Kilchoman Machir Bay (2014 Edition)

Nose: Smoke, but not mellow smoke - more fresh and acrid. Have you ever raked up garden leaves and burned them and had the wind change so you suddenly get a face full of smoke? It's like that. Brisk wood smoke rather than rounded peat-reek. There are some citrus and brine notes as well but the bright, exuberant smoke is the key. Palate: A smoky arrival with fruity notes and salt. Very like the nose but the fruit is a touch rounder. In the development a strong cereal character becomes apparent but it's not malty - more like fresh barley (maybe a touch yeasty?). There's a little vanilla and spices as well and some sherry cask, but like the nose the palate is mainly about the smoke. Finish: Medium/long. Sweet and soothing and once again - smoky. The immediate impression I had the first time I tasted this whisky was "wow - this is very young". It has the characteristic profile of young, highly spirit-driven smoky whisky where the smoke is all but obscuring everything else. The casks have not yet had enough time to mellow the spirit and bring out/contribute nuances. There is no age statement and I don't think there is any information from the distillery about the age of Machir Bay releases. I'd guess the whisky was about 5-6 years old. For its age it is well integrated, but every Kilchoman I've tasted to date has made me wonder what it might taste like with another 10 years of maturation. Just as an aside, This reminded me a bit of Ledaig, but Ledaig sings the same song with more assurance and is less raw. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

INTERNATIONAL WHISKY COMPETITION peated gold medal 2016... keen to try this

I hate, hate, HATE being the contrarian here, but this release is plain terrible. I know, I'm the lone negative voice so I must be wrong. Be that as it may, and in light of the fact that preference is a very personal matter, let me reiterate just how awful this whisky is. Take the nose. Should Islay whisky smell of peat and SPOILED LEMONS? The fruit notes are so off-putting that I simply cannot appreciate the remaining qualities here. The palate and finish... Who the heck knows after that. And that's my two cents, which as we know can't help anyone buy a damn thing these days.

Rich and sweet spices with briny ocean breeze on the nose. Smells light and peated. On the palate it's bright, rich, and a bit of briny heat that pulls apart the meaty body from the herby spice. A beautiful taste with a long, smooth finish.

Balanced but very peaty and salty for my taste.