Friends!
Yesterday something really nice happened to SamuelWhisky! A package of no less
than seven samples arrived in my mail-box. The package was sent from from
Clydesdale which is one of Swedens top importer and seller of whisk(e)y (and
more beverages). I’m very honoured to be able to taste and to review such
quality whiskies as those of the Clydesdale portfolio consisting of brands such as Berry Bross &
Rudd, Blackadder/Blackadder Raw Cask, Douglas Laing & Co. to name just a few.
Today I will
taste another brand that Clydesdale take care of, namely Kilchoman and their 2nd release of
the ’Loch Gorm’! It has enjoyed it’s full maturation in fresh Oloroso sherry
butts as stated on the Kilchoman website. It was distilled in 2009 and bottled
in 2014. It is available basically world wide and was released in the beginning
of April.
For Swedish fans it will be available on the 2nd of June at the state
monopoly, so you can probably imagine that it’s once again a great feeling to try a whisky such as this one before
it hits the market (at least in Sweden). Okey, let’s try
it! J
Nose:
The peat is in
the center, and oooh, believe me this is a really kind of ”farmy” style of
peat. Not ”rough” peat but very sort of out there, I’d really describe it as
smoky (wet logs on the fire) and it is not often or in many peated style
whiskies that I refer to peat as being smoky, but this one sure is! With
regards to sherry influence on the nose, I wouldn’t really say that it is
extreme, it isn’t really at the center of the attention, but maybe it’s
reasonable to think that this should make an appearence more on the palate (?)
On the contrary to sherry influence I’d say that we have more stuff on the
bourbon side of things, something citrusy, very very acidulous in the very
highest register and continuing on into a very salt fragrance… There is of
course a touch of alcohol there (sort of like in matured de luxe tequila) but
not as much as you could expect from a five year old… all in all on the nose,
intriguing!
Palate:
Ooooh, very very
very smoky and peppery style of peat!
but before that, on the very tip of the tounge, we actually get some really
salty influences indeed, almost salt licorice or even in combo with sea salt. The
sherry influences I wouldn’t really say appear, at least not in terms of dried
figs or raisins or so, but if it is there it is there in terms of something
chocolate-ish. After the salt we do move on into a bit of rubber/burnt rubber
and leather, how leather may taste I don’t know ; ) Anyway, the combo of
rubber/leather/smoke soon becomes medium-dry in the mouthfeel, and yet again
I’d say we are on the bourbon side of things, such as quite dry lemon-peel… The
things going on in my mouth when I taste this one is really nice, the developement
is quite intriguing and I have a hard time accepting that this is only five
years old! And when it comes to the smoke style of peat, this is a real
cracker!
Once again, a
big thanks to the nice people at Clydesdale for sending me this sample!
Sláinte!
Seem very very peaty and smoky... Probably too much for me :)
SvaraRaderaHey Pierre!
SvaraRaderayes, it was very smoky I'd say, but you would probably like it :)