Kilchoman Islay Series - The Vineyard
Fifth Anniversary of The Vineyard Series | 58.7% ABV
Score: 6/10
Good Stuff.
TL;DR
It doesn’t suck. Not at all
A Trip to The Vineyard
I have been fortunate to have had some good whisky experiences over the last few months.
An auction haul of five bottles came to me in late May. I had some travels to South Carolina – a non-ABC state – which led to very nice bottle hunts. The first of two jaunts into South Carolina were to visit with my old buddy, Jeff. A few weeks later I returned to the Palmetto State with Mrs. Shaw. These South Carolina trips have been great, and I’m glad to share that they’ve not been the only whisky experiences of late.
As many of you may remember, I head to Martha’s Vineyard each year to visit with my mother-in-law who has a place on the island. For those of you who are unfamiliar with The Vineyard, it is – and has been for the past thirty years or so – an island associated with those with trust funds, hefty stock portfolios, the politically important, and those who have scaled the heights of their trades or professions and have sought retirement there (or at least a summer house).
The Clintons vacationed there during Bill’s presidency. The Obamas did the same and later purchased a sprawling estate along the southern beaches a few years back. Bill Murray and David Letterman have properties there. And, if you wander into Edgartown the feeling of mingling with the upper crust is unmistakable.
Even the more low-key and unassuming communities in the central and western side of the island – Aquinnah, Menemsha, and West Tisbury, for example – carry eye-watering costs for the purchase of even a tiny home. But, on the east side of the island, it is most noticeable that noses are in the air, a feeling of aristocracy exists, and social status – while outwardly downplayed – is ever-present.
That said, my mother-in-law and my late father-in-law purchased their summer vacation home on The Vineyard some fifty years ago – well before the Obamas and Clintons made this the well-known retreat of the rich and famous. They came here when this island, as I understand it, was largely a reprieve destination. Then, it was an artist’s community, a marine and fishery-focused economy, as well as a summer retreat.
My in-laws’ home is in the Katama region, near South Beach. This part of The Vineyard is quaint, but abutting the aforementioned Edgartown area. On a day with a good wind, one can nose the air and get the distinct aromas of crisp Benjamins (for those in the UK – that is a slang term for $100 USD notes). Indeed, Barry and Shelly have their compound a mere four or five miles away from where I currently sit.
I regret to report that Ogilvie doesn’t always manage to blend in with the Vineyard scene. And, quite frankly, that is just fine. Several years ago, I began conducting my own social experiment on the island. Certainly not scientific by any means, but rather something that makes me chuckle.
There is a road stretching from the Katama airport (a grass-field, non-paved airport for a bi-plane and a few small Cessna-type aircraft) to South Beach. It actually reminds me, in a way, of the Three Distillery Trail on Islay – a road with a broad pedestrian and bicycle path immediately beside it. My in-laws’ home is not far from the airport, and I walk to the airport and then to South Beach to stretch my legs, get out and breathe the fresh air, and an attempt to trim my mid-section. The round-trip walk takes about an hour. Depending on the day’s weather, I encounter approximately twenty to forty people walking or biking.
Starting several years ago, I decided to keep count of how many people I come across and greet who actually return my salutation. Whether I say “good morning!”, “hello there!”, or some other similar greeting, I make it a point to make eye contact and try to interact. This part of the country is not known for its sociability, and that introversion is magnified here on The Vineyard with it having a good slice of our society’s upper crust.
Sadly, but not unexpectedly, the rate of returned salutations is poor. The low point was four years ago when the rate of responses was a mere 17%. Annually undeterred, I have continued my Quixote-esque efforts to normalize social interaction on this island. And, I am glad to say, this year’s sample has yielded (to the time of this writing) a 38% rate of response!
While I have four more days on The Vineyard, and the results may skew a bit in either direction, having more than a third of people actually respond gives a little hope about society, and gives me a bit of happiness. Granted, some of the people I encounter give me an odd look when I greet them – even those that verbally respond. But, it is an improvement that makes me happy.
This year’s trip to The Vineyard has not only brought a bit of social happiness, but I'm glad to say that the happiness has also translated to whisky. The Vineyard is part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – another non-ABC state. So, just as my ventures into South Carolina, when I come on my annual visit, Mrs. Shaw and I are able to do some single malt bottle hunts. We have become familiar with the local liquor stores, and have come to prefer one particular establishment that always has a meaningful spread of unique bottlings.
Last year, I found and purchased the Kilchoman being reviewed here. When we arrived on the island a few days ago, I managed to find an excuse to take the car and drive to that particular liquor store to find a new bottle. Much to my enjoyment, I had a difficult time selecting the bottle I would purchase.
There were a good number of unique-to-me bottles. I ultimately purchased an Indri Dru Cask Strength that was reviewed by Ramsay a few years ago, though his batch was an earlier release. It is a lovely yet very different (profile-wise) single malt. But, when I returned to the house with my Indri, I discovered last year’s Kilchoman remained in the cabinet. I thought it had been rinsed, but evidently the last quarter of the bottle remained, much to my surprise and happiness.
Well, can’t leave it here again… so, let’s rinse this!
Review
Kilchoman Islay Series, 6yo, bottling for the Fifth Anniversary of the Vineyard Series, Cask No. 19/1041, Finished in STR and new oak casks, Bottle No. 224/276, 58.7% ABV
USD$79 paid, mostly sold out
Score: 6/10
Good Stuff.
TL;DR
It doesn’t suck. Not at all
Nose
Whenever I have a Kilchoman, the peat is usually distinctive. I find their particular peat as ashy and sweet. This one, however, has a touch of Laphroaig-type dry-type-peat smoke, as well.
While this is not a sherry cask, there is a bit of spiciness and fruitiness. This is figs and molasses. Cocoa. Vanilla from the oak mixes well with the smoke. An oakiness and toasted marshmallow wafts are here, in the background, that I chalk up to the virgin oak and STR casks.
Palate
Cinnamon and smoke swirl together on my tongue. This is a bold smoke on the palate, and I like it. There is an espresso-type note along with the figs and molasses I had from the nose.
Mid-palate to the end it becomes a bit drying and somewhat tannic, but it is complimentary to the sweetness of the smoke and figs. At the finish, there is also a grassy note that surfaces. As I ponder the grassy note, I also am aware – through the peat smoke – of the virgin oak. It isn’t off-putting as it does sometimes with a bourbon, but the tannic and oaky notes are not always my favorite flavors and these are now more noticeable. It’s rather like seeing something that you might not otherwise have wanted to have seen, but now you can’t un-see it. Similarly, I can’t un-taste the tannic and oaky notes from the virgin oak.
The Dregs
All that said, this sip is for peat heads, for sure. I am enjoying the liquid here, but I keep wishing the master distiller had utilized a PX or oloroso cask in addition to (or in lieu of) the STR and virgin oak casks. My mind harkens back to my experience with the Kilchoman Sanaig, which is my favorite of the Kilchoman OB wares. There is something about how their peat and sherry mix that is, to me, fantastic. Ah, but there is no sherry here and I am left with the STR and virgin oak. All told this dram finds itself confidently into the category of “good stuff”.
The peat, figs, and cinnamon spices largely outweigh the tannic and oaky notes, but those latter notes remain, nonetheless. As many of you know, I am not much of a bourbon fan, so not overly surprising that the use of virgin oak casks brings out some of the notes I don’t always appreciate. In spite of my complaining, the bulk of the tasting notes of this whisky are quite good. I do love Kilchoman’s peat, and it does carry the day here. I am glad to have been reunited with this bottle after a year’s absence.
This particular expression is one from Kilchoman’s Islay Series. The exclusivity that The Vineyard exudes is the reason, perhaps, that some well-to-do whisky lovers attracted the attention of Kilchoman. As one online site said about this expression:
“Celebrate five years of exceptional craftsmanship with the Kilchoman Islay Series Vineyard Fifth Anniversary Edition—a special release bottled exclusively for the Vineyard Series (2021–2025). Distilled on August 7, 2019, and bottled on June 4, 2025, this limited-edition Islay single malt Scotch whisky is matured in STR/New Oak casks and bottled at a bold 58.7% ABV, offering a full-bodied, non-chill filtered expression with no added color.
“This release showcases the robust maritime character of Islay, complemented by the rich sweetness and complexity imparted by shaved, toasted, and re-charred oak. As a small-batch bottling from Islay’s farm distillery, it represents Kilchoman’s dedication to traditional methods and bold experimentation.”
I, frankly, am not sure how or why there is a Kilchoman bottling for The Vineyard and for a particular gathering here on the island. Do the egos here really need to be inflated?
That said, my ponderings don’t amount to a hill of beans, and that is okay. The gimmick of a Vineyard Series Kilchoman is what it is, and it doesn’t raise my eyebrows as it did last year. I am scoring this as a 6/10 – a solid 6 out of 10. This is good stuff. It does not, however, reach the level of the Sanaig of which I spoke of above. The Sanaig I scored a 7/10, and to be as blunt as I can be, this Vineyard Series simply doesn’t match my enjoyment of the Sanaig.
Martha’s Vineyard is a lovely place, even with the humans that inhabit it.
With all kidding aside, I do not overlook nor fail to appreciate the wonderful opportunity given to me each year when I am able to come out and enjoy some “island time”.
If 2026’s less-than-scientific results have any bearing, the people are becoming more friendly, and that bodes well. The Vineyard also has good whisky to be found, and that makes me quite happy. And, then there’s the icing on the proverbial cake. Being away gives Mrs. Shaw and me time to enjoy each other’s company without the usual day-to-day distractions.
It doesn’t suck. Not at all.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS
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At the point of this article’s publication, Kilchoman currently sits in position #9 in the Dramface Top 40.
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