AN OVER-STEEPED CHINESE TEA – Score: 6.5/10
Few people know that between 2012 and 2015, Kilchoman released a vintage edition of Machir Bay each year. These versions were based on seasonal production. Initially, the labeling closely resembled the standard Machir Bay, but in 2015 it shifted to this cream-colored label—marking not only a visual change, but also the final vintage of Machir Bay.
The only expression to have retained this vintage tradition is Loch Gorm, aged exclusively in sherry casks.
Let us now turn to this 2015 version of what has become a classic—if not iconic—expression from the Wills family distillery.
Grain is ever-present on the nose and palate, reflecting the youth of the whisky, alongside Kilchoman’s signature ashy peat. Bourbon vanilla briefly emerges but is quickly overtaken by wood tannins and the astringency of over-brewed tea. The finish intensifies with a hit of sharp ginger, heightening the already unpleasant woody bitterness.
An unbalanced dram—far too bitter for my taste.
