New Kilchoman 100% Islay & 20th Anniversary; More One of One; New Whisky Creator at International Beverage

Hello everyone

My sample of the new Kilchoman 100% Islay 15th Edition arrived this week. I still have some samples of previous editions (9,12,13, 14) most with very little out of the sample bottles so thought I‘d do a little comparison as well. Not much of 14th Edition left so I opted for 9th and 12th Editions meaning there are three years between each one. First of all, my notes for this new 15th Edition:

Appearance: Shining, light barley gold. Pale brass highlights. Tears very swift at first then slower and a bit more clingy. Quite close together.

Nose: Sweet, toasted grain and baked orchard fruit notes [they say tropical; I say orchard]. Honey and quite subtle, yet sweet, smoke. Dark caramel; coconut; vanilla. Salty sea air and white pepper. With water, fruitier and a touch of wax. Buttery. Return of sweeter honey plus citrus zest.

Palate: Peat smoke (plenty more than on nose); cask char; dark caramel/treacle notes; some salinity. Medium mouthfeel – slight viscosity.

Finish: Long, smoky, richly roasted barley and dry.

This one is 50% abv and 50ppm of phenols. I did nose and taste the other two again but didn‘t see a need for significant change to my initial notes. The 9th Edition had some more citrus notes, I thought, while I noticed more spiritous and slightly vinous notes in the 12th . Both of those were rather lighter in character, for me and at 50% abv too but 20ppm of phenols rather than the 50ppm in the new expression. The 12th was a mix of bourbon and sherry wood whisky while 9th was 43 bourbon casks. This 15th Edition was created from 54 ex-bourbon barrels, using Concerto and Publican barley from the 2014 and 15 harvests. All in, I found the 15th Edition more „complete“ if I may put it that way, than the two earlier ones and a more attractive character. Not that I disliked the other two then and now. I just prefer this latest one.

Now, in some further good news for women in whisky and for whisky drinkers everywhere, International Beverage has appointed Sarah Burgess as Master of Whisky Creation. It‘s a new position in the company and we‘re told, „Sarah will spearhead a team of spirits makers and …will also collaborate closely with the company’s global brand advocacy team, sharing her technical expertise and creating connections through International Beverage’s portfolio of premium Scotch whisky brands including Old Pulteney, Balblair, Speyburn and anCnoc single malt whiskies as well as Hankey Bannister blended whisky“.

Prior to this appointment, Sarah was the Whisky Maker at The Lakes Distillery and brings more than 25 years of industry experience to this new job. „Originally from Speyside, she began her career at Cardhu Distillery on her 21^st birthday. In 2003, she joined Diageo’s Auchroisk Distillery on a full-time basis overseeing maturation operations for the North while concurrently pursuing a BA (Hons) in Management from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Over the following two decades, Sarah managed operations at Diageo’s Oban, Glenkinchie and Clynelish distilleries before joining The Macallan in 2017 as their Lead Whisky Maker, where she focused on range creation, innovation and quality control.

In 2022 she became the Creative Director of The Craigellachie Collection before moving to The Lakes Distillery in 2023 as Whisky Maker. She was responsible for all elements of distillation and maturation, the visitor facility, creating new whiskies, and developed the distillery’s first permanent range for both the duty free and domestic markets.“

So, as you can see she is a highly qualified and experienced whisky maker so we look forward to even more interesting output from IB‘s distilleries in future.

The final listings for the Distillers‘ One of One auction were announced recently as well as news of an exhibition of the lots for the first time. For those of you who are in London and curious as to how they look up close, the expo is in Sotheby‘s New Bond Street premises in London from 19 – 30 September. Amongst others is Bruichladdich‘s Biodynamic Barley 2013 Cask; Berry Bros. & Rudd Family Reserve Bottlings (both 30 years old from Balmenach and Caol Ila); The Rare Tamnavulin Single Malt 50 Year Old from Whyte & Mackay and a Cask Ownership Experience from Isle of Raasay which includes their first sherry hogshead and two nights in the beautiful new accommodations. I‘ve maybe mentioned the Glen Scotia offering before but just have to show a pic of the stunning packaging here (above). The Ballindalloch lot (below) is a beauty too.

Well, that‘s enough from me for now. Back later in September with more. I‘ve been promised samples of the latest Octomores from Bruichladdich so hope to have those soon.

Till then, happy dramming.

Slainte mhath,

Caroline