Scotch Whisky Review #271: Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength (West Coast Tour 2017)

Distillery: Kilchoman

Region: Islay

Age: NAS.

ABV: 60.00%. Cask Strength.

Price: Sample courtesy of /u/thepeatypeshwa

Color:0.2, Pale Straw. Natural Color and Non-Chill Filtered.

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Nose: Lots of peats and smoke from the start. There’s some roasted barley along with a lightly earthy and sweet note I can’t quite place. There’s also a slightly bread-y note that reminds me of the crust on a wood-fired pizza that’s gotten slightly charred.

Palate: Perfectly drinkable at full strength, doesn’t taste like 60% ABV at all. It’s a lot sweeter than I expected it to be. Demerara sugar is the main note along with some lemon zest and icing. Some more of the wood-fired pizza crust comes along as well. A few drops of water makes things a tad sweeter, but not a whole lot of change comes about.

Finish: Nice and long. More peat, smoke, and sugar. You get a bit of bonfire embers along with some bacon smoke. A little bit of a slightly grainy and nutty note that reminds me of semolina wraps things up nicely.

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Conclusion: I’ve heard nothing but good things about Kilchoman. I have put off trying some since super peaty whisky isn’t always my preference and I have to say, I shouldn’t have taken this long. Despite clocking in at 60%, this is nice and drinkable even without any added water. There’s enough peat and smoke to get your fix without being so overpowering that feels like you’ve nuked your taste buds. The bits of slightly charred pizza crust throughout is pretty darn addicting and makes me want more and more. Well done to the folks on the farm!

Final Score: 81.

Scotch Whisky Review #271, Islay Review #41, Whisky Network Review #414

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Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.