A Baptism by Fire: Kilchoman Machir Bay Review
We’re nearing the end of October, which means it’s time for the “warmer” whiskies to be moved toward the front of our shelves.
Today, I’ll introduce to you the first peated whisky I ever tried.
And I’ll be honest with you. When I first took a sip of the Kilchoman Machir Bay, I was just confused… I never knew a beverage could taste like this!
I suppose this is the initial effect that Islay Scotch has on people. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, the Isle of Islay is home to some of the peatiest, smokiest Scotch whiskies you are likely to find in the wild. Peat smoke in whisky is very polarizing. When you taste it for the first time, you either hate it, or you can’t get enough of it.
One thing’s for sure, you won’t get far into your Scotch whisky journey before trying an Islay Single Malt. For me, it happened last winter.
I had been meaning to dive into smoky whiskies for a while. So, after doing some research on what was available in my market, I came across Kilchoman.
Kilchoman is a brand-new distillery on Islay, keen to make its name with honest, craft-quality whiskies at an affordable price. The distillery is too young to have any big age-statement whiskies yet. So, what they rely on instead is the quality of their presentation. You won’t find any Kilchoman below 46% ABV and all their whiskies are non-chill filtered and natural colour.
The brand’s integrity presentation appealed to me so I decided to treat myself to a bottle of Kilchoman for my birthday. I got the Machir Bay, which is their entry-level expression. It’s a vatting of 2 Kilchoman whiskies: 90% is matured in ex-bourbon casks, and 10% in oloroso sherry casks.
My first impressions of the Machir Bay were mixed. I didn’t know what to expect from a peated whisky and in hindsight, it was probably not the wisest choice to jump straight to a peat monster like this. Luckily, it didn’t scare me off at first contact. As I sampled the bottle several times over the following months, I came to enjoy the peat smoke and this Kilchoman in particular.
Before I give you the tasting notes, let me share a bit about the brand’s history.
Kilchoman is one of the newest distilleries on Islay. Founded in 2005 by couple Anthony and Kathy Wills, Kilchoman is the only family-owned distillery on the island. The distillery sits on the northwestern side of Islay, near Machir Bay, after which our whisky for today is named.
Business has gone well for Kilchoman in its first couple of decades in operation. The distillery obtained the nearby Rockside Farm in 2015 and production has gradually been expanding ever since. Anthony and Kathy’s ambition is to bring back traditional farm distilling to the whisky industry.
In fact, when you look at any bottle of Kilchoman, you will notice the words “Islay’s Farm Distillery” on the label. The brand prides itself in producing whisky entirely in-house, or as they’ve put it “from barley to bottle in a single location”.
And in this case, pithy marketing is backed by a genuinely high-quality product. The honest presentation of Kilchoman bottlings has helped the brand build a cult following among whisky geeks.
I really like the fact that with Kilchoman, what you see is what you get. This distillery doesn’t pretend it’s something it’s not. There are no fancy labels, no millions spent on advertising, no gibberish on the packaging. The label tells you all you need to know and nothing in excess. It’s this simplicity and integrity that attracted me to the brand in the first place!
Now, having spent the better part of 2023 sampling this particular Machir Bay, let me give you an idea of what is inside the bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose:
At first, you will get intense peat smoke. If you don’t have much experience with peat, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed, as was the case for me the first time I tried it. The peat smoke in this has very mineral characteristics. it reminds me of paint thinner, chlorine and rust.
But if you manage to look past the peat, there is a definite sweetness to this whisky as well. I got distinct vanilla, lemon and light fruit notes.
With water: the fruitiness develops. I got peach, honeydew melon and mango mixed with a faint salt water note.
Taste:
The peat-forward theme continues on the taste, but the sweetness comes through in a big way. Notes of citrus fruit, grape spirit and white chocolate coat the palate and combine with the peat beautifully. On the back of the palate, you can feel the oak wood spiciness and vanilla come through.
With water: notes of honey and salted caramel appear. The slight medicinal and rusty peat note becomes more prominent.
Finish:
A medium to long finish on this Machir Bay. This is a full-bodied, oily whisky that stays with you long after you’ve had your last sip. Oak spiciness comes through and then the peat smoke settles in… for the whole winter, it seems…
Conclusion and Mark:
The Machir Bay is an excellent example of a characterful Islay Scotch. Even though this is a young whisky (my guess is 5–6 years), there is complexity and depth to be found in this bottle for sure.
It’s worth mentioning as well that the bottle has developed significantly since I opened it back in February.
When you get a bottle of quality whisky, especially at a higher ABV, it will develop over time. My experience of tasting this for the first time versus a couple of months down the line has definitely changed. Not only have my perceptions of peaty whisky changed, but the spirit has had time to open up as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed Kilchoman Machir Bay. It’s a full-bodied dram that stays with you long after the glass is empty. It gives you something to think about, which I love in good whisky.
Mark: 89/100
Final thoughts:
Kilchoman has left me intrigued. It’s an exciting young distillery with a great philosophy for making high-quality whisky. Judging by the Machir Bay bottling, Kilchoman definitely has serious potential in the years ahead. I can’t wait to try out the other expressions in Kilchoman’s core range!
Would I buy it at the bar? Yes, absolutely. Although I would be surprised to see it on the shelves.
Would I buy a bottle of this again? Yes, absolutely. It’s definitely a staple for the colder months. It gives Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10 a run for their money. And with a price tag of around 35 Euros (in my market), it’s an absolute steal!
