Kilchoman 2007 (Single Cask Nation)

Single Cask Nation is a range of single cask bottlings by the Jewish Whisky Company. Joshua, Jason and Seth, the driving forces behind this club / company, are well-respected bloggers at Guid Scotch Drink and Jewmalt Whisky. Their bottlings are only available to members of the Single Cask Nation, so it’s a bit like the SMWS concept.

While it may seem strange from my atheist Western-European perspective to talk about concepts like Tzedakah, Kashrut, kosher or even ‘a Nation’ on a website about whisky, let’s just applaud the wonderful diversity in the world of whisky. Keep up the good work, guys.

 

Kilchoman 2007 Single Cask NationKilchoman 4yo 2007
(58,4%, Single Cask Nation 2012, first fill bourbon cask #378/07, 245 btl.)

Nose: fairly dry, with crisp medicinal notes up front, some tarry ropes and brine. On the other hand, it shows a nice warmth of lamp fuel, deep smoke and wax. Some walnuts and lemon. Hints of canvas and flax as well.

Mouth: very phenolic, very peaty. Youngish and slightly sharp, but really clean. Coal smoke and salt water, some olive juice as well. Hardly any sweeter / softer notes to round it a little though. A little pear maybe. A little rubber as well.

Finish: long, clean again, very smoky and ashy. Dry with a slightly mouth-numbing peppery note in the very end.

I really liked the waxy nose of this Kilchoman, even when the palate is rather focused on heavy peat and doesn’t show a big complexity of flavours. Probably as good as a 4yo Islay whisky gets and certainly one of the better Kilchomans. Sold for 95 USD, see here.

Score: 85/100