Kilchoman 18-year-old Family Collection 1st Edition

Kilchoman 18 years, Family Collection 1st Edition. 50%. Bourbon Matured Nose: Initially, elegant sweetness and mild peat smoke. Limestone, flambéed pear, vanilla, and apricots. Lime, bergamot, and honey emerge. The mild smoke reappears repeatedly, only to be gently pushed into the background by soft fruit aromas. Palate: Soft and creamy, slightly oily. Sea salt butter, fudge, and malt. Along with butter cake and a touch of pear, a hint of vanilla. Nothing is particularly overpowering; all the flavors are harmoniously balanced. Finish: Long, the buttery mouthfeel transforms into a creamy sweetness with a lingering smoky note. Flambéed pear, grilled pineapple, apricot jelly. Again, a touch of shell limestone, lemon zest, and sea salt. Conclusion: The power of younger Kilchoman whiskies is barely discernible in this 18-year-old. Instead, we have an elegant and perfectly harmonious whisky that some Islay drinkers might find a bit boring. I think it's brilliant. 88/100 points (2026)

W+: affects the finish too much. Becomes weak and thin. Don't add water. It's very good without water

Today I will focus on the second item from the Kilchoman Family Collection 1st edition, namely the edition Kilchoman 18YO, 50% ABV, 50 PPM, bourbon barrels. Extremely delicate and unobtrusive, yet very expressive. The lingering sweetness of honey, toffee, and cream with butter cookies, transitioning into minerality, fresh citrus, and finally, barley malt with a very subtle earthiness and acidity (the beginnings of a musty cellar) and smoke. I don't think I've ever had such a well-structured Kilcho aged solely in bourbon barrels, in which the alcohol was so well hidden and which wasn't so rounded. The finish draws out the profile and warms up pleasantly. The younger editions had a characteristic that the peak and finish were a real blow to the novice. There's none of that here - you get the impression of drinking a perfect whisky that's aged well. According to some, the name Port Ellen was used at the tasting, and I don't think a better recommendation could be given ???? The malt probably did its job, and the 18 years were used appropriately ???? Without further ado, I will say: 90/91/90 and I heartily recommend it ????❤️????

At 18 years, this feels like a pretty good test of just how far the distillery’s unmistakable style has come. “Probieren hilft”, as we say in Germany. NOSE Nice and sweet at first, with vanilla and crème brûlée up front. Honey and oak spice follow, with the tiniest hint of candied lemon. Give it a little time in the glass and things become more layered. A touch of oak spice emerges, followed by peat smoke. Not an open fire, though. More like gentle, glowing embers after the flames have gone. PALATE The alcohol is perfectly integrated, and the malt has an exceptionally oily mouthfeel. There is even a faint hint of olive oil on the palate. Most strikingly, the pronounced roughness found in some earlier Kilchoman releases has disappeared. In its place come vanilla, toffee and buttery shortbread. The peat is still unmistakably Kilchoman, even after 18 years. But it no longer demands all the attention. It feels less like the star of the show and more like something that holds the whole whisky together. FINISH / VERDICT Long and warming. Honeycomb, creamy toffee and vanilla linger at first. Then the oak gains a little weight, while the smoke slowly turns more fruity. This is brilliant! Grilled pineapple, or perhaps more fittingly, pineapple from the smoker, is exactly what comes to mind. It brings together the sweet, smoky character with a fine salty, maritime note that lingers on the palate for quite some time. And this is perhaps where the extra years show most clearly. Younger Kilchoman pours can sometimes come across as a little hot, sharply citrusy or rather ashy. Here, none of that roughness remains. Everything feels integrated and rounded, with none of the rough edges you sometimes get from younger Kilchoman. Further malts and reviews on Instagram and Facebook: #maltkanzlei