After hitting you with a supernova yesterday with that A’bunadh, I’m going with a more subtle and diplomatic offering today. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking this means less interesting, as the sherry cask offerings from Kilchoman are anything but simple.

Sanaig is one of Kilchoman’s two core whiskies, each serving as half of a yin-yang balance: Sanaig is a predominantly sherry cask aged single malt, and Machir Bay overwhelmingly favors bourbon cask aged whisky. Both are approximately 5-6 years old based on statements made by distillery staff, but are officially NAS.

I think there are two main kinds of whisky fans I’d target with this bottle as a gift: 1) Highland and Speyside fans who want to branch into Islay peat but are system shocked by the smoke wall in Islay whiskies like Ardbeg and Laphroaig, and 2) the ultra-experienced scotch drinker who already has an infinity gauntlet of special releases from the usual suspects like Highland Park or Lagavulin. Let me explain why:

Sanaig is a gorgeous, bordering into luscious, fruit bomb. It’s bursting with layers of sweet jam, raisins, orange peel, and black currant, which is all built on top of a bedrock layer of salty smoke and mild iodine. This is the Steely Dan of the Islay whiskies: you notice the jazz flourishes first, but it’s still a rock concert at heart. And with Sanaig, the floral and fruit explosions grab your attention, and only halfway through do you realize the smoky undercurrents buttressing the sweetness. And *bam* — you’re a peated whisky drinker. Congratulations.

So, that explains my first reason. The second is more for the hardcore whisky nerds. Kilchoman is actually a working barley farm that is ramping up true farm-to-glass whisky production, a la the .3 Octomore line. Additionally, while Kilchoman already is a presence in Europe, they’re still a new player in much of the USA — thus allowing you to play the whisky hipster and talk about this hot new single malt that’s a radical departure from a bog standard Islay. Add that up and you’ve got a great gift with novelty. It also helps that it’s just great whisky too.

Image courtesy of Jon who also writes on Low Class & High Proof.

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