Review #684 - Kilchoman 7 Year PX Sherry Matured - ImpEx Cask Evolution

We're back with another ImpEx single cask selection from Kilchoman. ImpEx is the importer partner of Kilchoman for the United States; each year, they pick a few single casks with different finishes or maturations for the US market. Previously, we've looked at Tequila cask, Ruby Port cask, STR cask versions - now, we have a fully-matured Pedro Ximenez sherry edition.

The spirit in this bottle was distilled in 2014, and it's made with Kilchoman's heavily peated distillate, which employed barley from Port Ellen Maltings that was smoked to a phenolic level of 50 ppm. Unlike many of these ImpEx single casks, this one did not start aging in an ex-bourbon cask; instead, the full 7 years of maturation was completed in PX sherry, meaning there should be a strong sherry influence here. Past the obvious heavy peat smoke, we're expecting to see some sweet, dark fruit flavors.

Kilchoman 7 Year PX Sherry Matured - ImpEx Cask Evolution

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Price: USD 149 (2025)

Age Statement: 7 Years

Strength: 58.4% ABV

Cask Makeup: Pedro Ximenez sherry hogshead

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask 915/2014, distilled November 26, 2014; bottled March 2, 2022; 310 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 3 months; bottles at 90%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Charcoal and raspberry jam, purple grape and strong, sharp peat smoke - it's a rich nose, full of opposing scents. Raisin builds in strength, and we get very savory barbecued meats; there's tart orange, and a bit of ashy character, too. A hint of farmy mushroom funk pops up with more time.

Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; flavors a quite punchy, and like the nose, there's a lot going on. Spicy dry oak, jalapenos, darker fruits of blackberry and cherry, and lighter notes of lemon-lime soda and peach. Peat is again strong, and it's accented by wood smoke; we found hints of candied strawberry, chocolate, beef jerky, Port wine, and blackberry jam across our tastings.

Finish: Fizzy and effervescent, a bit spirity, too. Peat is still relatively strong, and there's a lot of ashy smoke as well; rich fruits still fill the space behind the peat, with orange, sour strawberry, syrupy grape, and some raisins. Mulled wine and black pepper bring back a spice; there's a hint of bitter baking chocolate, too. It's a long finish.

Final Note: There are a lot of layers here, tons of fruit and tons of peat, but it's also a bit sharp and young at times. It's a good single malt, maybe even 'very' good, but a bit more time would round off some of those sharper notes. We do really like how much fruit we get from those PX casks - a nice mixture of strawberry, raisin, orange, and blackberry, which mixes nicely with the citrus fruit notes we often get from Kilchoman distillate.

Value is okay, maybe a bit below average, as this bottle is a bit expensive. That's not unusual for these Kilchoman single casks, and they do deliver tons of fun tasting notes, so it could be worth the splurge for a real blast of peat + sweet flavor.

Our Average Rating: 7.7 / 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: 5.78

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.