Kilchoman Machir Bay 2013

The second edition of Kilchoman's Machir Bay was released in 2013 and, according to the website, consists of a "vatting of 4 and 5 year old ex-bourbon casks, with the 4 year casks being finished in Oloroso sherry butts for 4 weeks prior to bottling."


Kilchoman Machir Bay 2013, 46% abv ($55)

The nose is exactly what you expect it will be, sock you in the face Islay peat and brine.  Big and peaty and oceany.  The palate mostly follows suit but with a trace of sweetness.  You can definitely taste the youth.  Very little of the sherry finishing comes through.  The finish is a very nice blast of peat.

This is a good, solid Islay malt.

Binny's Kilchoman

For years, Kilchoman has been the craft whiskey start-up with the most potential.  The Islay distillery that opened in 2005 has already gotten rave reviews from everyone, but while I've liked some of their expressions, they are all very young and still have some rough edges.

Recently, though, I tasted one that was by far my favorite of the Kilchomans I've had.  A Binny's exclusive, this Kilchoman is not quite five years old and aged in a first fill bourbon cask.

Kilchoman 4 year old Binny's Exclusive,  Cask No. 307/2007,  Distilled 11/1/2007, Bottled 9/15/2012, Aged in a Bourbon Cask, Cask Number 307/2007 ($80).

The nose is a really beautiful Islay nose with peat and coastal breeze.  The palate has smoke and sea water with a bit of a tanginess to it and some mezcal notes that I typically get with younger Islays.  The finish is pure peat.

This is a bold and beautiful Islay Scotch, and the good news, as of now, it's still in stock at Binny's.