Kilchoman Machir Bay

Review #001 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 46% Comments: NAS, ex-bourbon & ex-sherry Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Pale straw color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 17/20 All BBQ up front, sweet and not spicy, some sea spray and a little charcoal also. Palate: 29/40 Smokey and briny with a hint of lemon. Good but a little underwhelming after the appearance and nose. Finish: 20/40 Almost non-existent, a brief hint of charcoal and a short ethanol burn. With Water: A drop of water brings out big vanilla up front but it struggles to mesh well with the other flavors, and increases the saltiness of the finish. Total: 66/100 Final thoughts: Worth trying but I won’t be replacing this bottle once it’s gone. The intense nose got me very excited to try it but ultimately the flavor didn’t measure up. Price: $60 Would recommend: no Would buy: no Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

This was a good find! I can’t find it in Texas, but i found it in Florida. Very good Islay whisky with aromas of lemon zest, some vanilla and brine. Good influence from the coastal sea shore bringing a delicate salty notes with the smoke. After some drops of water, the floral aromas arise with more lemon and brine. On the palate, at first it was more grassy with vegetable notes and then the sweet lemon zest comes. More towards the finish it becomes very floral and pepperish. With drops of water it became a little more sweet with more vanilla and orange honey notes. The texture is more oily than normal, bringing a creamy feeling with thick legs. It has a light gold color and you wouldn’t think that color would bring that much flavor. Excellent! Cheers!

Sweet and delicate, Kilchoman isn’t going to smack you in the face like some other Islays. This is more of a tickle. But that’s not a bad thing, shockingly fruity and floral, sweetness from the bourbon casks but the sherry makes itself known too. And none of that sulfur note I hate that you get from some sherry casks. The smoke is papery not woody, more similar to Coal Ila than Laphroaig or Ardbeg peat wise. It all comes together with a surprisingly fresh mineral taste sort of like Fiji water. Entirely unique, totally clean and crisp from nose to tail. Ill be keeping my eye on Kilchoman this new distillery has a lot of promise.

A complex, Single Malt Scotch Whisky by the Kilchoman Distillery; a farm distillery founded by Anthony Wills; in Islay, Scotland. It is made using 30% of their own barley & the balance is purchased from Port Ellen Maltings. It's a vatting of 4 & 5-year-old Bourbon cask matured & Oloroso-finished malt. It has a smoky birth with notes of straw, salted white chocolate & hints of sherry; while a balanced & clean life adds notes of black pepper, butterscotch, lemon peel, fresh strawberry & fruit punch; that led to a long & tar death with notes of peat, salt & baking spices. October / August 2022

This one is a bit slow. I recommend at least two glasses before making a judgement. After the first bite, it comes across very young and light. Sure, there's peat and smoke but also vanilla and orange. But there really does seem to be new depths with each sip and the vanilla and smoke seem to give way to citrus fruits and a more complex, buttery cream. I started my glass giving it a 3.25 and finished giving it a 3.75. Then i had another glass and wondered if even a 4.25 was warranted? I'll split the difference at 3.75 but you may easily find this a 4+ if you give it a long taste.

Not so smoky/peaty relatively speaking. The islay minty peat is light to medium forward that fades pleasantly to leather and dark dry chocolate. Vanilla beans and ice cream, hearty barley, pineapple, sugared coconut shreds, sour passionfruit, red plum, mild lemon rinds, sweet tobacco, grassy, sea brine rounds it all out. Almost as light in color as one of the compass box blends. A bit too little barrel aging gives this a tad too light body. Sanaig was more impressive. Majority bourbon barrel aging isn't that great compared to classic single malt scotch sherry aging statements.