I'm going to assume that this is the 2018 release based on the time that I purchased this one, but it isn't indicated anyone on the packaging. Looks like these guys aren't too concerned with capitalizing on vintages. I've had my fair share of the classic Islay malts, so I thought it'd be good to give one of the up-and-comers a shot. Plus, it came with two glencairns. Not too shabby. Nose: Very young, very peaty. Honey, vanilla, black pepper, apple, pear, and butterscotch. Big time lemon and grapefruit citrus as well as salt and black pepper. I'm unable to detect any sherry influence; if I didn't know better I'd guess it's exclusively bourbon-cask aged. Palate: Smoke and oil heavy. Campfire smoke and ash. Some maritime notes of salt and seaweed, complimented by sweeter notes like white chocolate, vanilla, apple and pear. Cinnamon and black pepper toward the end. Still getting lemon, but it's less pronounced than it was on the nose. Finish: Moderate to long. More of the same from the palate; it maintains a nice balance between the spice of cinnamon and black pepper and the sweetness of white chocolate and vanilla. The 46 ABV is enough to give this one a very respectable finish. Overall, this is a solid effort. Based solely on this expression, I'd say Kilchoman can hang with the big boys from Islay. Would love to taste an age-stated bottling from these guys. For reference, I'd liken it to Lagavulin 8; this Machir Bay being a slightly toned-down version of the Lag 8. And in my opinion, that's good company to keep. At $59, this a worthy purchase for any Islay fan. Especially if you like the younger Lagavulin expressions. It doesn't stand out in any way, but is remarkably balanced and has grown on me a great deal since I first opened it. For now, it's a 3.75, but I may bump that up with a subsequent tasting because this stuff has continued to surprise me with each glass. And I did. Bumped up from 3.75 to 4.5. That's a big jump but it just gets amazing with time. Nose, palate, finish. Hits every damn note. Well done. Looking forward to the next Kilchoman expression