Review #953 - Kilchoman 10 Year Marsala Cask Finish - ImpEx Cask Evolution

Kilchoman is a spirit that works quite well in just about any type of cask - we've found it to be very versatile in our experience. It's smoky, but not so heavily smoked that it covers up the cask signature when the spirit is finished in something other than bourbon casks.

Here's a 2023 release from the ImpEx Beverages - Kilchoman single cask partnership; the importer generally releases a few single cask Kilchomans each year, and almost all of them are in different cask types. This Marsala cask finish version started in a bourbon casks, and at the end of the 10 total years of maturation, the strength sits at a relatively low cask strength of 51.6% ABV.

This is actually the 5th ImpEx Cask Evolution single cask Kilchoman that we've reviewed; we've also tasted these casks with PX sherry, STR cask, Ruby Port cask, and Tequila cask influences. Let's see how this Marsala version stacks up compared to the others.

Kilchoman 10 Year Marsala Cask Finish - ImpEx Cask Evolution

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Price: USD 149 (2026)

Age Statement: 10 Years

Strength: 51.6% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon barrel, finished in a Marsala wine cask

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask 50/2013, distilled January 31, 2013; bottled May 11, 2023; 238 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: Very dark red fruits like black cherry, sweet cranberry sauce, and raspberry jam; we also get oily, fatty sausage and some strong charcoal or mineral notes as well. Nice complexity on this nose; medicinal peat, iodine, lots of chocolate, and tarry notes arrive next. We also get accents of buttery malt, oak tannins, and salt.

Palate: Strong peat - ashy, sharp, accented by peppery spice and some wood smoke. Sweet and savory notes build behind that: red meat slathered in barbecue sauce, cherries, tart cranberry, oranges, blackberry jam, and some sharp campfire charcoals. There's a nice combination of syrupy sweetness, sour flavor, and sharp smoke overall, and the mouthfeel has a medium thickness.

Finish: Peppery, spicy, but also some candied red fruits like raspberry and cherry. Tart oranges combine with a medium amount of peat smoke; we also get a wood tannin prickle, charred orange rind, some ash and charcoal, and a hint of licorice; the complexion grows darker, and we finish with iodine. It's a long finish.

Final Note: This Kilchoman is packed with flavor and complexity; it has a nice balance between the smoky distillate, some spice from the longer oak aging, and the fruity side from that Marsala wine cask. Lots of red fruits appear, but we also get a savory side and a strong smoky side; more spice appeared into the finish. We like this a lot, and compared to the other ImpEx single cask Kilchoman whiskies that we've tried, it falls around the middle of that range.

When we get to value, it's just a bit below average due to that high price of about $150. The core releases from Kilchoman generally present great value; they aren't shy about charging more for their limited releases, though, which is what degrades the value here despite this being a great single malt.

Our Rating: 7.6 / 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.