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23rd October 2025 |
Review of the
Kilchoman 100% Islay Sherry Cask Matured
11 Year Old which captures the duality
of Kilchoman’s 100% Islay style
perfectly: farm-born peat character
meeting the richness of sherry cask
maturation.
 As
the colder months draw in, Kilchoman has
unveiled a sherry rich winter-warming addition to its 100% Islay series — the
Kilchoman 100% Islay Sherry Cask Matured
11 Year Old. This release is quite a
contrast to the recently launched 100%
Islay 15th Edition, which spent nine
years exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels.
The new 11 Year Old expression was
distilled from Publican barley grown on
Kilchoman's own Islay farm during the
2011, 2012, and 2013 harvests, then
matured for a minimum of eleven years in
sixteen first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry
butts sourced from José y Miguel Martín
in Jerez, Spain. Each cask was carefully
selected to create this unique
farm-to-bottle bottling.
Kilchoman tells me that Publican barley,
cultivated at Kilchoman between 2010 and
2014, consistently produced strong
yields and a distillate notable for its
clean citrus and malt character —
qualities that have matured beautifully
in sherry wood. The resulting whisky
draws on sixteen casks from three
individual harvests, each distilled
separately.
Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder,
commented on the 16 casks he chose for
this release simply saying: "I've had my
eye on these casks for a while, waiting
for the perfect time to bottle them."
Kilchoman produces two distinct spirit
styles: the 100% Islay whiskies, made
exclusively from barley grown and malted
on the distillery’s own farm, and their
core range — Machir Bay, Sanaig, and
others — crafted from commercially
malted barley.
Farming barley on Islay can be quite a
challenge in itself. The island’s harsh
weather and wildlife take their toll on
the crop, resulting in smaller grains
with a higher husk-to-flour ratio. This,
in turn, contributes to the rich
oiliness and textured mouthfeel
characteristic of Kilchoman’s 100% Islay
spirit.
A key difference between the house
styles lies in peat levels. The 100%
Islay whiskies are peated to around
20ppm, while Machir Bay, Sanaig, and
other core expressions sit closer to
50ppm. This gentler peat influence
allows the delicate nuances of the
barley to shine, lending a softer, more
intricate profile.
Whereas the 15th Edition showcased the
bright, citrus-led freshness of bourbon
cask maturation, the new Sherry Cask
Matured 11 Year Old brings a deeper,
more brooding character. The ex-Oloroso
butts infuse the whisky with layers of
dark fruit, rich spice, and subtle
smoked meat, creating a complex and
satisfying contrast to the lighter,
orchard-fruit tones of the previous 100%
Islay releases.
You will find the Kilchoman 100% Islay
Sherry Cask Matured 11 Year Old available from specialist online whisky
shops such as
The Whisky Exchange
and
Master of Malt
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Kilchoman 100% Islay Sherry Cask Matured 11 YO Review
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Bottled non-chill filtered, naturally
coloured at 50% ABV.
William
Morrison's
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Gentle earthy and
sweet peat
smoke intertwined with some equally gentle orange
citrus and sugared raisin, a little sweet vanilla toffee,
just a touch of cinnamon and some light oak spice lurking in the background.
Taste: Rich,
oily texture with layers of dark fruit
and sweet peat smoke. Notes of raisins,
orange marmalade, and honeyed malt
develop alongside warm baking spices,
dark chocolate, vibrant oak spice,
vanilla, and a late touch of sea salt.
Finish: Deliciously
long and warming, with lingering notes
of sweet peat smoke, dried fruits, and
vibrant spice. Hints of cocoa, orange
peel, and polished oak fade slowly,
leaving a satisfying balance of sherried
sweetness and smoke.
Comment:
A beautifully composed sherried
Kilchoman dram — this
captures the duality of Kilchoman’s 100%
Islay style perfectly: farm-born peat
character meeting the richness of sherry
cask maturation. The way they highlight
the interplay between the sweet, earthy
smoke and the vibrant sherried fruit tones really
brings the dram to life. This feels
quintessentially Kilchoman and Islay —
coastal, complex, rich and deeply
satisfying.
SMW Whisky Score
93/100
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