This whisky is a recipe for success. The two main reasons for that are the fact that Kilchoman generally makes good whisky AND I love Fino Sherry casks used for whisky.

Combine those two, and you get the coastal notes of the Fino on top of the coastal notes of Islay whisky, so it might be a bit much. Or does it?

Sniff:
Pretty crisp and mossy from the start, with hints of barley, slate and a whiff of coastal salinity and quite some smoke. The sherry brings a lot of these flavors. Very fino-esque. Later, after a few minutes I start getting dried prunes, too.

Sip:
Pretty sharp, a youthful sharpness. Lots of barley, a bit of oak. Dry sherry and coastal notes. Dried apple, some baking spices, sawdust, grist. Salinity, smoke.

Swallow:
A warming finish with a slight edge. Spices, salinity, smoke, barley, sawdust and grist. Some fruit too.

I really like how this one focuses mostly on the crisp notes. It does bring a quality of Islay and its whiskies to the front that isn’t always obvious. So, coastal notes galore without overdoing it.

All in all, this is a very solid whisky. It could have been better with a bit more age, I think. My guess is that this is some 6 to 8 years old. A bit more cask influence, and a bit more maturity would have gone a long way. Still, solid stuff.

87/100

Kilchoman Fino Sherry Matured, 2020 Limited Edition, 46%. Available in The Netherlands for € 82