Kilchoman Machir Bay 2014 46% (Kilchoman Distillery)

• 46% ABV,
• £39.90
• Score: 81/100

What they say:

Machir Bay 2014 is a vatting of 5 and 6 year old ex-bourbon barrels and oloroso sherry butts. 46% ABV.

The Machir Bay range is Kilchoman’s core expression, first launched in 2012 when it won the prestigious IWSC 2012 Gold Medal – Best in Class. Bottled once a year, each release contains more mature whisky each year allowing Kilchoman fans to follow the development of the unique Kilchoman malt as it matures.

What I say:

The latest (2014) edition of Machir Bay includes 5-6 year old malt from Kilchoman so a year more mature than their 2013 edition. This was our 5th and final dram on the Jolly Jaunt to Annandale distillery

Colour:

Light/pale gold

Nose:

Clean, spirit, lots of vanilla, creamy, ice cream, vanilla pods and custard, sweet peat familiar to Kilchoman

Taste:

Clean and refreshing this has plenty of creamed coconut, vanilla pods, some spiciness in here too and an almost overwhelming violet flavour (parma violets or violet soap)

Finish:

Long and cleansing, coal tar (peat) and violet soap

Overall:

Pleasing and interesting, scored slightly higher in a blind tasting than the 2013, the extra year certainly has allowed a complexity and some whole new flavours to develop in the Kilchoman maturing stock. It will be interesting to keep following the Machir Bay releases to see where they head.

Sampled during the Jolly Jaunt to the pre-opening of the Annandale Distillery 12th October 2014