Kilchoman tastings during Fèis Ìle 2021

I was delighted when Kilchoman Distillery invited me to join along in some Kilchoman tastings during Feis Ile 2021. But before I begin, for those new to Islay or whisky festivals, what is Feis Ile?

And for those who appreciate my pronunciation guides – a quick one:

– Kilchoman – kil-ho-man – refers to the parish area where the distillery is located
– Fèis Ìle – FAYsh EE-la – means the Islay Festival

– Lannie, hopefully teaching Gaelic pronunciation correctly

What is Fèis Ìle?

Fèis Ìle, Islay’s Whisky Festival, is an annual music and whisky festival held on Islay during the last week of May and first week of June. During Feis Isle, each distillery (more or less) has a dedicated day. I say more or less, because it’s not just Islay whiskies that are showcased. Neighboring Jura whisky and Jura’s Lussa Gin, as well as Nerabus Gin and Islay Ales on Islay have their time in the limelight too. The distilleries host exclusive tastings, release special festival bottlings – with drinks, music, dancing and lots of fun. At least, that’s what I can gather.

In 2020 and 2021, Feis Ile had to stay a virtual festival due to the giant pandemic in the room. You must be thinking how a whisky festival could host virtual events. Like the rest of the world, the distilleries hosted a variety of events online. Along with tours of the distillery, there was song and dance, as well as food pairings and whisky tastings, with tasting packs shipped out in advance.

1. My first Fèis Ìle on Islay

Feis Ile 2021 was my first Feis, and being a virtual one, you get a low key version of an exciting in-person festival. Here’s hoping the Islay Whisky Festival 2022 will be a roaring gathering once again!

In addition to all that, there were virtual whisky tastings. Now, I’m no stranger to virtual whisky tastings, having done one with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in April. I was delighted when Kilchoman gifted me all three Kilchoman tastings for their 2021 Feis Ile day. (Thank you so much!)

Toward the end of May, I headed up to the Kilchoman Distillery for lunch and a tasting at their whisky bar, and picked up my 3 tasting packs. To prepare for the tastings, I also bought:

• The Great Glen Chorizo Pack : Venison chorizo, venison & pork chorizo, and chili & venison chorizo – to pair with Kilchoman whiskies
• COCO Chocolatier chocolate bars : Atlantic sea salt & lime milk chocolate (pairs with Kilchoman’s Machir Bay whisky) and Haggis spice dark chocolate (pairs with Kilchoman’s Sanaig Bay whisky). Purchase exclusively at Kilchoman’s shop (either online or in person at the visitor center)

By the time Kilchoman Day during Feis Ile rolled around, I was ready to drink along with the Kilchoman gang as they did live tastings on social media.

2. 12:00 noon, Kilchoman Day – DNA Live tasting

While there were other distillery tours and Q&As scheduled throughout the day, the tastings started at 12 o’clock noon, and I was rearing to go! It took me a little while to set up – at first I thought projecting the live streaming onto the wall would be the way to go, but it turns out that makes it difficult to comment and interact during the tasting. And interacting is part of the fun in these virtual events! The DNA Kilchoman tastings was delightfully hosted by Antea and James.

The four whiskies included in the DNA pack, represent the DNA of Kilchoman – the four core whiskies that Kilchoman offers. Loch Gorm, Machir Bay, Sanaig, and 100% Islay.

2.1 Loch Gorm 2021

The Loch Gorm (named after a freshwater loch/lake next to the distillery) is an annual release matured entirely in oloroso sherry casks. Very sweet and smoky, with a little spicy kick. At 46% ABV, not too strong. When I first smell it, I get sweet, rum raisins and a bit of caramel. Loch Gorm is one of my favorite Kilchoman whiskies, due to the sweet and smoky combo. They said during the live tasting that there was a smoky, barbecue, bacon flavor – I don’t personally get the bacon, but maybe there’s a reason I like it!

The Loch Gorm 2021 is paired with the haggis spice dark chocolate, with the spices in the chocolate really bringing out that spiciness in the whisky. According to Antea, “the spices will marry really well with the sherry character.” The sweetness almost falls to the into the background, with the spiciness at the forefront. Loch Gorm is similarly paired with either the venison chorizo or the chili venison chorizo.

While I do have experience pairing whisky and chocolate, pairing whisky with meat is something I am new to. So, I’ll defer to the experts. James explained that chocolate and meats (things with rich flavors basically) pair really well with sherry matured whiskies. Additionally, the combination of smoked meats and Kilchoman’s peat smoked whiskies, just go really well together. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my smoked meats, I enjoy my Kilchoman whiskies. I’ll have to experiment more to see how I can enjoy them well together!

2.2 100% Islay (2021 Preview)

Similar to Loch Gorm, the 100% Islay has an annual release. While it’s schedule to be released later this year, the one included in the DNA tastings is a preview of this year’s annual release.

What’s great about 100% Islay, is that it’s made with barley grown at Kilchoman itself. Most distilleries buy their barley and malt it themselves (or even buy malted barley from a maltings). While Kilchoman does buy barley for their other expressions, the 100% Islay is made from their home grown barley.

When I first smelled the 100% Islay, it was very floral on the nose. Floral, then sweet. Then James said it smelled like hay and sweet malt, and then all I could smell was the hay. It’s funny how your brain processes smells, no?

The 100% Islay preview was cask strength, 56.5% ABV. However, when it’s released later this year, 100% Islay will be bottled around 50% ABV.

2.3 Machir Bay (Cask Strength)

Machir Bay, named for the gorgeous beach (above) near the distillery, is a classic core range Kilchoman whisky. The one for the tasting is at cask strength (58.9% ABV – wowww), and has sweet, fruity tones, with a hint of peat. Antea called it a “playful dram” and that made me smile.

This “playful dram” is paired with the Sea Salt and Lime Chocolate, because of the citrusy and saltiness of the chocolate. With the chocolate, the peat flavor in the whisky really comes forward. James also suggested pairing Machir Bay with a “seafood snack”, due to the Machir Bay’s heavy bourbon influence. I mean, anyone suggesting pairing a whisky with a seafood snack, is my kinda friend! For the charcuterie, Antea suggested the pork and venison chorizo, since it’s a bit fattier and would inherently enhance the sweetness of the whisky.

2.4 Sanaig (Cask Strength)

Because Sanaig is matured in oloroso sherry hogshead barrels, the whisky has greater contact with the oils in the barrel itself. This gives Sanaig its rich caramel coloring.

Paired with the chili venison (or the regular venison) chorizo. Similar to the Loch Gorm (which is sherry matured), James says it pairs well with anything that’s rich and spicy, like stewed meats. You can see what’s on James’ mind, probably a nice BBQ. He described the Sanaig as:

• “Savoury meaty notes.”
• “Sweet barbecue sauce.”
• “Slow cooked lamb flavor.”

I’m a little confused at the meaty descriptions – no barbecue sauce for me. Just sweet vanillas and caramels. I think that’s just the sherry influence on me.

Paired with the haggis spice dark chocolate, the spiciness of the whisky really comes through to the point where it surprised me a little. Not in a bad way though, just a surprise.

2.5 My parting thoughts on the DNA Feis Ile tasting pack

I was really happy to do these Kilchoman tastings. For one, I hadn’t had their core range in almost a year! It was like seeing old familiar friends again, but with some updated bottlings and and a little preview of things to come. My favorite is probably still the Loch Gorm. I’m a sucker for an oloroso sherry cask maturation.

I loved the pairings with the chocolate. The one that stood out the most for me was the Machir Bay paired with the lime and sea salt chocolate. Something about that citrusy, salty chocolate (which was delicious in its own), seemed to go hand in hand with Machir Bay’s “playful dram.”

All in all, a delightful 4 whiskies in Kilchoman’s core range. 4 down… 8 to go?

3. 6:00 pm, Kilchoman Day – Through the Ages Tasting

After a long nap and a break, I’m back again for a whisky sundowner with Robin (Production Manager), Peter and George (from the Wills Family). It starts with the New Make Spirit, to spirits from bourbon casks maturing from 2016, 2011 and finally 2006. It goes from new to 5 year old to 10 to 15 years. In my photo, I got my dates completely turned around, so don’t be confused as I was.

3.1 New Make Spirit (Port Ellen Malt) – 65.5% ABV

New make spirit is basically the alcohol following distillation, before it heads into the casks. The malted barley in this New Make Spirit comes from Port Ellen Maltings (down the street from me!). The Port Ellen New Make Spirit (depending on the casks it goes into for maturation), eventually becomes the Loch Gorm, Machir Bay, and Sanaig from Kilchoman’s

core range.

I’ve never tried a new make spirit before and honestly didn’t know what to expect. Robin described as “light, fruity, and even floral” taste. George described it as an “amazing floral quality and sweetness.” From the last tasting, James teased it and described it as “elegant, rounded, lots of tropical fruit, and not a lot of peat smoke. Lovely and clean.”

Ok, I’ll stop telling you what they think – here’s what I think. It smells like cardboard or paper. Later on, Peter calls it a “farmyard feel” (I think they meant it in a good way) but it does feel like a farmyard, but not in a good way. It does remind me of the malted barley smell when you walk by a distillery. While that is definitely a sweet, pungent smell, it’s wonderful wafting it in the air. It’s not so great sticking your nose into a tasting glass and whiffing it full force.

I couldn’t finish the tasting portion of 20 ml. It was too awful for me – too raw. But I kept it, to go back and refer to it as the base spirit, compared to the others as it ages.

3.2 Bourbon Cask, cask #645 (2016) – aged 5 years

After 5 years of maturing in a bourbon cask, the smells and tastes of a real whisky start to come forward. Peter accurately described what I thought – which is that the creamy, rich flavor really comes through now, when compared to the New Make Spirit. At 59.7% ABV, there’s citrusy and floral notes (George says its from the New Make Spirit – I disagree). Sometimes, you smell the peat smoke. But not always.

When going back to the New Make Spirit, Peter refers to the “farmyard feel” of it, and how that farmyard feel is being matured out, after 5 years. I guess that’s a good way to describe it. You can smell and taste it maturing into something nicer. For me, what’s interesting is – the deeper I smell the 2016, the more I smell hints of that malted barley / new make spirit, as if you’re smelling its heritage. I don’t get the spiciness that they hint at, but each person smells their own thing.

It pairs beautifully with the sea salt and lime, creamy milk chocolate. The guys suggested the chili venison chorizo to bring out the spiciness in the 2016 whisky.

3.3 Bourbon Cask, cask #203 (2011) – aged 10 years

This 10 year whisky is starting to smooth out, from the New Make Spirit and the 5 year whisky. When I first smelled it, it felt like I was smelling roses. (Later on, someone who commented on the live tasting validated this rose smell! Wait.. did I drunk comment and then forget? I am…6 whiskies and 1 new make spirit in…)

I digress. I waited, and as a little time passed the roses became a more sweet butterscotch. At 53.2% ABV, it’s quite light and really delicious.

George and Peter explained that there is a huge jump in maturation between the 5 year and 10 year whisky, as you really get the influence of the bourbon casks settling into the whisky. The 10 year is definitely much smoother, less smoky, and becoming very complex in its aromas and flavors.

3.4 Bourbon Cask, cask #4 (2006) – aged 15 years

Now that we’re at the last whisky, aged 15 years, I thought I’d share this photo (this time in order from youngest to oldest). You can see how the color changes, from the clear New Make Spirit, to darker and darker, the longer it sits in the barrel to mature. None of Kilchoman’s whiskies have added color, so the richness in the color toward the 15 year is all due to the oils in the bourbon casks! (FYI, the photo doesn’t represent how much whisky was in the tasting packs either. I may have just taken this photo after sipping out of the glass already!)

This whisky, being aged the longest, has the sweetest smell and taste. That tartness of the new make spirit is all gone, and its left with a sweet vanilla. Absolutely love this!

3.5 My parting thoughts on Through the Ages Feis Ile tasting pack

This tasting pack was really interesting for me. To be able to smell and taste a spirit going from its wee infancy as a new make spirit to 5 years to 10 years, all the way up to 15 years whisky, was pretty incredible. As someone who is still learning a lot about whiskies, you get to see how age really affects the maturation and taste of a whisky. Definitely, one of my favorite Kilchoman tastings so far!

4. 7:15 pm, Kilchoman Day – Experimental Cask Tastings

Last tasting of the day was at 7:15 pm, with Anthony Wills (Founder and Managing Director of Kilchoman Distillery) and his son George, who we were just with during the Through the Ages Tastings. Truth be told, 7 whiskies (and 1 new make spirit) in at this point, I did not drink the experimental cask tastings along with them. I draw the line at 7+1 (or 8) in one day. Well, I should’ve drawn the line earlier, but Feis Ile is only once a year. So, when there’s an Islay whisky festival, you drink as much as you can within reason.

A few years ago, the Scotch Whisky Association, which governs the rules around whisky production, relaxed the rules around cask types that distilleries are allowed to fill – previously being mainly bourbon and sherry casks. Kilchoman, which has an eye and a taste for innovation, immediately began experimenting with calvados, tequila, mezcal, cognac, and other types of casks. And while a lot of distilleries only do finishes in certain casks (having the majority of the maturation in the typical bourbon or sherry casks), Anthony was interested in full maturation in different cask types.

The underlying spirit in these experimental casks is the same as the New Make Spirit – the Port Ellen malt, which comes in at a peat level of 50 ppm. Having now tasted the farmyard fresh New Make Spirit, with the experimental casks, you really get to see how the cask influences the tastes and flavors of the whisky itself.

4.1 Calvados Cask, cask # 356 (2018) – aged 3 years

First up, the Calvados cask. Calvados is a type of pear or apple brandy from Normandy, France. At 62.1% ABV, the smell doesn’t immediately kick of alcohol, although there is a lingering hint of that “farmyard fresh” new make spirit. When Anthony and George drank it, they said it doesn’t have the alcohol burn that you’d normally have with a spirit that young (3 years).

But for me, OOF. The strength of the alcohol hit me immediately. It was all fire and burn. After drinking, and smelling it again, I was surprised to smell a bit of apple (which, luckily Anthony confirmed later!). Then again, it could be because I know it was matured in a pear or apple brandy cask. My mind immediately went to dried apples that you’d eat around autumn time, just as the weather is changing.

According to Anthony, this should age for a few more years before the flavor will be fully developed and matured. What a master!

4.2 Cognac Cask, cask #737 (2016) – aged 5 years

Cognac is a variety of brandy, produced around the Cognac region in France. Cognac, unlike Calvados, is distilled by fermenting grapes. At 58.4% ABV, it’s still a bit fiery but much sweeter. The extra 2 years of maturation brings out the sweetness from the casks a bit more. Anthony suggested this one is pretty close to being ready, thinking it could probably be done in 1 or more years.

The thing about experimental casks, is that you never know how long the perfect maturation time is. So, you gotta keep tasting it, and when you feel it’s ready, it’s ready.

4.3 STR Cask, cask #207 (2018) – aged 3 years

These STR casks are ex-Portguese red wine casks which are then shaved, toasted, and re-charred (STR) before being filled with whisky. Normally STR casks are ex-burgundy wine casks. However, the STR casks used at Kilchoman for this expression are ex-Portuguese red wine casks, which are medium charred. In the first nosing, the charring brings out the peat smoke. Anthony and George described it as having “summer fruit character”. For me, it was a bit sweeter, a little caramel and sometimes citrusy. But being aged only 3 years, I definitely the sensation of that farm fresh new make spirit.

At 61.5% ABV, the alcohol kick is not as much as I imagined. It’s quite smooth for being only 3 years. Out of the experimentals, this one is my favorite so far. Kilchoman is looking to add the STR casks to the core range in the next few years, so exciting things to look forward to! Let’s just hope it’s aged more than 3 years and that farmy fresh flavor is … overpowered by the cask!

4.4 Port Cask, cask #408 (2014) – aged 7 years

Port made by adding a grape spirit (usually brandy) to wine. Arguably one of my favorite things about Portugal, and when I last visited Lisbon in 2016, I was really excited that the experimental tasting included a port cask. A whisky aged in a port cask as part of the Kilchoman tastings? Sign me up!

At 57.3% ABV, this one felt stronger than the other higher alcohol content whiskies. To me, it makes sense because when I drink port, it too always surprises me how strong it is.

4.5 My parting thoughts on the Experimental Cask Feis Ile tasting pack

I thoroughly enjoyed this tasting pack! With the relaxing of the whisky rules, it seems like there are going to be new and exciting things coming to the whisky industry, given a little longer maturation. To me, I absolutely loved the STR cask whisky, having a bit more of that peat taste that I do love about Islay whiskies. But the having the experimental cask tastings be at the end of Kilchoman Day of Feis Ile, you got to use your learnings from the the different tastings and tours.

For me, now knowing the smell and taste of the New Make Spirit, it becomes very obvious in the tastings of the 3 year old whiskies. But having the influence of different types casks, i.e. the calvados, port, STR or cognac, it lends its own flavors and characteristics to the whisky.

This was such a fun tasting! And to see this “behind the scenes” into Kilchoman’s experimental casks, the thought process behind the selection of the type of casks, how long it should continue to be matured, and where Kilchoman’s experimental casks will go from here – it was really, just so much fun!

5. Conclusions on my first Feis Ile

I genuinely had a great time with all of these Kilchoman tastings! Having revisited old friends in the core range / DNA tastings, and learning new and innovative facets of cask maturation, I can see why Feis Ile is so fun for whisky drinkers – new and connoisseurs alike! The selection of these Kilchoman tastings were so smart, so eye-opening. Having now done a fair amount of whisky tastings, I can genuinely say that I learned the most through the succession of Kilchoman tastings I did on Kilchoman Day!

It was a wonderfully curated virtual Kilchoman Day. For those able to visit either for next year’s Islay Whisky Festival or even for a short break out to Islay, I would highly recommend a visit to Kilchoman Distillery – Islay’s Farm Distillerty.

Until you’re able to visit Kilchoman in person, here’s a wee reel I made for Instagram during my last visit to the distillery. Thank you to Kilchoman for gifting me these delightful tasting packs! And thank you everyone for reading along on my first (virtual) Feis Ile experience! Always remember to drink responsibly! Slàinte Mhath!

Kilchoman Distillery
Rockside Farm,
Bruichladdich, Isle of Islay PA49 7UT
Phone: +44 1496 850011

For the whisky buffs or enthusiastic learners, to view all the live Kilchoman tastings on YouTube:

• DNA Tasting
• Through the Ages Tasting
• Experimental Cask Tasting

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

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