Review #756 - Kilchoman Cognac Cask Matured (2023)

Sometimes, when a distillery states that they matured a whisky in a certain cask type, they're actually referring to a finishing period or possibly a 'second maturation,' but Kilchoman isn't one of those. For their series of annual batch releases that focus on different cask types, this distillery fully matures their spirit in that cask type; here's an example which was bottled in 2023, a Cognac Cask Matured single malt.

Kilchoman distilled this spirit in 2016, and it was matured for 6 years or so in those ex-Cognac casks. In total, 32 casks were selected for the batch, which yielded 15,100 bottles; this was bottled at a strength of 50% ABV, so we should get some punchy flavors with that Islay peat.

Kilchoman Cognac Cask Matured (2023)

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Price: USD 120 (2026)

Age Statement: 6 Years

Strength: 50% ABV

Cask Makeup: Cognac casks

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled 2016, bottled 2023; 15,100 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 5 months; bottles at 70%, 20%, and 30% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Sweet yellow apple, sour oak, a bit salty or briny. The peat has a medium strength; there are hints of medicinal iodine with it. Sweeter flavors of clementine, icing sugar, and honey build; we also get a soft lactic note and buttery white wine.

Palate: Ashy peat, sweet peat, but a little bit sharp overall. Pickled hot peppers combine with starchy oak, butter, and light fruits of apple and lime. Salt, tannins, and white grape come next; the mouthfeel has a medium thickness.

Finish: Drying oak, malt, peat, and charcoal. There's more salt like before - quite a coastal dram... then medicinal notes, fizz, and a bit of ash. The complexion is light; the aftertaste brings lemon, honey, and bread crust. It's a medium-long finish.

Final Note: For us, this Cognac-matured version of Kilchoman was full of light fruits and dry peat for the most part, along with some soft baking notes which brought more sweetness. We found it a little bit light and one-dimensional overall compared to some other offerings from the distillery; not our favorite bottle of theirs, but still a decent Islay single malt.

Value is a bit below average because this is also an expensive bottle, like most of the annual batch releases. There are a few other bottles in the Kilchoman range that we would pick up before this one - even the core range Machir Bay brings a lot of the same peaty, salty, light fruit character, and it's only half the cost.

Our Rating: 6.3 / 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: 5.14

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.