Whisky : Kilchoman Machir Bay; Fujioka Collaborative Vatting

Country/Region : Scotland/Islay

ABV : 46%

Cask : 95% Ex-Bourbon, 5% Ex-Sherry

Tasting : Neat in a Tulip Glass @ Fujioka Craft Spirits Tasting

Nose :  Lemon, rosemary, and roasted fennel— a bit charred from being in the oven too long.  Brine and medicinal iodine clear the sinuses.

Palate :  Cigar and tobacco smoke are carried on a thin body.  There are bits of smoked meat and burnt sweet onion seasoned with rosemary and herbs.  The profile has interesting elements that are let down by a weaker mouthfeel.

Finish : Medium smooth finish with clove and baking spices.

Score : 3

Mental Imagine : Someone forgot the roast in the oven… looks like there may be some smoke.  Better call for a pizza.

Something Better : Kilchoman 2007 Vintage (greater depth of flavor, thicker body, more BBQ smoke)

Something Similar : Arran Machrie Moor (similar body & smoke, more grass/grain notes)

Something Worse : Johnnie Walker Black (less finish, similar smoke, more body, less complexity)

Notes :  The nose on this was wonderful but the body was too timid.  There was nothing to chew on or to keep some of the interesting herbal and savory notes forward.  This store pick Machir Bay has an extra Bourbon cask emphasis, 95% ex-bourbon instead of the typical 80/20 split in Machir Bay between Bourbon and Sherry casks.  I wonder if the lower proportion of sherry robbed the Machir Bay of some of its complexity and overall strength?  It would be interesting to do a side by side— and it’s too bad the distributor did not do that at the tasting.

I have really enjoyed other Kilchoman bottles, so this was a bit of a let down.

It was an even greater let down as I had been quite excited when the store mentioned that they would have a Kilchoman Store Pick coming in. I assumed that they would have their own private cask of Kilchoman, just as they often do with bourbons or ryes. There are some great single cask Kilchoman bottles out there and the distillery/importer/distributor seem to make that program widely available. I was a bit disappointed when they revealed the bottle on social media as a variation on the standard Machir Bay. I can understand some of the logic— the Machir Bay selling for \~$60 is less of a risk than a single cask for \~$100 in a market without a track record for selling store pick single cask scotch and from a distillery that remains off the radar of most consumers.

The store pick Machir Bay might be great for someone who is ‘peat curious’ and wants a window into the range of flavors that scotch can pick up from peat, without being overwhelmed by lots of sherry or a viscous mouthfeel. It might also be great for someone who needs a scotch with great smokey notes for a mixed drink where the let down on the mouthfeel will not be obvious. Personally, I will probably stick to my Kilchoman single casks or 100% Islays, the distillery makes a great product and expressions like this have their place on the market, not everything has to be for me.