Single Malt Report: Kilchoman 5 year old 2008 cask #74 (K&L exclusive)

Well, I've written plenty of stuff about Kilchoman this week already.  There was the Loch Gorm on Monday, Sanaig on Tuesday, and a murder of whiskies yesterday.  So I'll keep the intro short.  Today, I'm reviewing of one of their single casks.

Cask 74 from 2008 is being sold exclusively through K&L Wines.  It was originally priced at $110.  It did not sell out after a year on the shelf so K&L chose to add it to their sale/clearance section (also known as Insider's Advantage), selling it for $83.  As mentioned yesterday, I enjoyed it when I tried a sample, but due to the price I wasn't so moved to buy a whole bottle on my own.  Luckily I was able to split one with Florin, My Annoying Opinions, and Chemistry of the Cocktail.  MAO and Jordan will be posting their reviews today as well.  I'll post links to them once I am conscious...

And here are their links:
-- MAO, a snippy man who has lost every breakdancing competition he's entered, posted his review here.
-- Jordan, who has won all of those dance-offs, but only because he owns the judges in Portland, posted his review here.

Distillery: Kilchoman
Region: Islay
Type: Single Malt Whisky

Exclusive to: K&L Wines

Age: five years (Feb. 22, 2008 - December 16, 2013)

Maturation: ex-bourbon barrel

Alcohol by Volume: 58.4%
Cask: 74/2008

Colored? No

Chillfiltered? No

NEAT
Color - Bright amber

Nose - Starts with lemons, brown sugar, vanilla, and barley.  Baked potato, dried thyme, and dried oregano follow.  Then burnt plastic, saline, and vanilla-tinged smoke.  It's a little rooty, and has some Laphroaig-like medicinality (not a word!), which is balanced by a subtle nectarine note.  But it keeps returning to lemons or lemon creme.  After 15 minutes, here comes the cow poo.  And rainbow candy canes, of course.

Palate - The peated malt feels both green and floral, as opposed to smoky.  Lots of lime and fresh yellow stone fruit.  Vanilla bean, white sugar, anise, and a hint of something savoury.  It gets very candied at times.  Picks up some cinnamon candy and cracked pepper notes later on.

Finish - Smoke, salt, Underberg, and lemon gummi worms.  A brief whiff of cow.  Hint of cinnamon gum (Big Red).  It's quite sweet.

WITH WATER (~46%abv, from two tastings)
Nose - It gets leaner with the oak receding and the peat moving forward.  Some pepper, oyster-y salt, and confectioner's sugar.  Burnt hay, anise, and new carpet.  Hint of cinnamon.

Palate - The sweets are still there but it's a little farmier and bitterer.  Sweet basil, mint, and anise.  Tart citrus and lollipops.  More mossy than smoky.  Still pretty rich; more vibrant than Loch Gorm and Sanaig.

Finish - Shorter, but not short, if you follow.  Here the smoke comes totally to the fore.  In the background are smaller notes of sugar, bitterness, farm, and a peppery zip.

As noted, I tried this with water twice.  First when comparing it to Loch Gorm and Sanaig, then again on its own.  Happily my notes were nearly the same.  One thing I realized immediately was that when reduced to around 46%abv, this single cask is more enjoyable than Loch Gorm 2014 and Sanaig, from nose to palate to finish.  And when tried neatly, it's even better.

I found less cinnamon and less oak than David Driscoll notes on K&L's site.  But I'll agree with him that it is very good whisky.  I don't think it's "more flavorful, satisfying, and exciting than anything I've tasted from any Islay distillery over the past year" since, just off the top of my head, I know that I liked K&L's own 2001 Signatory Bowmore, the newer Laphroaig 18yo, and a couple of Kilchoman's single sherry casks better.  BUT I like this cask, and at the ripe old age of 5 years 10 months it might be the oldest Kilchoman single cask I've had so far.

At its current closeout price of $83, it's about a cheap as a Kilchoman single cask bottling gets nowadays.  If you think $83 is cheap for a 5 year old whisky, that's sorta up to you.  But I'm really happy I had a chance to split this with some good fellows.  I hope they liked it too... (Update: I liked it the most, so I guess I win.)

Availability - K&L Wines only

Pricing - $82.99 if you're signed up for their Insider's Advantage

Rating - 88

Notes From a Tasting: Six Kilchomans (March 2014)

Back in March of 2014, I attended a paid whisky event hosted by WhiskyRedhead of the SCWC (amongst other affiliations).  The special guests were David Othenin-Girard of K&L and James Wills of Kilchoman.  The event was located in the moody confines of the attic at Sassafras in Hollywood.  Here's a terrible photo:

The following whiskies were poured for us attendees as James (the son of the distillery's owner) regaled us with stories of their successes and failures:

Kilchoman Machir Bay
Kilchoman 100% Islay 3rd Edition
Kilchoman 2007 Vintage
Kilchoman Single Bourbon Barrel #360
Kilchoman K&L Exclusive Single Bourbon Barrel #74
Kilchoman K&L Exclusive Single Bourbon Barrel #172

Since I had a significant drive back home, I tasted only the first three at the event, then bottled samples of the last three for a future home tasting.  (Please note, these pours were smaller than my usual review samples, thus there are no grades.)

Though I did not take significant tasting notes on the first three, I can sum up my reactions thusly:

Kilchoman Machir Bay - Remains a very solid (borderline B/B+) whisky, which is feat considering its 3yo to 5yo age.  Hope they don't raise its price any time soon.
Kilchoman 100% Islay 3rd Edition - The 100% Islays never do it for me. They're the one part of Kilchoman's range that consistently tastes extra young and partially baked.  This edition is no different.
Kilchoman 2007 Vintage - Not only the best of the first three pours, but it's probably my favorite Kilchoman yet, and the only time I'll agree with one of Whisky Advocate's awards.  The word had gotten out about it even before WA's award, so finding a bottle of it in Southern California was nearly impossible.  Nearly.  :)

---

Three weeks later, I was presented with an evening alone at home.  So I fired up a film Kristen would never want to see: Hardware, a 1990 sci-fi horror with a totally disposable first two-thirds that then give way to an impressively brutal finale.  After that, it was time to taste the three bourbon barrels side by side.  (Again please note, these pours were smaller than my usual review samples, thus there are no grades.)

Kilchoman Single Bourbon Barrel 5yo 2007, cask #360 59.9%abv
Nose - Roasty toasty barley and moss.  Vanilla and cinnamon with savory herbs.  Basil and tri-tip.  Band-aids.
Palate - Big peppery candied peat.  Mint and buttered wheat toast.
Finish - Cayenne, peppermint, and a barrel of barley
Verdict:  Not complex but monolithic, it feels even bigger than the Octomores.  It probably would have been a fun one to own had I lived in a region that had actual winters.  Since it was bottled in 2012, it had sold out long before the tasting.

Kilchoman Single Bourbon Barrel 5yo 2008, cask #172 60.2%abv, a K&L exclusive
Nose - Now it's the sugars that feel enormous.  Lots of honey, caramel, and cherry candy.  Lemons, dried oregano, and "cinnamint".  Gets more floral and peaty with added water.
Palate - Dry and herbal.  No sweetness or vanilla/caramel.  But it does get spicier with water.
Finish - Very very drying.  Grainier with water.
Verdict: Wasn't a big fan of this one, though it improved with water.  The nose was youthful, decent.  But the palate and finish really didn't do much for me, and felt out of balance.

Kilchoman Single Bourbon Barrel 5yo 2008, cask #74 58.4%abv, a K&L exclusive
Nose - Anise, barrel char, and mmmmmmmmanure.  Peppery greens.  Brown sugar.  Gets very farmy and molassy with added water.
Palate - Almond paste, burnt moss, lightly sweet.  Pretty herbal.  Gets even more herbal and grassy and peaty with added water.
Finish - Well balanced spice, bitter, and sweet.
Verdict: Not sure why I saved the lowest abv for last, but this was the clear winner.  Every element was enjoyable.

Afterwards, I knew which one I liked and would be happy to purchase, but......K&L's price was $110, an amount I was unwilling to pay for a 5 year old whisky.  So, I closed up my notebook and put it back on the shelf, never expecting to look at that page again.

And then one year later, the two K&L barrels appeared in their clearance ("Insider Advantage") email, along with two other ex-bourbon Kilchoman singles.  Either K&L had flooded the market or people weren't willing to pay the original price, or both.  Three of the casks were now $80 and the #74 was $83 for some reason.  Out came the notes to make sure which was the good barrel.  Then I split one bottle of cask 74 with Florin, MAO, and Jordan.

Tomorrow, I take a proper dip into cask 74 and find out if it was really worth my excitement...

Single Malt Report: Kilchoman Sanaig

I'm still trying to figure out what's up Sanaig, the new member of Kilchoman's range.  It's half ex-bourbon, half ex-sherry, so it seems to sit perfectly between Machir Bay and Loch Gorm.  Seems like a smart safe design move.  But it has only been released in Continental Europe.  It's not a one-off experiment turd-dumpling duty free thing.  Nor has the distillery announced that it was a limited bottling.  Nor is it listed on their website.  The price, around €50, is reasonable as far as Kilchoman goes.  So I guess I'm wondering, when is it coming to the US?  We Yanks have hungrily consumed everything else the young distillery has sent across the Atlantic, why not this one?  Why can't we have it?!?!?!?!?

And should we really even give a crap?  Let's find out...

I dig the purple label!
Sample courtesy of OC Scotch Club.

Brand: Kilchoman

Region: Islay

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Maturation: 50% ex-Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels / 50% ex-oloroso sherry casks
Age: 4-5 years old

Alcohol by Volume: 46%

Colored? No

Chillfiltered? No

NOTE: I tried this alongside the Loch Gorm (a fully sherried Kilchoman) and an all ex-bourbon barrel Kilchoman.

NEAT
Color - Medium gold, curiously darker than the 2014 Loch Gorm.

Nose - Lots of newmake-y herbs, grass, and cinnamon red hots.  Lemon candy, peppermint patty centers, leather, and dirty-ish peat.  I also for some reason wrote, forebodingly: "Burnt planet".  The nose doesn't change much with air.  It may pick up some generic wood smoke, yeast, and more sugars.

Palate - Wow, a lot of tequila and mezcal.  Hot cereal (like cream of wheat) with mesquite smoke.  Yeast.  Black and red ground pepper.  With time it gets sweeter.  Some orange notes arise.  And finally after almost thirty minutes some sherry peeks out.

Finish - Lots of dirty peat.  Some sherry-ish dried fruits.  It's long, sharp, and bitter, though it softens with time.

WITH WATER (~40%abv)
Color - Farmier and yeastier.  Dark chocolate.  The cinnamon note becomes almost floral.

Palate - Aggressively peppery and salty.  More peat, more sherry.  Hints of white tequila and rye distillate.

Finish - Tennis ball can, black peppercorns, and hay.

Man, I think Kilchoman's new make feels longer matured than this.  The sherry also doesn't register much until the finish, though it does get louder when water is added.  One wonders if there were refill casks in the mix.

While Sanaig, priced at Machir Bay's level, is a good way to experience near-nude Kilchoman, I'm not sure we US Americans are missing a whole lot by not having it here.  Ruben at whiskynotes does like this a little more than I, though he doesn't seem to find much sherry influence either.  And one Reddit person loves the hell out of it, but his notes are so much different than mine that it appears as if we had different whiskies.  Meanwhile, my score would be the second lowest for Sanaig on whiskybase.

It appears as if I'm lowballing my favorite mini distillery this week.  Will it continue...?

Availability - Continental Europe only
Pricing - around $55-$70
Rating - 82

Single Malt Report: Kilchoman Loch Gorm, 2014 edition

First there were the seasonal releases (2009-2011 Spring, Summer, etc.).  Then there were the vintage releases and the 100% Islays.  And the single casks, ex-bourbon and ex-sherry.  Then in 2012, the first member of Kilchoman's regular range came out: Machir Bay, made up of a lot of 3yo, some 4yo, and a hint of 5yo whisky, and almost entirely from bourbon casks.

The second member of the regular range, Loch Gorm, arrived with hoopla the following year.  Kilchoman's single ex-sherry casks had been fan favorites ever since they'd first appeared.  While I can't speak for Europe, it was very difficult to find a bottle of a Kilchoman ex-sherry single cask in the US unless one acted very quickly.  With the demand their prices increased, from $89.99 (in 2011) to $129.99 (in 2015).  Then in 2013 when Loch Gorm, the all ex-sherry member of Kilchoman's regular range appeared, its MSRP was around $79.99 (as opposed to Machir Bay's $54.99).  Would a price of $80 for 5 year old non-full-strength whisky actually work in the market?  Apparently.  I'd thought about splitting a bottle but when I searched the LA area a month after the release, everyone was sold out.  Some stores had had it priced as high as $100.  Poop, was my audible exclamation, more or less.

Now it's 2015.  This year's edition of Loch Gorm was released......and it's sitting untouched on shelves at quite a number of locations on both coasts.  It has the same limited bottle count (10K) as the previous versions.  Winesearcher lists its average US price as $92, so that hasn't gone up much.  But it's no longer The New Thing, so perhaps its novelty has worn off.  Maybe after it lost that sheen people started asking themselves, is this 5 year old whisky worth $90?  In Europe its average price is $75, and not only is it available there but the previous edition (from 2014) can be had as well.

This isn't a tragedy.  The market has adjusted.  Loch Gorm has taken its place in a distillery's range and it's available for customers who are willing to pay the asking price.  What I'm trying to say is, now that it's not very current, I am going to review it.

Brand: Kilchoman

Region: Islay

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Maturation: ex-oloroso sherry casks
Age: 5 years old

Alcohol by Volume: 46%

Colored? No

Chillfiltered? No
(Thanks to Smokypeat for the sample!)

NOTE:  This sample was tried along side an all bourbon cask Kilchoman and a 50/50 bourbon/sherry cask Kilchoman.

NEAT
Color - A light gold, which makes sense since though this is all sherry casks, the whisky didn't spend that much time in 'em.

Nose - Mint and sulphur.  Lots of sulphur.  It's very medicinal; I'm having flashbacks to childhood meds that have probably since been banned.  Old school hospital antiseptic.  Those medicinal/antiseptic notes soon turn metallic and plastic.  Underneath that are dried berries and cherries.  Orange pixy stix.  Give it twenty minutes in the glass and some dried herbs show up, then hints of farm and slivovitz.

Palate - Thick mouthfeel.  Sweet and sulphur.  Tennis ball can.  Black pepper and a decent bitterness.  Lime, sweet basil, and mezcal.  After twenty minutes in the glass it picks up a concrete→dried fruit→smoked salt progression.  Then, curiously, large notes of vanilla and caramel.

Finish - Drier, saltier.  The peating feels mildest here.  There's the tennis ball can, orange peel, and peppery heat.  It gets sweeter with time, also picking up the vanilla and caramel notes.

WITH WATER (~40%abv)
Nose - Between the sulphur and the pharminess, this is a glass of pharts.  In a good way.  You know.  At the same time it gets a little floral.  Maybe some dried apricots.  But many more prunes and struck matches.

Palate - The good bitterness remains, as does the tennis ball can.  Pepper, vanilla, mild peat, and a sort of sweet sherry.

Finish - Cinnamon, peat, and sulphur.

If you can handle big sulphur and animal farm notes, I'll think you find the whisky swims well.  I was surprised by the amount of sulphur present in the nose, though there's less of it elsewhere.  Overall the nose is quirky and probably the best part.  The palate betrays the whisky's youth, which I didn't mind.  The finish was the most muted element, and that isn't the best time to fade out.

As I noted above, I tried this alongside other Kilchomans.  By doing so, I confirmed that at 46%abv Kilchoman matured in bourbon casks proves more enjoyable for me than Kilchoman matured in sherry casks.  In fact, if they were the same price I'd probably buy a Machir Bay before this.  But as you'll see, I'm still giving this a good score because it is good whisky.  I'm a big fan of Kilchoman and all their non-100%-Islay stuff.  They make young whisky of exceptional quality.  And here they're getting very close to matching the quality the rest of the young sherried Islays.  But they're not there yet.

Availability - This edition has gotten scarce in the US, easier to find in Europe.  The 2015 edition can be found at some specialty retailers.
Pricing - $80-$100 in the US, $70-$90 in Europe
Rating - 85 (it swims well)

WTF Is This? Shieldaig Highland Peaty Single Malt

WTF Is This? is back.  Today......to the cheap stuff!

Shieldaig Highland Malt (I added 'Peaty' above because that's what Total Wine's website calls it) is one of Total Wine & More's "Spirits Direct" brands, which means that it is a generic-style product sold exclusively at Total Wine.  Except it's also sold at Ace Spirits in Minnesota, which is something I cannot explain.  (It can be explained!  See the comment section below.)  Anyway, there are a number of Shieldaig whiskies -- NAS 'The Classic' blend ($14), a 12yo blend ($17), NAS Speyside single malt ($18), 12yo Speyside single malt ($30), 18yo Speyside single malt ($43), and this NAS Highlander ($18).

A new Total Wine branch just opened up in Long Beach and they've been sending us coupons every other week for their Spirits Direct and Winery Direct stuff attempting to lure me into buying one of these things I'd otherwise not consider.  So I took the bait, a 10%(!) off coupon, and moseyed over to the store.  I was tempted for a moment by the 18yo malt which was $38+ with the coupon.  But I realized that 18 years or not, that whisky would have me out 38 bucks (plus CA sales tax) if it was crap.  More intriguing, and much cheaper, was the peated whisky.  The "Highland".  Yes, quotes.

While in the store, I tried to figure out which Highland distillery provided the whisky.  The town of Shieldaig is in fact in the Highlands, in the Northwest.  What was nearby?  Ben Nevis made peated stuff for blends.  Out East was Glen Ord which used a little bit of peated malt.  But then again, the brand Shieldaig also made an unpeated Speyside so the Highland distillery didn't necessarily need to be near the town, a town name that was probably just used for branding purposes.

When I got home from the store, I did something I almost never do: immediately open the bottle.  Yes indeed, the whisky was peated.  But I couldn't find a specific distillery style.  And then while admiring the bottle I noticed this:

A classic Highland Malt from the Islands...

So.  If we're really going to use the now outdated Scotch Geography (because the brand uses it for its products), the Islands are not part of the Highlands.  "The Islands" is its own region.  So Highland, is really "Highland".  Another imaginary branding device, "Highland" conjures up images of tougher stuff than a Speyside.  But if it's from "the Islands", which distillery could it be?  Is Highland Park trading away their duff barrels?  Peated Jura?  It's doubtful that Diageo is handing over any Talisker at this point, especially since they're already using their crap casks in their own products (OOOOOOHHHH BURN!!!).  Maybe it's peated whisky from Mull; baby Ledaig is that you?  I don't know.  But here are my notes.

Label: Shieldaig
Owner: William Maxwell & Co. Ltd.
Retailer: Total Wine & More

Distillery: ???
Type: Single Malt
Region: Highlands Islands

Age: no statement

Maturation: probably ex-bourbons of multiple types

Alcohol by Volume: 40%
Chillfiltered? It is likely so.
Artificially Colored? Probs.

Its color is very gold.  Since the whisky is probably younger than this blog, e150a was likely deployed generously.  The nose is very peat forward, which is a surprise.  There are notes of rainsoaked sheep and dry dogs.  It is sugary, with plenty of caramel.  Slightly floral.  Caramel sauce with cinnamon.  Something like cinnamon peat.  Cassia cinnamon bark.  Some ethyl.  Less peat in the palate.  Very sweet.  Thin watery texture.  Barley, vanilla, and more cinnamon here.  The occasional weird sour and bitter notes vanish quickly.  The finish made up of peat, heat, vanilla, and touch of tartness.

I was about to write this off as a low C- whisky, slightly better than Grangestone's NAS Double Cask and Finlaggan Old Reserve, but then, as I usually do for reviews of cheaper whisky, I fixed myself a highball.  And it wasn't bad.  In fact, it didn't even need any bitters.  It delivered peat, grain, vanilla, and caramel in a straightforward flaw-free way.  And that's how I'm going to recommend it: 1 part whisky, 1.5 parts soda water, no bitters, ice optional.  I'm not saying it's orgasmic, but it'll do.

As for the whisky's source?  I don't know.  It's in a simple peaty state wherein they could probably change up the source when needed without much fuss.  I would be interested in this as a 12 or 18 year old (and a 43%abv wouldn't hurt) and would pay the Speyside prices for it.  But I doubt there's much 12 or 18 year old peated whisky being tossed aside right now.  In the meantime, this is what Shieldaig is slinging.  It's not incredible, but it is peaty, it is a single malt, it is better than Finlaggan Old Reserve, and it is $18 (or $16 if you have the current coupon!).

(Another great reader came through with some info about Shieldaig and the possibility of the malt being Talisker.  See the comment section below.)

Availability - Total Wine & More
Pricing - $17.99
Rating - 77 (best as a highball!)

Single Malt Report: Bunnahabhain 33 year old 1980 Whisky Doris

When I saw that this post would be of the 450th whisky I've rated, I decided to bust out something fancy.  Searching through the samples, I reflected on life and then pondered what whisky defines me as a person, ultimately finding--

Actually, I already had this whisky scheduled and then just noticed the mini-milestone while updating the Big Whisky List yesterday.

Anyway, I had the opportunity to try this Bunnahabhain last week and thought it would be a fun change of pace from the previous two whiskies.  It is not peated and it is old and it is sherried.  A mere two years ago, 30-40 year old Bunnas could be had at reasonable prices.  Now they can't...

...except for this one.

At the current exchange rate, this 33 year old single cask can be had for $150ish (minus VAT, before shipping).  There are other distilleries' single casks half its age that are going for that price, and the official 25yo (multiple cask) Bunnahabhain is $400 in California.

Before trying this whisky, I'd had a small but positive experience with this Whisky Doris, going 2 for 2 with their bottlings.  But those WDs were A-level whiskies.  So, though I don't blindly buy bottles at that price, I was flirting with this whisky online.  And then, magically!, I was asked to lead a tasting event that had this as part of the lineup.  From that event, I departed with my own sample and now I'm going to give it an official review.

Distillery: Bunnahabhain

Independent Bottler: Whisky Doris

Age: 33 years (May 1980 - November 2013)

Maturation: Sherry Butt
Cask number: 92
Limited bottling: 236 of 460

Region: Islay

Alcohol by Volume: 45.6%
Chillfiltered? No
mit Farbstoff? Nein

This one gets the paragraph treatment today:

Its color is dark gold, though lighter than a young bourbon.  The nose has some oak up front but it's mellow and toasted.  The sherry is very laid back.  So, at first there's honey and roasted nuts.  Then suddenly there's a burst of blackberry syrup.  Then raspberries simmering on the stove.  Toffee, almond extract, pipe tobacco, a hint of cantaloupe.  Toasty sandalwood (like a mizunara cask, but not).  Some roasted malt in the background.  There's no mustiness and no sulphur to be found.  The palate leads with mandarin oranges, or are they blood oranges?  Roses.  Lots of dried berries.  Maybe some raspberry candy.  Whispers of nutmeg and pepper.  Later on there's a silky creamy note and more exotic fruits linger in the distance.  It finishes with fresh berries (raspberries and strawberries) in sugar.  Dark chocolate with berry filling.  Hints of tobacco and lime.  But it's not too sweet, just gentle, graceful, and drifting along.

Gentle, graceful, and drifting along.  I adore this whisky.  Kristen liked it too, which is a hell of a thing to type.  This isn't a sherry bomb.  It's very delicate.  It's what the angels left behind after taking a mighty share.  Perhaps it was a second-fill sherry butt?  Or good warehouse placement?  Or maybe it was just Time.  In any case, it's another excellent cask by Whisky Doris, so excellent that it just became my birthday gift to myself.

Availability - A few European specialty retailers

Pricing - €140ish (minus VAT, without shipping)

Rating - 92

Single Malt Report: Bunnahabhain 13 year old 1997 Murray McDavid, Chateau Lafite ACEing

Yes, another 1997 Bunnahabhain!  But this one's a different creature than yesterday's.  Today's was bottled by Murray McDavid -- yes, the one indie bottler whose name alone inspires a physical response in many a drinker.  This particular Bunnahabhain spent the better part of its life in ex-bourbon casks, then was ACEd finished in Bordeaux casks (courtesy of Chateau Lafite Rothschild).

Often Murray McDavid's whiskies come across as unbalanced who-knows-what'll-happen experiments to salvage crap casks. While that's not necessarily a bad thing -- strange whisky often equals fun whisky -- only once was I convinced that anyone should pay money for a MMcD's tootling product.

But because this was a '97 Bunnahabhain and because Jordan (Mr. Cocktailchem) had a sample to swap, I figured what the hell.

Distillery: Bunnahabhain

Independent Bottler: Murray McDavid

Age: 13 years (1997-2011)

Maturation: ex-bourbon casks
Finish: Bourdeaux casks from Chateau Lafite Rothschild
Limited bottling: 1200

Region: Islay

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered: No
Colored: No

NEAT
Color - Sazerac cocktail.  Think orange, peach, pink, and gold. At least it's not maroon like the $300 McEwan wine spit bucket known as Black Art (Parts 1 through 4).

Nose - The peat reek stands tall above the wine.  Smaller, well-incorporated notes like brown sugar, cinnamon, coconut, and creme brûlée appear.  With time, the peat element peels back, revealing a big vanilla buttercream frosting note.  Then there's peach candy and something PX sherry-ish.

Palate - Aggressively dirty peat with an underpinning of something sweet.  But then they flip-flop as something (the wine?) gets very sweet very quickly.  A big peppery spiciness, like white and green peppercorns, rumbles beneath.  Some overripe stone fruits here and there.  A bit of salt.

Finish - Ashes and char.  Cigarettes and cracked pepper.  Hint of sweet wine, sort of like Madeira.

WITH WATER (~40%abv)
Nose - Wine gets stronger, peat weakens.  More frosting.  Some peachy stuff.  Lots of lemons.

Palate - Peat and sweet.  An herbal bitterness now appears.  The peat is up front.  The sugar and overripe stone fruits are in the exhale.

Finish - Peat smoke, sweet wine, sugar, and salt water.

The nose was a surprise, working even better when I had the second half of the sample the day after the tasting.  Wine element is not only pleasant, but also plays very well with the malt, in the nose.  I'm less convinced about their interplay in the palate.  I'm not sure where the palate's aggressive sweetness is coming from as it feels more like a dessert/fortified wine rather than a Bordeaux.  If the sweetness is due to the malt, as Jordan mentions in his review, this would be the first time I've seen this level of sweets in a '97 Bunna.  Or perhaps it was due to some booming first-fill bourbon casks.

While I'm in no way panning this whisky, Jordan is a bigger fan of it than I.  He had a whole bottle of it to ponder, so I recommend giving his review a read.  I wish I'd discovered the dry and savory notes he found!

As mentioned, the nose is very good and the palate shows better (for me) with some water.  It's also the second best Murray McDavid bottling I've had and the best of their wine finishes I've tried so far.  It's an MMcD experiment that is worth paying for, though I'm not sure how much retailers are charging for it as it has become scarce.

Availability - Scarce

Pricing - $??.??

Rating - 83