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Price: £61.99
ABV: 46%
Chill Filtered: No
Natural Colour: Yes
Supplier: Whisky Galore
Description: This is the fourth annual Loch Gorm to be released. Named after a famously peaty loch at the end of the Kilchoman drive in the Island of Isaly, Loch Gorm is the only fully ex-sherry cask matured release from Kilchoman. The first release of Loch Gorm has been matured in Oloroso sherry butts for over 5 years and finished in Oloroso sherry hogsheads for six weeks to give added depth of colour and character. The 2016 version differs from the previous year is the use of sherry hogsheads to mature a portion of the whisky rather than just sherry butts along with being marginally older than the five year old 2015 version The 2016 Loch Gorm was bottled from casks filled in both 2009 and 2010.
General Comments: On the eve of the fifth annual release of the Kilchoman Loch Gorm, I thought I'd take a moment too revisit the 2016 version. The Loch Gorm has swung, certainly since 2013 between a subtle sherried influence, by combining American and European Oak barrels and using a full on combination of exclusively first fill and refill sherry butts from European Oak. Both styles have produced excellent results and the 2016 version is no different. This bottle has been open since Christmas and as such April is an ideal time to revisit it too have allowed this deep booming party flavours develop and sample this whisky at it's best. As usual this effort from Kilchoman significantly outclasses alot of its peaty rivals such as Laphroaig Select Reserve, 10 yr Old, Quater Cask, Triple Wood, Lore, and Lagavulin 16 yr Old and Distillers Edition. Is it as good as Ardbeg cask strength whisky's?! Probably not, it's not as good as the 2014 Loch Gorm either; but if you're big on peat, especially liquroice and subtly fruity peat then there is still time to get this bottle before 2016 stocks run out.
Nose: The 2015 Loch Gorm bottling was heavily sherry influenced; the 2016 however is clearly back to the lightly sherried style of the 2014 bottling. Peat and rich, treacly liquorice are to the fore; the fruitiness is witheld and comes across as part of the style, primarily as red rope liquorice. There is definitely some bonfire smokiness in there too, along is a minerally; chiseled lime stone springs to mind, an element of charcoal too. Ultimately its the peat that is dominant, the richness and smokiness secondary, and those mineral notes adding an extra dimension.
General Comments: On the eve of the fifth annual release of the Kilchoman Loch Gorm, I thought I'd take a moment too revisit the 2016 version. The Loch Gorm has swung, certainly since 2013 between a subtle sherried influence, by combining American and European Oak barrels and using a full on combination of exclusively first fill and refill sherry butts from European Oak. Both styles have produced excellent results and the 2016 version is no different. This bottle has been open since Christmas and as such April is an ideal time to revisit it too have allowed this deep booming party flavours develop and sample this whisky at it's best. As usual this effort from Kilchoman significantly outclasses alot of its peaty rivals such as Laphroaig Select Reserve, 10 yr Old, Quater Cask, Triple Wood, Lore, and Lagavulin 16 yr Old and Distillers Edition. Is it as good as Ardbeg cask strength whisky's?! Probably not, it's not as good as the 2014 Loch Gorm either; but if you're big on peat, especially liquroice and subtly fruity peat then there is still time to get this bottle before 2016 stocks run out.
Without Water
Nose: The 2015 Loch Gorm bottling was heavily sherry influenced; the 2016 however is clearly back to the lightly sherried style of the 2014 bottling. Peat and rich, treacly liquorice are to the fore; the fruitiness is witheld and comes across as part of the style, primarily as red rope liquorice. There is definitely some bonfire smokiness in there too, along is a minerally; chiseled lime stone springs to mind, an element of charcoal too. Ultimately its the peat that is dominant, the richness and smokiness secondary, and those mineral notes adding an extra dimension.
Palate: It's sweeter on the palate than the nose suggested, at least initially. It also starts off a literally watery, and I think I'm drinking from the glass with drops of water added. The viscosity builds in the mouth as does the richness and the peat. I like this because the three sides of this particular triangle of flavour build with intensity at roughly the same rate. As such if this whisky was a shape; it would be an equilateral triangle. I'm enjoying the way the sherry comes through; its subtle but distinctive and not only leaves an impression of raisins and blackberries, but it evolves the peat. The peat is of course that wet sticky moist peat that you'd expect from Islay and especially Kilcohman; black and red liqorice with treacle. If you like that kind of peat then you'll have no complaints here.
Finish: Those sherried raisins really are the main flavour left on the palate; accompanied by a sherry buzz. a note of mint is also left; maybe to be more specific it might be menthol. This fits in with the peaty profile. After a few minutes a trying oakiness comes into the reckoning; not in a big way, its subdued, but definitely there and drying the palate encouraging me to take another sip.
Nose: There isn't much change here apart from a quite unusual fruity note that is coming through now; it's difficult to place but I'm going to suggest lychee; perhaps along with rubber.
Palate: Again there are minimal changes here; those few drops of water seem to have effected the richness of the whisky a little. In addition the peatiness has a much more pronounced charcoal flavour too it; as such the whisky is noticeably more savory and the fruitness that does come through is more prunes and black grapes leaving a sort of Grappa style taste in the mouth.
Finish: The overwhelming flavour left in in the mouth is an alcoholic drink; those gapes mentioned before seem to have returned in the style that a red wine leaves on the palate. Definitely grapes, and tannin's leaving a drying sensation in the mouth that is ironically exasperated from adding that water. On balance though, I think I'd prefer this whisky neat.
With Water
Nose: There isn't much change here apart from a quite unusual fruity note that is coming through now; it's difficult to place but I'm going to suggest lychee; perhaps along with rubber.
Palate: Again there are minimal changes here; those few drops of water seem to have effected the richness of the whisky a little. In addition the peatiness has a much more pronounced charcoal flavour too it; as such the whisky is noticeably more savory and the fruitness that does come through is more prunes and black grapes leaving a sort of Grappa style taste in the mouth.
Finish: The overwhelming flavour left in in the mouth is an alcoholic drink; those gapes mentioned before seem to have returned in the style that a red wine leaves on the palate. Definitely grapes, and tannin's leaving a drying sensation in the mouth that is ironically exasperated from adding that water. On balance though, I think I'd prefer this whisky neat.
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