Nose: Smoke, but not mellow smoke - more fresh and acrid. Have you ever raked up garden leaves and burned them and had the wind change so you suddenly get a face full of smoke? It's like that. Brisk wood smoke rather than rounded peat-reek. There are some citrus and brine notes as well but the bright, exuberant smoke is the key. Palate: A smoky arrival with fruity notes and salt. Very like the nose but the fruit is a touch rounder. In the development a strong cereal character becomes apparent but it's not malty - more like fresh barley (maybe a touch yeasty?). There's a little vanilla and spices as well and some sherry cask, but like the nose the palate is mainly about the smoke. Finish: Medium/long. Sweet and soothing and once again - smoky. The immediate impression I had the first time I tasted this whisky was "wow - this is very young". It has the characteristic profile of young, highly spirit-driven smoky whisky where the smoke is all but obscuring everything else. The casks have not yet had enough time to mellow the spirit and bring out/contribute nuances. There is no age statement and I don't think there is any information from the distillery about the age of Machir Bay releases. I'd guess the whisky was about 5-6 years old. For its age it is well integrated, but every Kilchoman I've tasted to date has made me wonder what it might taste like with another 10 years of maturation. Just as an aside, This reminded me a bit of Ledaig, but Ledaig sings the same song with more assurance and is less raw. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)
About this bottle
Opened in 2005, Kilchoman was the first distillery built on Islay in 124 years and is one of the few in Scotland today doing traditional floor-malting. Everything from barley growing to bottling and everything in between happens on the island. This malt, bottled at 46%, is a mixture of 5-, 6-, and 7-year-old whiskies from sherry and bourbon barrels. It's peated at 55ppm, the same billing as its neighbor down the way, Ardbeg.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 50 parsed reviews.
Bold, bright and vibrant; Take Laphroaig CS, cut it to 50% ABV, then take out the iodine and smooth sweetness, and you'll have this wonderful Islay malt. The nose is 100% traditional Islay, which means smoke, peat brine and a bit of wood, but in their own unique proportions that are just slightly different than it's island cousins. The palate opens with a fair amount of lemongrass and a hint of sardine oil, followed by heat, smoke and quite a bit of peat. Root around in here for a few minutes and you'll find eucalyptus, mint and pepper, but it always ends in the warm, lingering embrace of peat and smoke. This is probably just a bit too sharp and forward for an everyday dram, but if you're looking for an Islay that isn't dominated by peat and seaweed, this is the one.
Like drinking honeyed liqueur from a newly-charred barrel. The peat is intermingled throughout, but there isn't much of a journey here. I could almost fault it for confusing my palate, turning uniformity into consistency. Better than the Kilchoman Sanaig, and much less bold than the Ardbeg 10, this is worth a dram every now and then. My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."
I hate, hate, HATE being the contrarian here, but this release is plain terrible. I know, I'm the lone negative voice so I must be wrong. Be that as it may, and in light of the fact that preference is a very personal matter, let me reiterate just how awful this whisky is. Take the nose. Should Islay whisky smell of peat and SPOILED LEMONS? The fruit notes are so off-putting that I simply cannot appreciate the remaining qualities here. The palate and finish... Who the heck knows after that. And that's my two cents, which as we know can't help anyone buy a damn thing these days.
My first encounter with Kilchoman distillery has been a great one! I have the 2018 bottling though.Love the whole craft presentation of the whisky itself and the box this malt came in is a stunner as well. The nose is lovely Islay peat but slightly different from the rest. It has a pretty sweet arrival with a little brine which I love. Honey and a pinch of sea salt. The sherry influence is minimal but I suspect this will increase over time like it did for me with Kilkerran 12 and Springbank 10. A medium peaty finish to round it all off. Classy and tasty, cheers all!
first nose : instant smokiness, but fresh and not overpowering. some iodine. saltiness. first taste: smokey, rubber hose. second nose: same but added licorice. peppermint. second taste: some subtle sweetness, fresh grassy taste and licorice. third nose: sweetness. cooked fruits! like caramelized pear. finish: fresh smoke and very slight spice. charcoal
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Tastes like this
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