Kilchoman The Sister Casks 2024 (HAWE)

HAWE Bremen, the German importer for Kilchoman, celebrated its 50th anniversary with a series of single cask bottlings. The range is called The Sister Casks – it consists of three pairs of casks that were filled on the same day and matured side by side in the warehouse. With so many identical parameters, all that is left is the mystery of maturation?

The series consists of:

• 9 year old first fill bourbon barrels (100% Islay)
• 13 year old first fill bourbon barrels
• 15 year old Oloroso sherry casks (11 years in butts, then in hogsheads)

All bottles are still available in Germany. I bought a sample set from Delia Whisky. I don’t say this enough, but kudos to shops that make the effort to sell samples.

 

Kilchoman 9 yo 2014 – 100% Islay (55,3%, OB 2024, 20 ppm, first fill bourbon cask #650, 200 btl.)

Nose: slightly angular, with green leafy notes, raw malt and grist. Drying hints of rye spice even. Then grapefruits and lime, with shortbread and subtle vanilla cream. It’s very millimetric and because of that, also simplistic. Light medicinal hints and nice waxy touch after a while (menthol balm).
Mouth: starts with sweetness, but quickly this makes place for a (moderate) bitterness. Really green and leafy, with ginger and cinchona, as well as bitter almond. Chalky notes, some sourdough bread with butter, and menthol. An ashy style of smoke. Only light fruits. In the end some caramelized white chocolat appears.
Finish: long, fairly neutral, on peppery malt, warm ashes and a creamy note.

Nice nose but a slightly austere side on the palate. I’m sure this highly focused style will shine after a few more years in the cask, but at 9 years of age it doesn’t keep me interested for long. The Clynelish-like waxy touch was a pleasant surprise though.

 

 

Kilchoman 9 yo 2014 – 100% Islay (56,7%, OB 2024, 20 ppm, first fill bourbon cask #653, 248 btl.)

Nose: very similar – at first even more simple and shy. Lemons, maybe tangerines and oily notes, hints of green apple and flour, as well as pure smoke and malt. Some saltwater. Less vanilla roundness, definitely. It never reaches the level of cask #650, in my opinion.
Mouth: same feeling of bittersweet nakedness. Herbs and hints of oak char, with black pepper and a drying mineral / chalky side. Aniseed, sourdough, mint and vague green fruits in the distance.
Finish: long, bittersweet and spicy. Anise, some vanilla and tannins.

The nose was not very forthcoming, nor convincing for that matter. I expected more fruits, for instance, and simply more entertainment. Every time I went back to #650 I felt more impressed. Perhaps fine on its own, but it lacks complexity and it definitely suffers from comparison. Score: 83/100

 

 

Kilchoman 13 yo 2010 (53,8%, OB 2024, 50 ppm, first fill bourbon cask #479, 235 btl.)

Nose: a bit of an all-rounder, with lemon and orange, as well as mentholated bananas and creamy vanilla. Quite some spicy notes too, think curry, ginger tea and white pepper. An active barrel which makes the smoke play second fiddle perhaps (also thanks to its higher age of course). Becomes increasingly fruity over time.
Mouth: beautiful citrus, with more (blood) oranges and not just the lemony sharpness that you often get. Hints of vanilla, even a light hint of mango. Herbal notes set in (aniseed, spearmint) without the bitterness of the 100% Islay versions.
Finish: long. That lightly tropical edge stays strong, along with drying smoke and citrus zest.

Age matters. I think these 13 year olds are a step up from the 9 year olds, especially if you like a bit of fruits underneath the peat smoke. Simply a really nice Kilchoman. Score: 88/100

 

 

Kilchoman 13 yo 2010 (54,5%, OB 2024, 50 ppm, first fill bourbon cask #478, 248 btl.)

Nose: slightly less sweet, certainly fruity but more on orchard fruits (pears, apples) and lemons here. Still round and balanced, just a little more brightness. Hints of sponge cake, limoncello, green apples. You still don’t feel the Ardbeggian 50 ppm – the coastal side is clear though.
Mouth: yellow fruits and more peat smoke now. Gets slightly syrupy (tinned apricots). Then it moves towards peppery notes, with a light vegetal touch – a few drops of mezcal.
Finish: long, still showing this dusty / vegetal edge. Honey, sweet fruits and ashy notes.

This cask is slightly more spiced and rough, and the fruits are less special in my opinion. Both good but #479 is my favourite. Score: 86/100

 

 

Kilchoman 15 yo 2008 (51,1%, OB 2024, 50 ppm, Oloroso sherry cask #639, 271 btl.)

Nose: pretty great. A nice mix of cigar boxes and tobacco leaves, oiled exotic wood. Above this pleasant woodiness there is a layer of red fruits like blackberries and cherries. Polished leather and a fairly subtle smokiness in the background.
Mouth: big and oily, with a tart fruitiness (cherry and raspberry), some salty and meaty notes, as well as glazed nuts. The oriental woody notes are still there. Hints of chocolate towards the end, with surprisingly mild peat smoke.
Finish: perhaps a tad short, but offering lots of nice tobacco notes, leather, more red fruits.

The tart fruitiness and exotic woody notes set this apart. Really expensive, I think, but definitely an outstanding cask. Score: 90/100

 

 

Kilchoman 15 yo 2008 (52,4%, OB 2024, 50 ppm, Oloroso sherry cask #633, 302 btl.)

Nose: initially less vibrant than its sister. There’s a similar dusty woodiness, but it isn’t integrated equally well. Still a nice exotic hardwood touch and wood smoke, but less fruity vibrance. Nicer plums and raisins after a while, as well as a subtle balsamic top note. Again a very pleasant sherry nose.
Mouth: sharper than its sibling, with a good dose of rosemary and aniseed, some pungency and an umami meaty note in the background. Then leather and overall a more mundane type of woodiness. Hints of sharp smoke and a little chocolate.
Finish: medium, with plenty of herbal notes, black tea and earthy smoke.

High quality, no doubt. We don’t get too many Kilchoman bottlings that are fully matured in Oloroso, and they don’t disappoint. Kind of a Loch Gorm on steroids. Score: 89/100