Review by: The Muskox

I haven’t had the normal Machir Bay in a little while. Let’s see if this cask-strength version shocks my memory back.

As I understand it, this isn’t a special vatting or anything. It’s literally Machir Bay, bottled before its normal proofing-down.

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Distillery: Kilchoman

Bottler: Official bottling

Region: Islay

ABV: 58.3%. Cask Strength.

Age: No age statement. Bottled in 2021.

Cask type: Same as the regular Machir Bay – about 90% bourbon casks and 10% sherry casks.

Price: N/A, friend’s bottle.

Color: Light gold. Natural Color. Non-Chill Filtered.

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Nose: Smells like Machir Bay. Brash peat flavours of smoldering dead branches, dry earth, and black-pepper-studded salami. Fresh lemon and parsley, and an acidic kick like cider vinegar.

Palate: Medium-light texture. Arrives with lemon, banana, and chalk. Develops to spicy and acrid peat smoke, with pungent crushed black pepper and rock salt. A mineral note of wet slate.

Finish: Short. Banana, salt, and burnt swamp grass.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Xzibit’s tricked-out marshmobile”

Conclusion: This is Machir Bay with even more Machir Bay in it. There’s not much else to say – if you love the normal Machir Bay, you’ll love this, and if you don’t you won’t.

Final Score: 80.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.