Kilchoman – Loch Gorm – 2023 Edition

Founded in 2005, Kilchoman was the first new distillery to be built on Islay in over 124 years. This distillery is the only farm distillery on the magical island of Islay. Kilchoman is a family-run operation with Anthony Wills, founder, managing director and master distiller. Anthony’s wife Kathy runs the visitor centre and his three sons get heavily involved in sales and marketing. 

Anthony and Kathy have a philosophy that everything in the distilling process is fully based around the farm. Barley from their own fields, the Whisky is distilled, matured and bottled on site.

For this 2023 Edition Anthony together with Production Manager Robin Bignal married a total of  22 oloroso casks that had been maturing for a minimum of eight years. 

Let’s now have a taste.

Kilchoman Loch Gorm- 2023 Edition, Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 46% Alc/vol, 70 cl

Colour…Shining new copper

Nose…Dark chocolate, rich soft fruits, a hint of peat smoke way in the background, a waft of salty sea air.

Taste…Mixed roasted nuts, a little citrus burst, more soft fruits, dark chocolate still in the frame, with a teardrop of water now a gentle sea breeze, wildflowers and herbs on the machair mingled with peat smoke wafting from the pagoda roof.,

Finish…A fairly balanced finish, long with dark chocolate and fresh Islay sea breeze.

This fine edition named after the famously dark, peaty loch overlooked by the distillery, our annual Loch Gorm limited edition is our only regular expression matured entirely in oloroso sherry casks.

This fine dram is priced at around £79.95 and in my view worth every penny.