Review #561 - Kilchoman Port Cask Matured (2024)

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

Kilchoman Mini-Series: Part 5 of 6

Over the years, Kilchoman has released many different cask maturation or cask finished whiskies, encompassing just about every type of cask you could think of. In recent years, there have been 2 to 3 of these each year; 2024 saw the release of both a Sauternes Cask Matured whisky and a Port Cask Matured whisky.

Today we're looking at the latter of those 2: the Port version. The last time Kilchoman released a Port-matured batch before this was 2018 (there are many Port-aged single casks from Kilchoman); this return after 6 years of absence saw the exclusive use of refill Ruby Port casks, which is reflected is the color of the whisky - a little lighter than you might expect for full maturation in Port. Kilchoman used two different distillation vintages in this release, the younger of which was 6 years old at bottling; that's where we get our age statement.

Like the other cask maturation releases, this batch is bottled at a strength of 50% ABV, and there's no use of added coloring or chill filtration.

Kilchoman Port Cask Matured (2024)

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Price: USD 119 (2025)

Age Statement: 6 Years

Strength: 50% ABV

Cask Makeup: Refill Ruby Port casks

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; bottled 2024

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Copper and a bit of soft funk, and the peat is bringing some charcoal and ash, too. Then it's juicy Luxardo cherry, with orange and apple as accent fruits; there's a brandy-like smell as well. In the background, we get some bright spirity notes - tart, and a bit like agave.

Palate: Ashy peat smoke, almost a hint of cigarettes... charcoal, too. It's relatively strong peat smoke, but that's backed up by darker notes of chocolate-dipped strawberry, subtle plum and prune; there's a nice balance of sweet and dry notes, but overall, it's less sweet than we expected. With time, the texture becomes oily, and oak notes build.

Finish: A medium level of peat - still ashy, with charcoal and medicinal accents. Plum, freeze-dried strawberry, and other syrupy red fruits linger; it's a medium-long finish.

Final Note: The fact that this was aged in refill Port casks made a big difference - this was much lighter on the nose than the average Port-matured whisky, and while some of those red fruits and chocolate did appear more on the palate, it was still in a reserved fashion. It isn't an overly sweet whisky, either - much better balance, and the peat smoke is still one of the main focuses, not covered up by the casks.

Value is decent here - a little above average, as this bottle does retail for over $100, but it delivers very good flavor. One of the better balanced Port cask whiskies that we've tried - we would recommend it.

Our Average Rating: 8.0 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 6.51

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
Previous

Review #562 - Kilchoman 8 Year STR Finish - ImpEx Cask Evolution
Next

Review #560 - Kilchoman Batch Strength