Kilchoman Sanaig
Official bottling | 46% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Perhaps my best peated Islay
A top five peated dram
The weather in Connecticut this summer hasn’t quite seemed like summer. While the southern and western United States had consistently elevated heat, we Nutmeggers have experienced only a few periods of high temperatures.
Most often, we’ve had a rainy and relatively mild weather pattern. In the past few days, with September upon us, it seems as if the winds have changed. Now, I can feel and sense the crispness of autumn starting to permeate the air after the sun goes down.
It isn’t full-on autumn weather yet, but there is that noticeable nip that foreshadows the change of season from summer. I joked with a pal the other day that we’ve had more than our share of a Scottish summer.
This tinge in the air reminds me of the weather my wife and I experienced on our trip to Islay last October. It wasn’t cold, but it certainly wasn’t warm. Crisp air filled the lungs, and added a healthy pace to our steps as we spent a day walking from Port Ellen to Laphroiag, then Lagavulin and onto Ardbeg… and then back to Port Ellen.
The day prior, with the weather roughly the same with a brisk, cool wind ever-present, somehow elevated our senses and appreciation when we soaked in the sights, aromas, and whiskies of Bunnahabhain, Kilchoman, and Bruichladdich. I truly believe that my experience on Islay would not have been the same if we spent our days on that magical island with temperatures of 27°C and bright sunshine.
Maybe that is unfair, perhaps the folk on Islay wouldn’t mind some balmy days to bask in the sun. But, in my mind, when I think of Scotland and touring through its grandeur, I don’t envision myself in swimming trunks, sandals, and a t-shirt. The weather framed our time on Islay perfectly. The brisk evenings, and the cool windswept days were magnificent.
Moreover, that cool crispness was a great background for the many peated drams we enjoyed. This makes sense, as I usually find myself enjoying lighter and fruitier whiskies in the summer months. And, just as we change our wardrobes from shorts and short sleeves to long pants, long sleeved shirts, and a sweater or sweatshirt, so, too, I find myself moving from those fruity and lighter whiskies to heavier fare.
Under the heavier umbrella, we have, on the one hand, oily worm tub-esque drams such as Benromach’s cask strength, Benrinnes, and Craigellachie. On the other hand, we have peated fare. With the onset of cooler weather, I think we all huddle under this heavier umbrella.
As I type this, it’s Friday evening. Relieved that the work week is done, stressors and deadlines are behind me – for a few days, anyway. I’ve walked out onto my deck and the sun has all but disappeared behind the trees to the west. The unmistakable cool breeze has kicked up a bit, and a slight chill has caught me by surprise. I round up my dog who would have preferred to stay digging through my log pile searching for rabbits, mice, or other morsels, and then I head back inside.
I holler down the hall to my wife telling her I would be on the deck, and I ask her if she wants to share a dram with me. A reply – with alacrity – comes immediately. Yes, she certainly does want to share a dram, and she asks me to pick a bottle for us. I walk to my closet, grab a well-worn and comfortable sweatshirt, and then head to the whisky cabinet.
I open the cabinet, and look toward the left side where I keep my peaty smoked whiskies. Tonight, I push past the Lagavulin, the Whiskey Del Bac Dorado, the Benriach and the Rock Oyster. I know exactly what I want – the best of the peated lot that I currently have.
Review
Kilchoman Sanaig, Official bottling, code: SAN: 19.05.22 22/99, 46% ABV
US$65 (£52) paid, wide availability
As my wife and I sit back in our rocking chairs, we each hold our Glencairns and admire the reddish-bronze colour of the liquid in the knowledge that it’s natural. We chat about our visit to the distillery on Islay, and those memories bring smiles to our faces. A favourite distillery for its dedication to all-natural presentation, we toast to each other’s health, and nose our glasses.
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Perhaps my best peated Islay
Nose
A lovely balance of fruit, peat, and toffee. Raisins and clove. Rich, earthy peat smoke. Sticky toffee pudding. Pipe tobacco. Vanilla bean pods. Plums.
Palate
Plums and dates mix with the rich, earthy peat smoke. The smoke is perfect. A bit ashy but not overly ashy, nor is it iodine-forward. The smoke is rich – not unlike sitting near a barbeque – and interwoven beautifully with the dram. It certainly makes itself known, but it doesn’t overwhelm the glass. The sherry cask influence is clear from those plums and dates, as well as cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I get a waft of tobacco as I would smell from my grandfather’s pipe. Also here is dark chocolate, the toffee from the nose, and a hint of vanilla bread pudding. A bit of brown sugar. No doubt these last two notes come from the bourbon casks used.
No one flavour dominates, which makes this such a lovely dram. Oftentimes a heavily peated fare brings smoke, more smoke, and then a few undertones of something else. I find that with many Ardbeg releases as well as Laphroaig. This is so very different. Lovely and rich flavours mixed so very well – none overpowering nor outshining the others. Dark but not overly heavy. Fruit and spice. Sweet and peat. Well rounded. Well done.
The Dregs
The Sanaig expression is a blend of whisky aged in ex-bourbon casks and ex-olorosso sherry casks. Per the information on the back of the bottle as well as the information I received after scanning the bottle’s QR code, Sanaig has a proportion of 70% sherry cask to 30% bourbon cask.
It also has a peating level of 50 PPM. The blend of the two casks works so very well. This is a step up from its sister expression, Loch Gorm, as that is, by contrast, matured exclusively in ex-olorosso sherry casks. Here, with the Sanaig, the bourbon cask provides a mellowing and non-fruity sweetness that is a great foil to the sherry cask. Sampling the Sanaig as a stand-alone, one might not appreciate the bourbon cask influence, but having this alongside a Loch Gorm (as we did at the Kilchoman distillery) it really shows itself. I can still tease out that slight bourbon cask flavour.
The bottle code reveals that my bottle – purchased in April 2023 – was bottled on May 19, 2022. I have tried to ascertain more information as to my bottle’s specific batch. Aside from the QR code, I have no additional information. If there was some batch information or bottle codes on the box that came with the bottle, I wish I could relay it – the box was inadvertently tossed before I could examine it. Scanning the QR code, there are descriptions of cask influence, relaying the same 70:30 ratio of sherry to bourbon cask influence, and providing the peat PPM level, but not much more.
After drafting this text, I went back through the Dramface archives. I remembered a review from last year of Kilchoman’s Loch Gorm. Drummond and Broddy did a joint review, and I had forgotten that the same seasons-changing-cooler-brings-thoughts-of-peat theme was incorporated there. Great minds…
Anyway, Drummond and Broddy scored their Loch Gorm a 7/10, and that is consistent with the quality of what we experience from a Kilchoman expression. If you are looking for the “two big hooks” of sherry and peat (as Drummond and Broddy say), grab a Loch Gorm. You will enjoy it. Respectfully, however, to have a slightly more complex and rounded dram, go and pick up an entry-level Sanaig. The 30% of ex-bourbon cask influence really does the trick to subtly round edges and give an additional flavour layer that makes this – in my opinion – the best of Kilchoman’s core range. It is an amazing whisky from an amazing distillery.
Meet me on the deck, I’ll pour you a dram. Grab a sweater.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS
-
Dramface is free.
Its fierce independence and community-focused content is funded by that same community. We don’t do ads, sponsorships or paid-for content. If you like what we do you can support us by becoming a Dramface member for the price of a magazine.
However, if you’ve found a particular article valuable, you also have the option to make a direct donation to the writer, here: buy me a dram - you’d make their day. Thank you.
For more on Dramface and our funding read our about page here.
