Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Brand: Kilchoman Machir Bay 2012
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS (3-5 Years)
ABV: 46 %
Colour: Light Gold/Pale Straw
Nose: Nice Peat similar to young Ardbegs along with BBQ Smoke and Ashes. The Machir Bay 2012 is still a tad on the sharp side. Some Plastic or Rubber there as well but no real off-notes. Smoked/Cured Meat or Sausages although not (yet) of Superior Quality. A bit of Iodine, Tar and Shell Fish, just enough to let you know that this whisky was produced near the Ocean. Quite Mineral and Herbal as well with Wet Stones and Aniseed in the foreground. Oak, Vanilla, Butter, Honey, some Lemon or Grapefruit and a hint of unripe Strawberry are my final impressions. Can't make out any Sherry on the Nose.
Palate: Slightly Rough, Bitter-Sweet, Spicy, Beefy but still a bit on the Thin side with Peat, Salt, Spices like Nutmeg and Black Pepper, Smoke, Ashes, Licorice, Aniseed, Burnt Toast, White Sugar and Oak. A hint of Bitter Dark Chocolate every once in a while.
Finish: Quite Long, Bitter-Sweet, Spicy, Salty and Dry in the end with Peat, Ashes, Black Pepper, Cloves, Nutmeg, Licorice, Aniseed, Brown Sugar, Oak and Vanilla.
I added a bit of Water and the Peat retreats on the Nose. It's still there of course but the Ex-Bourbon Cask is more evident now. I get lightly Buttered Toast as well with perhaps a bit of Peach Marmalade. Palate and Finish become too thin. The Machir Bay does not take Water very well. Better sip it neat!
Rating: 84
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21
General Remarks: Kilchoman is the newest (farm) Distillery on Islay. Around 30% of the yearly Barley necessity is produced on the farm. The rest comes from Port Ellen. It is located on the West Coast and was founded by Anthony Wills in 2005. The Machir Bay is named after the beautiful bay that can be found close to the distillery. The Machir Bay will be available in yearly batches. Each year the average age of the batches will increase. The Machir Bay we are tasting today was bottled in 2012, aged in First Fill Ex-Bourbon Casks (Buffalo Trace) for 3 years (60%), 4 years (35%) and 5 years (5%) and was vatted and partly finished in Ex-Oloroso Sherry Butts for an additional 2 months. The whisky is Non Chill Filtered and was not artificially coloured. At the moment the Machir Bay costs around 60 US Dollars.
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion: If only this Machir Bay could get more time to mature! This will happen to future batches of course and that is quite encouraging. Everything is there to produce a great whisky at Kilchoman. The Machir Bay 2012 is just a bit too young, too Thin on the Palate and well, nervous. I miss Fruity tones as well to tone down the Peat and the Spices. Two months of Sherry Butt Finishing is apparently not enough to let Sherry tones shine through. Despite these slight imperfections, I have no doubt that the Machir Bay holds a promise for the foreseeable future. I will certainly try other batches of this Whisky!
Jan van den Ende July 21, 2013
