The Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2021!
The hotly anticipated Loch Gorm 2021 from Kilchoman Distillery has once again had its annual release!
Named after Islay’s largest freshwater loch neighbouring the distillery, Loch Gorm is their only annual limited edition matured entirely in oloroso sherry casks.
Year on year the vatting of Loch Gorm subtly changes (and sometimes not so subtly), in age, colour and character.
The 2021 edition is a vatting of 24 oloroso sherry butts filled in 2011 and 2012
The 2021 edition is a vatting of 24 oloroso sherry butts filled in 2011 and 2012. These large 500 litre sherry butts have been sourced from Bodega Miguel Martin in Spain and filled with Kilchoman spirit peated to 50ppm.
Once these casks had been matured for a minimum of 9 years, they were then vatted together and bottled at 46% abv, resulting in 17,000 bottles being made available to Kilchoman fans around the world.
Although we have always filled the bulk of our spirit into ex-bourbon barrels, the Loch Gorm releases have shown how well our peated Islay spirit can combine with sherry casks, something that’s not always an easy task.
Rich bold flavours with a breadth, depth and balance of character that sets it apart, the 2021 edition is packed with juicy fruit, macerated lemon and sweet chargrilled BBQ smoke.
– Anthony Wills: Kilchoman Founder and Master Distiller
Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2021 retails in the £69.95+ range.
Kilchoman has kindly sent me a sample to try (Thanks kilchomandistillery.com / @Kilchomanwhisky!)
So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …
Tasting Notes – Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2021 Islay Whisky (46%)
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Nose: Rich, smokey, peaty nose with smooth sherry. Then along comes some apple and vanilla with buttery biscuit. The peatiness fades away after a time to be replaced by lemon creams and fruit cake – delightful!
Palate: Sweet, thick, plump fruits with sweet spices including cinnamon. Add in some lemon citrus and dark chocolate and you have a gorgeous palate right there! Finish: Strong black pepper, sweet liquorice, smokey polish finishing with a dry peat, smoke finish. Overall: A cracking dram and I love it! Rich flavours abound and I can’t fault it. This whisky is a ‘Jack of all flavours’ – and it’s the Master of all of them! |
Kilchoman is available to buy from these Merchants:-
Many thanks to kilchomandistillery.com (@Kilchomanwhisky) for sending me the sample!
About Kilchoman
Kilchoman Distillery is a small family run farm distillery based on the rugged west coast of Islay. The distillery was established by Anthony Wills in 2005, the idea was to build a new distillery which took whisky production back to its roots. Anthony and wife Kathy have been joined by their three sons; George, James and Peter.
Kilchoman produces its 100% Islay single malt from barley which is grown in fields surrounding the distillery and completes every stage of the whisky-making process at the distillery, including traditional floor malting. Kilchoman is the only distillery in Scotland to do this.
