Christmas is almost here, and I thought I would spend some time writing about a few spirits I think would either make great holiday gifts or beverages worth enjoying with family and friends during this holiday season. Personally, I love brown spirits during the cold winter months. Scotch, bourbon and cognac make wonderful gifts or are simply great as after dinner drinks.
One of my favorite new scotches is Kilchoman. It is made in an Islay distillery that was established in 2005. In fact, it was the first distillery built on Islay in 124 years. Even though their whisky is young, it is of exceptional quality and impeccably balanced. This whisky is so skillfully distilled and blended you would never know that the whisky in the malt is only 4 to 6 years old. I am generally not an Islay fan because most are so smoke and peat driven they become too overbearing for my pallet. However, Kilchoman is so well balanced that the smoke or peat doesn’t dominate the flavor profile. If you are seeking a more traditional Islay, I recommend Bruichladdich 12 year or Arbeg 10 year; they offer excellent cost to quality ratio. Continue reading Holiday Spirits
