Kilchoman Machir Bay

Overall rating
84.05/100
votes
270
Whiskybase ID
WB40752
Category
Single Malt
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottled
2013
Stated Age
04 years old
Casktype
Ex-Bourbon / Oloroso Sherry Casks
Strength
46.0 % Vol.
Size
50 ml 700 ml 750 ml
Barcode
5060210700218
Added on
16 mar 2013 1:07 pm
UncoloredNon-chillfiltered

Average value

€ 67.98

17 × in wishlist

270 × member ratings

672 × in collection

Whisky reviews for Kilchoman Machir Bay

47 users have left 50 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 84.05 points.

  1. Albaron scored this whisky 86 points Specialist

    Easy drinking all day whisky. Uncomplicated, is young but doesn't matter. Still liked and quite palatable.
    • Nose
      light alcohol, dry, smoky, the kind of campfire, looks a bit green, like fresh woodcut (oak?), fresh, menthol, a little citrus and vanilla, slightly metallic
    • Taste
      dry smoke, vanilla, some alcohol, warming, very sweet with honey notes, some citrus and a slightly bitter pleasant malt aroma
    • Finish
      Smoke remains and then a touch of oak comes through the sweetness.

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  3. VLG scored this whisky 96 points Expert Junior

    96

  4. KrolikMorski scored this whisky 86 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  5. Boletus did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    An Islay whisky as it stands in the book. Expressive, smoky and intense. He's quite youthful, but that doesn't bother him, since the branding of ''Kilchoman'' is very nice. But you have to like smoky whiskys to get along with this youngster.
    • Nose
      Lemon zest, wildflower honey, intense aromatic smoke, a campfire with a variety of fuels, a few crushed grapes are mixed in, ginger, a little tangerine, lots of vanilla, pineapple, green tea (“the algaey Japanese”), freshly ground roasted coffee, an overheated engine ''Carrera'' cars
    • Taste
      Peat smoke hits the palate, honey with honeycomb, very sweet and intense, liquorice, crisp barley, crisp seaweed, wild cherry cough drop, lavender, ginger, lemon zest, anise
    • Finish
      Rather long, liquorice, coffee, again the Japanese green tea, honey sweetness, tastes slightly of roasted algae, nice aromatic peat smoke, but strongly smoky, slightly brackish, friendly oak, a bit of wintergreen

  6. VLG scored this whisky 96 points Expert Junior

    95

  7. WHISKYEUROPA2009 scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    ... start in the day Dram ...
    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      84 84

  8. Макс scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      84 84

  9. kanpai79 scored this whisky 84 points Specialist

    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      83 83
    • Finish
      84 84

  10. Cubey666 scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    tasted this one blind, good stuff!
    • Nose
      87 87
      moderately peated, smoke from bonfire with wet wood, also some sweetness, such as melon and peaches and tangerines.
    • Taste
      85 85
      tasty! smoking charcoal, somewhat sweet, tree bark
    • Finish
      86 86
      ends with a nice dry and sweet twist.

  11. bvrsky scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      87 87

  12. JNuyts scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  13. EnjoyLife89 scored this whisky 70 points Expert Senior

    Acts very young and unfinished. It remains an impression of sugar and smoke, otherwise not very powerful behind. Did not impress me.
    Fairly weak for 46% by volume
    • Nose
      Smoke and citrus, otherwise hard to crystallize, is very closed
    • Taste
      Medium sweet (and then pure sugar) smoke and citrus
    • Finish
      Medium and warm, smoke

  14. jhut scored this whisky 81 points Expert Junior

    Rating: 81 points, € 31.- Note: Let me think Finlaggan, also a whisky with a good price-quality ratio so considering the theme that could be best. Blind tasted during BOL tasting in December 2017
    • Nose
      Little smoke, very salty, clear dry peat influence, seaweed. Little to no wood influence. No fruit, not very complex but pleasant. Very dry.
    • Taste
      Silver, sweeter than the nose. Reasonably strong
    • Finish
      More smoke affects than the nose, wider developed than the nose. Dryer than the pallet. Do not hang around very long, little development. Pleasant taste

  15. mer1973 scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      83 83
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      83 83

  16. Koning scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    The
    combination of heavy peat and light, clear and fruity style (bourbon matured)
    works out well for me. Has a full taste, doesn't feel like a 4 year old
    whisky at all!
    • Nose
      Dry and
      heavy peat smoke, Islay style (plasters/band aid), sea air present too.
      Furthermore I find  anise, vanilla and
      a clear fruitness (pear, pineapple, apple).
    • Taste
      Creamy
      and soft, soon breached by heavy eat smoke and saltiness. Accompanied by
      licorice, salmiac, pear juice and banana.
    • Finish
      Rather
      clean and mineral with dry smoke. Furthermore licorice, pear, 7up(oddly
      enoufgh), a hint of coffee and oysters.

  17. uap304 scored this whisky 83 points Expert Senior

    Last year's was a bit better but this is a good start!
    • Nose
      Fruit, vanilla, floral, peat smoke.
    • Taste
      Thin and smooth. Smoky, spicy, sweet and syrupy.
    • Finish
      Long, watery, malt.

  18. GLEN MAUR scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  19. Cast Olila scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      80 80
    • Taste
      81 81
    • Finish
      82 82

  20. MrManners scored this whisky 82 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      81 81
    • Taste
      81 81
    • Finish
      82 82

  21. Daan Tje scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      83 83
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      84 84

  22. rottendon scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    Very mild, civilized and a bit boring. From Oloroso also here no trace. Although overall seems more balanced than the 2012er, but unfortunately a bit flatter. Still a nice dram.
    • Nose
      Very mild smoke and immediately below peach juice, that of the cooked canned peaches. Over time, dry citrus notes develop, the fruitiness appears less defined, but remains present and sweet. The smoke has a warmer profile, more fire than ash, but remains cautious. Warms up a bit stronger and smoother, slightly metallic already in the nose.
    • Taste
      In the mouth there is a weakened version of the 2012ers, very dark honey with a hint of blockade, a hint of pepperiness builds up slowly, in the back he becomes harsh, no acid this time, unfortunately, is a bit flat. The metallic notes are less well laminated here.
    • Finish
      As expected, the finish is long and ashen, but the malty sweetness lasts surprisingly long.

  23. Archer scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      82 82
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      81 81

  24. Archer scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    Comparison tasting Machir Bay 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in the chat-Stammtisch. My order: '15 - '14 - '12 - '13
    • Nose
      For me, the nose has a bit more fruit than that of the 12er. The smoke is not so snappy and not so direct in the face. Mild tobacco, wet leather.
      A panning of the glass "dilutes" the flavors.
    • Taste
      Clearly metallic beginning. Smoke from freshly lit campfire, dried lemon peel. On the tongue, bitterness spreads mixed with some vanilla milk. Bitter almonds.
    • Finish
      Metallic, dry, furry.

  25. Marko_I did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    Conclusion: Machir Bay 2012/13/14/15, Conclusion: Overall, the smoke is rather bitter, with many sweet, lighter notes and pepper at all, but there are clear differences. Overall pretty mature for their low age, little metallic notes, but rather something for people who like it peaty-vigorous-and-strong, with (formerly) each ~ 45 € just OK.
    The 12er is quite interesting for tasting (and the most interesting of the 4), but so to enjoy me is personally too much cable fire in it. The 15er is similarly open-hearted in the nose, more flavorful and less bitter, would probably be the best a shelf candidate. 13 & 14 I find flatter and also quite bitter, cut the worst in the comparison, my order: 15> 12> 14> 13.
    • Nose
      very closed (compared to the previously tasted 2012, which is still here), also some water does not help much, a little citrus, vanilla, smoke, slightly metallic, overall very comfortable, almost flat
    • Taste
      also here more comfortable than the 2012er ... the smoke looks short and does nothing, overall rather sweet, candy, honey, dark chocolate, with pepper and some lime zest
    • Finish
      Here the smoke comes again, ashen and bitter, and the mouth is "hot" of the spice

  26. Kaltduscher scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    Blindverkostung.
    • Nose
      Powerful. The nose is dominated by sweet notes and a strong peat smoke. Sugar syrup. Vanilla. Cereals - not like cereals, but sweet cornflakes. After a while herbal flavors and refreshing mint come to light. Afterwards, a fine vanilla cigarillo smoke.
    • Taste
      Sweet notes and smoke dominate again. Sugar syrup. Vanilla. Burnt caramel. Liquorice. Torfasche. Oak is not really noticeable.
    • Finish
      Long. Liquorice. Torfasche. A touch of bitterness. Filter coffee. In the end, the youthfulness of the painting is still recognizable.

  27. MadScientist scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    blind tasting
    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      81 81
    • Finish
      81 81

  28. Achany scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      80 80
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      81 81

  29. FC Sunderland did not rate this whisky Member Senior

    A dram I think it is worth to wait for an older and more matured version. I guess this could be another great Islay whisky in the future
    • Nose
      smoky but not to intense... rather young. And it is young we know.

      tiny hints of fruits. 
    • Taste
      rather strong alcohol notes in my opinion. But it is not really disturbing I have to admit. It is surprisingly balanced. Some sips I loved, some I wasn´t sure about.
    • Finish
      rather long for it´s maturing age. Citrus notes. Smoke is on the spot

  30. ThS scored this whisky 81 points Expert Senior

    A beautiful peat smoke, undoubtedly, though a little in the way of classical painters: bypassed, licked, arranged, in short, not naturally sexy. We are not far from Cabanel. Venus junk. Its case: syrupy juice, sweet, honeyed, simple but well designed, for sure. Boring wishes.
    I remember the version of 2012, teenage, brutal: sexy exotic fruits in scrolls of burnt rubber. At least there was a story. Already tidy, youth? Pffft ...

  31. WhiskyLovingPianist did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    4th and 5th year batches vatted. The 4yo cask had 4 weeks in a sherry cask]
    N: More herbal maritime notes.  Peat on display here, again very delicate and tender.
    T: Peaty then calvados intro, the rosemary tipple holding its own until the peat makes a comeback,
    F: Sweet peat and spices at the finish
    C: Still very much the new spirit.

    Scores an N

    Further reading: WF81 [WM]84[6]

  32. Ciro scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      80 80
    • Taste
      81 81
    • Finish
      82 82

  33. u485tfu scored this whisky 81 points Expert Junior

    Smell: mild peat smoke, salt, sea breeze, slight sweetness

    Taste: Porky, but also very sweet, with liquorice / anise

    Finish: strong anise notes on the finish

    Verdict: who likes licorice / anise or pernod, that's right here

    Note: 81

  34. The-Man-best-Friend scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    Truly good whisky, a young wild one, so to speak.
    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      85 85

  35. ApricotOne scored this whisky 81 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      81 81
    • Finish
      80 80

  36. Bart&Claudia scored this whisky 88 points Expert Junior

    At a blind tasting, I don't think one would guess the relatively young age of this whisky. It has so much depth which has been carefully layered by the distillers at Kilchoman. A must-try. 

    * Still just as good, if not better with the bottle down to a quarter!
    • Nose
      Opening the bottle will have your friend on the couch uttering: wow, the f*ck is that? It's like smothering, but not extinguishing a campfire with a huge splash of water. Strong peat, beautiful smoke that goes on and on. A lot of fruit swirls through the smoke, especially grapes and lemon. A pleasant punch in the face. Very fresh!  
    • Taste
      The amazing thing about the taste is that as soon as it enters your mouth, the smoke dissapears. Where has the peat gone? It hides behind the complex fruity bittersweetness, something like lemon rind or apple peels. Sherried, woody, buttery on the matter of texture. It really embraces your saliva, sticking to it briefly. Spices: Peppers and Vanilla.    
    • Finish
      Right after the swallow, the peatsmoke steams back up from your throat! Awesome how the delicate taste of this whisky is now battling with its Islay character to a beautful stalemate. Every part of considdering this whisky has its own identity, building up to a great finish which lingers quite long.  

  37. HammerHead scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    Nose: Initially peat smoke, seaweed and a touch of salt. With a little water I start to pick up crême brulée, pecan nuts, cough syrup and woody notes.

    Taste: peat, vanilla and some citrus fruits

    Finish: not that complex of a finish though a rather long one. It's basically a lot of charcoal and as a result a little bitter.

    Already a rather good malt, but it would really benefit from a few extra years maturation, especially in the finish.
    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      79 79

  38. Hvdree scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  39. JacobaEd scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      87 87

  40. Hansi scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    As so often with Kilchoman the conclusion is: amazingly delicious and complex for the young age; in comparison to Machir Bay 2012: less yellow fruit, less honey; a bit lighter than the Machir Bay 2014
    • Nose
      Beautiful dry peat smoke nose - rather bonfire on the beach, hardly medical; lots of sweetness, honey, nut, marzipan, vanilla; looks very fresh, little spice, cooked yellow fruit only very subtle, some marshmallows, only slightly metallic
    • Taste
      Smoky, medium body, slightly oily, spicy; Honey, vanilla, marshmallows, spice
    • Finish
      Medium long, smoky-dry, slightly metallic at the end

  41. hefaists scored this whisky 81 points Expert Senior

    Very pleasant for such a young whisky. It's surprisingly smooth, yet does not lack the intensity and vitality that one would associate with youngsters. There's no ghastly notes of raw alcohol, even though a kind of yeastiness permeates both the smell and the taste. However... this is a whisky that is only at the beginning of its journey to greatness. That is to say, while the potential is there, it needs more time in the cask to develop.

  42. John Barleycorn scored this whisky 92 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      95 95
    • Taste
      94 94
    • Finish
      94 94

  43. Stenface scored this whisky 83 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      81 81

  44. Alex scored this whisky 76 points Connoisseur

    low peat levels, very young, sweetish. All flavours are quite muted, just the sweetish core stands out too much for me. Easy to drink though a bit boring

  45. nc2malt did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    Taken from bottle label, John MacLellan - Distillery Manager
    • Nose
      Color: Light beech

      Soft cooked fruits with strong peaty aromas.
    • Taste
      Soft mixed fruits and vanilla with an intense sweetness.
    • Finish
      A classic Islay malt now showing the benefit of additional aging. A long lingering finish.

  46. BeatF scored this whisky 83 points Photo Moderator

    A study of the packaging gives us hints: only the four-year share was finished for a full four weeks in sherry cask. Why is this hurry? This drop falls - despite all the sympathy to Kilchoman - in comparison to its predecessors and even the MB 2012 unfortunately something back. Is still fine, but not excellent.
    • Nose
      Loses youthfulness in comparison to its predecessors, without having already gained the secrecy of old age. Pineapples, other tropical fruits, subtle peat smoke; not exactly the non plus ultra.
    • Taste
      resinous, peaty, pineapple, honey
    • Finish
      Ashen smoke on the palate; the rest first fades away a little colorless, not without then peppering up and passing into dry peat, leaving a somewhat banana-like fuzziness.

  47. karloff scored this whisky 69 points Specialist

    I was a little disappointed with this bottling, I thought four weeks in a sherry cask did little in my view to make any sort of impact. Still I must say I enjoyed it for what it was. I am a big fan of Kilochman whisky.
    • Nose
      60 60
    • Taste
      60 60
    • Finish
      75 75

  48. karloff scored this whisky 69 points Specialist

    I bought this bottle in the distillery at the festival. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it but it wasn't what I was expecting.
    • Nose
      A big heap of Cuban cigar there with the peat and smoke, very nutty and woody, not picking up any fruit notes though.
    • Taste
      Obviously it has that strong peaty taste but I also found it to be slightly bitter and astringent.
    • Finish
      A long and dry finish, the fruit finally shows it's hand at the death.

  49. Edwin de Lange did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    A great Kilchoman expression!

  50. Igor scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      Malty, fruity-sweet. Plum jelly, currants, apricots, dried apricots, orange marmalade, vanilla, buns and rolls, slice of ripe melon.
    • Taste
      Wheat beer, oatmeal porridge, peach jam, orange, mandarins, lemon candies, gooseberries.
    • Finish
      Spicy, cocoa, vanillic, liquorice-based sweets, cream, lemon, iodine, ground cinnamon, finally - a little smoke.

  51. pilgrim77 scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    The 2013 release is a vatting of 4 and 5 year old whisky matured in bourbon

    casks, with the 4 year old whisky finished in oloroso sherry butts for 4 weeks.

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