Kilchoman Sanaig & Machir Bay. Whisky review

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Kilchoman Sanaig & Machir Bay. Whisky review

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Күн бұрын

The Machir Bay and Sanaig make up the core of Kilchoman's interesting & evolving portfolio. It's a tough gig to compete with the established Islay distilleries so there's a lot hinging on these two expressions. Are they worth picking up?
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Пікірлер: 52

@GrotrianSeiler 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent review. I prefer your presentation to many others. Nice calm demeanor always getting the message across.

@WhiskyGeek 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words GrotrianSeiler 🥃👍

@cecilrobbins5182 2 жыл бұрын

Loved your comparison and your review! I'm collecting expressions of Machir Bay, I have the regular 90-10% and a 90-5% (bourbon+sherry) also the 14yr Machir Bay and I have ordered the CS festival release and I intend to deep dive into the Machir Bay at Kilchoman. Excellent review and accurate comparison.

@distlledbrewedreviewed 5 жыл бұрын

very informative and thorough review my friend, Above & Beyond!

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you HillbillySelect 🥃👍

@WhiskyNeighbour 5 жыл бұрын

Awesome review!! Your notes are deep and will take time to think about. Thanks for sharing about both!

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

Saw your video on the Sanaig go up as I was editing this one together haha - good to see some overlap! Cheers Jon 😁👍

@WhiskyNeighbour 5 жыл бұрын

@@WhiskyGeek we each share what we find. I appreciate the diversity out there!

@DonnerPassWhisky 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Ben for the informative review. The info on the barley being sourced and being more peated than there local barley is good to know, guess as they are a small distillery they are not able to special order something closer to what they are producing. Just recently opened a Port Charlotte 10 that you recently reviewed (my first peated Bruichladdich) and an enjoying that. To me the peat seems to soften the 50% abv compared to there un peated selections. Cheers

@WhiskyGeek 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah it was interesting to me too. Certainly put some of their softer limited releases in to context 👍 Glad you're enjoying the PC10 - I keep coming back to that one recently. It is definitely dangerously easy drinking at 50%! Thanks Tim 🥃👍

@dribsanddrams 2 жыл бұрын

Just discovered you now. By your review, I guess I should stopp passing over the Kilchoman when I see it at the store.

@WhiskyGeek 2 жыл бұрын

Mmmm feels like I might need to pick up another Machir Bay myself 🥃👍

@choppersplace 4 жыл бұрын

just got into whiskey/scotch in may of this year...redbreast 12 and highland park 12 were my first two entries (i came from wine/beer) and love them...just opened the sanaig last week (i got the dual sanig/machir bay 200ml bottles pack) ...for now, given i'm a beginner, i can't taste all that much beyond the peat...reminds me of tannic tea, even lapsang souchang tea i like...some leather perhaps. i enjoy it. but wish i could go further for those other flavours/aromas you more experienced drinkers can detect... my strategy: i'm going to have a splash every day for the next few wks to better acclimatize myself to it...hopefully that will help....tips from you and others are welcomed....also as per Roy's suggestion, i'll compare 2 scotches side by side to better pull out the contrasts....laphroaig 10 or laga 16 or the port charlotte 10 heavily peated...machir bay (i have these bottles unopened) ...any suggestions?

@WhiskyGeek 4 жыл бұрын

Interesting! If you have a dram or two of the Laphroaig 10 I expect it will 'prime' your palate to the common flavours and help to expose the flavours you are looking for. This will probably work best going from the Laphroaig 10 to the Kilchoman Sanaig as it has more of a contrast. Peat is definitely one of those things that your get accustomed to and it becomes easier to find what lays behind after time! Would be interested to hear how it goes 😁🥃👍

@choppersplace 4 жыл бұрын

@@WhiskyGeek thanks...keep up the good reviews

@groberti 2 жыл бұрын

Plus when you'll get more accustomed to other single malts and higher ABV ones the HP12 will seem super boring to you after some time :D Don't get surprised :) And you'll get accustomed to the peat and will taste the other flavors beneath it, give it some time

@mendipfox1650 5 жыл бұрын

Great review. Both solid drams. I’m always on the look out for a Sanaig on discount. Interestingly enough, I’ve just acquired a Kilchoman 10th anniversary bottling at auction. Looking forward to popping that open later this year. Cask strength. Slainte as always.

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

Mmm all the cask strength Kilchoman I've tried has been great. Hope that one is too! Cheers Mendip Fox 🥃👍

@MarkusKreitner 5 жыл бұрын

Pretty much what I experienced with my samples. I do think though, a bit of aging would do good on the Sanaig but still, looking forward to future Kilchoman releases, it is promising!

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah that's a good point, a bit longer in the cask may help balance the Sanaig a little. Will be interesting to see how they develop!

@agrainofmalt 5 жыл бұрын

Had the Machir Bay and really liked it. Yet to try the Sanaig. Might pick up a bottle later in the year, or a mini if I find one in Denmark next month (one annoying thing about Sweden with the state monopoly - no minis).

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

Oh I didn't know Sweden had a state monopoly - sounds like a pain! Does it limit availability a lot? I guess there's much less money to be made on mini's haha. It's worth a try if you can find it. Any decent whisky bars near you?

@agrainofmalt 5 жыл бұрын

@@WhiskyGeek a few ok bars... there's an amazing bar in Stockholm called the Ardbeg Embassy that has hundreds of Whiskies. Is where I sampled the Dark Cove, GlenDro 18, and a bunch of others earlier in the year in a BIG night :P But yes... state monopoly. Can be a pain, but except for a few things, I find it has its advantages and can be pretty handy: you can order almost anything, provided it has the distribution and pick it up at your closest store. And price wise it's actually fairly good - some prices are better than the UK (like GlenDronach, Macallan etc). Then some stuff is allocated and sells out quickly (Springbank etc.) Still searching for THE great Whisky bar in Gothenburg :)

@foodquig 5 жыл бұрын

Very good job, Ben! You got a lot out of those whiskies...

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks foodquig 🥃👍

@TheLastDrop 5 жыл бұрын

I was trying to remember if i had had one of these and i have. Had the Machir Bay back in 2017. (one from my first ever tasting event) All i remember was a TCP element. Cheers Ben!

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

Oh that's interesting, I didn't find the medicinal tone that powerful. Quite liked the Machir Bay! Cheers Chris 🥃👍

@WhiskyMystery 5 жыл бұрын

Mmm. Made me go and have a sip of Machir Bay while watching. I still like it.

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

It's a good one 🥃👍

@WhiskyShared 5 жыл бұрын

I've only had the 100% Islay. Hope to try these soon.

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

Did you enjoy the 100% Islay? I preferred these slightly so hopefully you'll enjoy when you get chance! 🥃👍

@WhiskyShared 5 жыл бұрын

@@WhiskyGeek yes. Lots of bonfire ash and smoke.

@maltymission 5 жыл бұрын

Nice video and a brilliant shirt 😃

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

Haha cheers Menno! 🥃👍

@awhiskyjourney5910 5 жыл бұрын

Nice review, your notes are quite similar to what I picked out!

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

That's reassuring haha 🥃👍

@rishabhsaluja4921 2 жыл бұрын

Great review! Can you tell me which one is less peated?

@WhiskyGeek 2 жыл бұрын

From memory I'm pretty sure they both use malt peated to the same extent from the Port Ellen maltings. I would suggest that the Machir Bay is a little more obviously peated though as it doesnt have the fruity sherried layer to hide it. Cheers Rishabh 🥃👍

@easer777 2 жыл бұрын

I like the Machir Bay a lot, but, ever since I "got" banana, I can't taste much else, Askaig 100 proof has it as well, slightly less though, but quite forward.... - There's a third of the whiskies that I have that has the same, but I can't remember which it is, will have to search them through.... ;- )

@WhiskyGeek 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting. Have you tried eating a banana before tasting one of those whiskies to see if it suppresses that banana taste? I often find having a flavour on the palate means you wont pick it up as prominently in the whisky. Could help you 're-train' and pick up the other flavours 😁 Cheers Bjarke 🥃👍

@technoturnip1 Жыл бұрын

Am on my 3rd bottle of the sanaig. This one though is no where near as dark in colour as the last two. Is this normal?

@tooslow1614 Жыл бұрын

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j9anZaSoxuCqeps.html

@bloodhoug82 4 жыл бұрын

Is 81 really good? Is there an overview of all your ratings so far?

@JohnsDrams 5 жыл бұрын

You got baby bottles. Appropriate.

@WhiskyGeek 5 жыл бұрын

Getting some practice in 😜

@catnapgee5357 4 жыл бұрын

how do you rank the loch gorm against these 2?

@WhiskyGeek 4 жыл бұрын

I think I preferred the Sanaig marginally but a lot of people really love the Loch Gorm. I did drink them as part of a flight with the Sanaig coming up before the Loch Gorm so that may have affected things 🥃👍

@catnapgee5357 4 жыл бұрын

@@WhiskyGeek I am one of those who adore the loch gorm. May I ask why you're not blown away by it? Im just wondering how it compares to the sanaig cause the gorm is more money but both apparently offer the sherry and smoke common whereas machir bay is sweet, lemony and smoky

@WhiskyGeek 4 жыл бұрын

@@catnapgee5357 I've just dug out my notes from when I was at the distillery and all I put down was: "Very pleasant but the Sanaig delivers the distillery character better;- sherry more balanced." It could well be that I found the sweeter sherry influence to overpower the complexities. I've been favouring a more balanced sweetness recently where a lot of people are going for the full-on sherry bombs! That being said, the Port Cask was my favourite at the distillery!

@catnapgee5357 4 жыл бұрын

@@WhiskyGeek interesting. Seems you go first and foremost for the spirit/distillery character. I would assume you arent a huge fan of older whiskies since they are more cask driven... or perhaps you just favour the Kilchoman distillery character in and of itself. Either way, thanks for the reply! Slainta!

@rob2931 3 жыл бұрын

I wish I could have been able to get miniatures. I purchased a 46%ABV. Machir Bay. I think it would improve with age. I got more ash, charcoal/ cedar smoke rather than peat smoke. No relation to Laphroaig peat. A bit disappointing. Young, aggressive, thin, citrus. Prefer classic Islay. I would not buy this again.