Kilchoman has announced the return of Machir Bay Cask Strength, releasing a new 2025 edition that promises a fuller, more powerful take on its flagship Islay single malt. Bottled at natural cask strength, this year’s version showcases the distillery’s signature smoke and citrus style dialled up to a new level.
The 2025 release arrives three years after the previous cask strength Machir Bay, and is the first to follow the recent evolution of the core Machir Bay vatting. The result, according to Kilchoman, is a dram that delivers everything fans expect from the distillery, just with more intensity, more peat, and more weight.
The whisky displays a deeper golden colour than the standard bottling and the nose opens with bold smoke, sweet vanilla and caramel from the bourbon casks, plus bright flashes of citrus and tropical fruit. The palate is described as full bodied and warming, with creamy malt sweetness balancing maritime peat smoke, candied citrus, toffee and gentle spices. The finish is long, smoky and saline, with lingering vanilla and toasted coconut.
Founder Anthony Wills said the new edition captures the heart of Kilchoman in its most expressive form:
“One of my favourite whiskies we have released, it has everything I love about Kilchoman spirit, with a little extra punch. There will be a lot of happy Kilchoman fans seeing the Machir Bay Cask Strength back on shelves.”
Alongside the whisky release, Kilchoman has launched a 20th Anniversary Prize Draw, offering one lucky fan the chance to win the first ever bottle of 20 Year Old Kilchoman, drawn directly from Cask No.1, the distillery’s first cask, filled in December 2005.
Machir Bay Cask Strength 2025 is available now through select retailers and directly from the distillery. Allocation is expected to move quickly, given the popularity of previous editions.
