Follow Us:

Kilchoman 2013 KWM Mezcal Finish Cask

Kilchoman 2013 KWM Mezcal Finish Cask

This item is archived.

This KWM Cask was featured on Day 10 of our 2021 KWM Whisky Calendar

Wait, What? Mezcal Finish? You betcha! This is our 11th KWM exclusive single cask of Kilchoman, 12th if you count the 14 Year cask we bottled to help raise funds for the MS Society of Canada! 

When we saw that Kilchoman had released a Mezcal Cask Finish overseas last year, we immediately inquired about getting cask samples. Our pick has finally arrived! Filled into an ex-Bourbon Barrel for most of its life before being transferred to an ex-Mezcal Cask for 8 months before bottling. Bottled at a cask strength of 55.2%. Only 199 full-sized bottles!

We also have 50mls!

700ml ml
Region:Scotland > Islay
Vintage:2013

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: mezcalritas right off the hop; Kilchoman's firm clean smoke and crisp citrus meet the vegetal volatile acids of mezcal; juicy malt, freshly trimmed pinnas, and salted caramel; agave nectar, lime spiced tortilla chips, and doughy fruit flan; ceviche and grilled langoustines.

Palate: big, intense and muscular; the fusion of Kilchoman malt and Mezcal continues with intense citrus leaning heavily in the lemon and lime department, salty-maritime tones and layers of smoke: clean peat smoke and that faintly plastic medicinal mezcal smoke; more ceviche, scallops seared in butter and citrus drizzled in honey; more agave nectar, mezcalritas in salted tumblers, and doughy fruit flan. 

Finish: bright citrus, toasted oak, and juicy malt tinged with flaked kosher salt and seafood ceviche; long coating and mouth-watering.

Comment: I was skeptical about mixing Islay malt and Mezcal, but this really works; we had the chance to sample a range of Kilchoman finished in tequila and mezcal casks, and while we weren't looking for a new cask, we couldn't turn this one down!

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: Plenty of shellfish with a smoky and citric edge. Smoked mussels, shrimp dipped in cocktail sauce, chalky Sweet Tarts candies, agave nectar, dehydrated lime wheels, raw sliced radishes, cracked black pepper, rubber cement, and Canada Dry Gingerale - you know: the stuff that vaguely smells and tastes like ginger was near it at some point but does not actually contain any ginger.

Palate: Here comes the funk! Sweet smoke plus a creamy and salty palate with a definite Mezcal character to it. Sharpie ink, model glue, melted saran wrap, grilled prawns dipped in lemon butter, Bouillabaisse broth, and a shot of Blanco Tequila: lick the salt from the back of your hand, take the shot and then suck on that wedge of lemon! 

Finish: The weirdness calms down as the mix of Kilchoman and Mezcal settle down and decide to be friends. Sweet, smoky and salty.

Comment: The Mezcal really doesn't hit me as much on the nose as it does the palate, but after tasting it and going back it is all of the places. This is a very interesting experiment and If you are a fan of either Kilchoman or Mezcal you need to try it.

The following was written by Andrew Ferguson for Celtic Life Magazine in 2017. Since then the distillery has doubled the number of stills, increasing its production considerably--albeit modestly by the standards of the industry. It is still the smallest distillery on Islay, and one of the smallest in Scotland.

Photo Courtesy Kilchoman Distillery

On a cold, windy, and rainy evening in late May of this year, I made my way to a new maturation warehouse built on a low hill overlooking Loch Indaal. I was on the island of Islay for Feis Isle, the Islay Whisky Festival, the holiest of events in the whisky pilgrim’s calendar. This year’s festival was extra special, as two of Scotland’s most iconic distilleries, Lagavulin and Laphroaig, were marking their 200th anniversaries. While these two industry giants were the unofficial special focus of this year’s festivities, they weren’t the only distillery marking a significant milestone. 2015 is also the 10th anniversary of the founding of Kilchoman, Islay’s first new distillery in 124 years. So with the wind howling outside and sheets of rain violently rolling across the building’s roof, I made my way into a dunnage warehouse with 60 other pilgrims for a very special tasting.

The tasting was a look back at Kilchoman’s first decade and what a decade it has been. We sampled a cask from 2006, its first full year of production, and other barrel samples from 2007, 2009, and a number from 2010. It was a rare opportunity to see the whisky’s evolution. The tasting was hosted by the distillery’s founder and managing director, Anthony Wills. Anthony’s vision was to build a small farm distillery, effectively taking Scotch whisky back to its roots. Most of Scotland’s distilleries, even giants like Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and Macallan all started out as farm distilleries.

In just 10 short years the distillery has nurtured a cult following for its whisky and built a well-earned reputation for quality. Founding a distillery, even a small-scale farm distillery like Kilchoman is no easy feat. Kilchoman’s advisors knew the distillery couldn’t wait 10 years to bottle their spirit, so it had to be flawless right off the bat. They also knew that they would need top-quality casks for maturation. To survive Kilchoman would have to start selling its whisky at a young age, and it would have to be good. There was a lot of anticipation surrounding the release of the “Kilchoman Inaugural Release” in 2009. Interest in Scotch whisky was at a fever pitch, and Islay whiskies were hotter still. The first release didn’t disappoint, and neither have the subsequent ones.

Kilchoman is entering its second decade with confidence, momentum, and a loyal following. The distillery is still bottling young, very peaty Islay whiskies, and it is still turning heads. The distillery’s success has encouraged other small-scale and farm distilleries to pop up all over Scotland. So many that I’ve frankly lost track of.

For a period after its launch, Kilchoman primarily released periodic vintage expressions, but in 2012 the brand coalesced around a core of three whiskies. Kilchoman’s production is small, and so is its footprint. You won’t find these whiskies in every liquor store, but no self-respecting whisky specialist would be caught dead without them.

Photos are all courtesy Kilchoman Distillery!

You might also like...

Boutique-y Clynelish 20 Year KWM Cask
$219.99
Berry's Orkney Islands 2003 KWM Cask
$199.99
Bruichladdich Octomore 13.3
* If you'd like us to try to order it, add it to your cart. We can't promise, but we'll do our best!
Bruichladdich Octomore 13.3
Out of Stock
$349.99