Crimson red in the glass, peat-black at heart. When Anthony Wills filled new Kilchoman spirit into French Maury casks, he knew he was playing with fire. Sweet fortified wine from Roussillon against Islay's raw peat smoke — it could have gone wrong. It didn't.
The expert's take on Kilchoman Maury Cask Matured Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
This is a bottle that breaks the rules. Maury is a naturally sweet fortified wine from Roussillon in southern France, made primarily from overripe Grenache Noir grapes, and that kind of cask is something you almost never see in Scotch whisky. Kilchoman didn't settle for a finish — the spirit spent its entire maturation in these casks. That's a crucial difference. Where a finish lays a thin layer of wine on the surface, the Maury cask here has been allowed to work all the way through, pulling the whisky in a dark, fruit-sweet direction from day one.
The release is part of Kilchoman's Uniquely Islay Series 2026 and is the distillery's very first Maury bottling. It's built on a vatting of 19 Maury casks filled back in 2021, bottled at 50% in natural colour without chill filtration. The result is one of the darkest Kilchomans ever to come off the farm at Machir Bay — almost blood-red in the glass, which is highly unusual for an Islay single malt.
Kilchoman is Scotland's only true farm distillery. They grow some of their own barley at Rockside Farm, floor-malt it themselves, and do everything from grain to bottle on the island. The citrus freshness that always lurks beneath Kilchoman's smoke is exactly what holds up the heavy Maury sweetness here and stops it from tipping over into the jammy.
Tasting notes
Nose
Dates, raisins and fig jam tumble out first, followed by dark honey and treacle. Beneath the sweet, almost meaty fruit lies soft peat smoke, orange peel and a hint of cocoa and dark cherries. An aroma that leans more towards an old pantry than the sea.
Palate
Here the Islay smoke takes hold. Pipe tobacco and dark chocolate settle over waves of treacle, stewed fruits and warming spices. Marmalade and liquorice appear midway, while toasted oak lends structure. Full-bodied, intense and a touch wild.
Finish
Long and indulgent. Peat smoke wrapped in dark fruit and soft toffee, finally releasing with a flourish of orange peel and dry oak spice. Closes both a little sweet and dry at once.
Specifications
Name: Kilchoman Maury Cask Matured Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Kilchoman
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50%
Size: 700 ML
Cask type: Ex-Maury fortified wine casks
Bottled: 5 March 2026
Edition: Uniquely Islay Series 2026
EAN no.: 5060210709259
Flavour profile
Smoky · Fortified-wine matured · Fruity · Spicy · Maritime
Did you know?
Maury is such a dark fortified wine that it gives the whisky a genuine crimson-red colour with no added caramel at all. That's almost unheard of for an Islay malt, where most bottles sit somewhere between straw and gold.
See our full range of
Kilchoman
Listen to our podcast:
