Kilchoman (Summer 2010 Release)

This young distillery’s fourth release, aged entirely in bourbon barrels. (This is the first one available in the U.S.) The two previous releases that I tasted and reviewed (the inaugural release and the Autumn 2009 release) were finished in sherry casks. I miss the sherry, to be honest. I think it softened the whisky, added a new dimension, and perhaps even masked some of the youth. Still, this is a very nice effort: brisk, vibrant, and bracing, with plenty of raw peat smoke and tar, along with pear, citrus, vanilla, licorice root, bourbon barrel char, clove, bitter chocolate, and suggestions of olive brine and high-end mescal.