Review #975 - Kilchoman Loch Gruinart

Kilchoman is continuing to expand their range over recent years. In addition to numerous annual releases such as Loch Gorm, 100% Islay, and the many different cask maturation whiskies, they also have permanent core range fixtures such as Machir Bay and Sanaig. In order to introduce a cheaper bottle to their range, they added this Loch Gruinart bottling, which, when starting out, was more common to find in supermarket whisky aisles.

The distribution of this whisky has expanded, and it's now in many stores in the US. The price point is right around $50, which does indeed make it cheaper Machir Bay ($65) and Sanaig ($75) here.

This is a non-age-stated whisky, and based on that cheap price point, this is believed to be on the younger, more spirity side of Kilchoman whiskies. They use a combination of American oak and European oak (presumably a mix of bourbon and sherry casks) for maturation, but other than that, there isn't a lot of information on this bottling. We do still get good Kilchoman bottling presentation, though: 46% ABV, no chill filtration, and no added color.

Kilchoman Loch Gruinart

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Price: USD 51 (2026)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 46% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks and European oak sherry casks

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 4 months; bottles at 90%, 70%, and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Burnt rubber, iodine, and mineral notes accent a somewhat harsh, acrid peat influence; other than that, it comes across as a mild nose. We do find lemons, pickled hot peppers, and a bit of earthiness, as well as lime sherbet, oranges, and barbecue sauce; a bit of peppery youth pops up from time to time as well.

Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thin; mineral notes, salted caramels, and ashy peat smoke start the flavors. It leans sweet with lemon custard, lemon-lime soda, and bubblegum; we also get cake icing and orange soda. Campfire/char notes build, but overall, the flavors are a little thin.

Finish: Vanilla, lemon - lots of lighter flavors. Slate, black pepper spice, dry oak, and some medium woody peat continue, and we also get lime, guava, almost a bit of sherbet. In the aftertaste, green bell peppers and bready malt linger; it's a medium length finish.

Final Note: This offering from Kilchoman is fine, but that youth definitely shows in the lack of complexity and mouthfeel. It's a relatively simple whisky with some classic Kilchoman peat and a decent amount of light fruit, but it all felt a bit undercooked and plain. We like that there's a more affordable Kilchoman whisky, but this one is a step below Machir Bay and Sanaig in our opinion.

Value here is alright, maybe on the low side of average. The price is fine, but we were hoping for a bit more from the liquid itself.

Our Rating: 5.4 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 5.75

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.