings ranging from four months to more than two years. The number of Sauternes Single Cask fully matured whiskies released to date, on the other hand, remains manageable and has not yet exceeded a dozen worldwide.

Within the Small Batch series for selected markets, the concept of which is known to illustrate the influence of different “experimental” cask types on Kilchoman whisky, 2021 was the “Sauternes year”. Small Batch releases with a Sauternes content of 20% or 25% appeared in a number of countries.

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Sauternes Cask bottlings from Kilchoman (finish and full maturation)

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ReleaseCask No.Date FilledDate BottledMaturation
Sauternes cask full maturation:
Small Batch Release for The Kilchoman Club, 4th Edition740/2010, 790/2010, 28/201117.11.2010, 08.12.2010, 26.01.201109.11.2015Full maturation: 3-4 years
Sauternes Cask Matured Release 11/2010-01/201109/2016Full maturation: 5 years
Single Sauternes Cask for Delilah´s & Jack Rose26/201126.01.201105.09.2016Full maturation: 5 years
Sauternes Single Cask for The Distillery Shop739/2010 17.11.2010 19.07.2017 Full maturation: 6 years
Private Single Sauternes Cask for Kilchoman Invest792/201008.12.201023.02.2018Full maturation: 7 years
5 yo Sauternes Hogshead for LMDW´s Islay Room902/201518.11.201526.04.2021Full maturation: 5 years
Sauternes Matured Single Cask for Kilchoman Appreciation Society903/201518.11.201513.04.2022Full maturation: 6 years
Sauternes Cask Finish:
Sauternes Finish Single Cask for The Distillery Shop209/201224.04.201229.09.2017Finish: 4 months
Sauternes Wine Cask (Finish) for Whisk-e Ltd, Japan211/201226.04.201215.01.2018Finish: 8 months
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for Bresser & Timmer, 25th Anniversary212/201226.04.201215.06.2018Finish: 1 year
Sauternes Cask Finish 2018 Edition201225.09.2018Finish: 5 months
Sauternes (Finish) Single Cask (Uniquely Islay Series – An Samhradh 2021, #3/9) 738/201317.10.201317.06.2021Finish: 6 months
Sauternes Finish Single Cask [for Smaller Markets]706/201424.09.201401.07.2021Finish: 6 months
Sauternes Finish Single Cask pour les 20 ans de V and B, France750/201318.10.201312.07.2021Finish: 8 months
Sauternes Finish Single Cask for La Société des Alcools du Québec731/201314.10.201303.08.2021Finish
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for Taiwan732/201314.10.201309.08.2021Finish
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for Taiwan711/201424.09.201409.08.2021Finish
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for Gall & Gall The Netherlands704/201424.09.201424.09.2021Finish: 9 months
7 yo Sauternes Single Cask (Finish) – ImpEx Cask Evolution 04/2021 708/2014 24.09.2014 25.09.2021 Finish: 10 months
Sauternes Single Cask Finish – Wedding Cask for Łukasz Gołębiewski716/201424.09.201422.11.2021Finish: 11 months
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for AWAS710/201424.09.201401.12.2021Finish: 11 months
Sauternes Finish Single Cask [for Smaller Markets]707/201424.09.201410.01.2022Finish: 14 months
Sauternes Finish Single Cask for the Danish Market717/201424.09.201421.01.2022Finish: 8 months
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for Japan753/201318.10.201311.02.2022Finish: 8 months
Sauternes Single Cask [Finish] (Uniquely Islay Series – An t-Earrach 2022, #3/10)730/201314.10.201301.03.2022Finish: 14 months
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for SMCC (Camping Series, #4)712/201424.09.201409.03.2022Finish
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for DrankDozijn – Mealach729/201314.10.201306.05.2022Finish: 16 months
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for Good Friend (Taiwan)714/201424.09.201412.07.2022Finish
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for SMCC (The Birth of Kilchoman Story, #1)463/201219.07.201219.07.2022Finish
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for Japan594/201220.09.201221.09.2022Finish: 10 months
Sauternes Cask Finish [for Smaller Markets]44/201331.01.201322.09.2022Finish: 12 months
Sauternes Single Cask [Finish] (Uniquely Islay Series – An Geamhradh 2022, #3/5)1001/201418.12.201412.12.2022Finish: 17 months
Sauternes Single Cask Finish – Kukon593/201220.09.201203.04.2023Finish: 18 months
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for The Distillery Shop596/201220.09.201215.05.2023Finish: 21 months
Sauternes Single Cask Finish (Uniquely Islay Series – An Samhradh 2023, #5/10)713/201424.09.201407.06.2023Finish: over 2 years
Sauternes Single Cask Finish (Uniquely Islay Series – An Samhradh 2023, #6/10)592/201220.09.201207.06.2023Finish: 22 months
10 yo Sauternes Single Cask Finish celebrating the 40th anniversary of Warehouse Liquors36/201331.01.201309.06.2023Finish: 2 years
10 yo Sauternes Single Cask Finish for Scotch Lodge & Westmoreland Liquor598/201220.09.201215.06.2023Finish: 2 years
Sauternes Single Cask Finish por Le Québec597/201220.09.201230.06.2023Finish: 2 years
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for Tainan1002/201418.12.201411.07.2023Finish: nearly 2 years
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for SMCC1008/201418.12.201420.11.2023Finish: over 2 years
Sauternes Single Cask Finish for SMCC37/201331.01.201320.11.2023Finish: over 2 years
Small Batch Releases with Sauternes wine cask content:
China Small Batch No. 204.04.202170% Bourbon, 10% Oloroso Sherry, 20% Sauternes
USA Small Batch No. 507.05.202170% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 25% Sauternes
Exclusive Selection No. 2 (2021)09.06.202170% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 25% Sauternes
Poland Small Batch No. 130.06.202170% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 25% Sauternes
UK Small Batch No. 3202170% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 25% Sauternes
Sweden Small Batch No. 228.10.202175% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 20% Sauternes
Genesis Stage 2: Malting 22.11.202175% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 20% Sauternes
French Inspiration #2 (Small Batch for France)07.04.202275% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 20% Sauternes
Korea Small Batch No. 1202275% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 20% Sauternes
Total Wine Concierge Small Batch No. 206/202270% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 25% Sauternes
Quebec Small Batch No. 131.08.202275% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 20% Sauternes
Poland Small Batch No. 220.09.202275% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 20% Sauternes
Belgium & Luxemburg Small Batch No. 319.10.202270% [recte: 75%] Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 20% Sauternes
Norway Small Batch No. 2202275% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 20% Sauternes
Triskele Casks [Small Batch] for Spec´s – Sauternes202375% Bourbon, 5% Oloroso Sherry, 20% Sauternes