Kilchoman

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > K

KILCHOMAN

New Spirit

63,5 %

THE TRUE ISLAY SPIRIT

TRADITION

Bottled at Full Strenght

Barley Variety Optic

Peating Level 50

Distillation Date 25.7.07

Cask Type: Bourbon

Bottling Date 3.8.07

5 cl Bottle

Distilled and Bottled by

Kilchoman Distillery, Isle of Islay

On the nose you detect a strong but not overpowering peaty aroma with intense fruity

flavours of pear drops and rich fruits. The fruity character gives way to a butterscotch

aroma that is a unique feature of Kilchoman.

On the palate the same fruity characteristics are present with a sweetness that is highly

unusual in young spirit

September 2008

Kilchoan komt uit met een setje van 3 op bourbon gerijpte miniaturen, van respectievelijk

Één maand, één jaar en twee jaar oude spirits met de naam Connoisseurs Pack

KILCHOMAN

3 years old

46 %

ISLAY SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
ISLAY's FARM DISTILLERY
Kilchoman Distillery Uniquely Islay
SPRING 2 0 1 0 RELEASE
THIRD RELEASE
Aged for 3 years in fresh bourbon barrels
oloroso sherry butts
Non Chill Filtered
Natural Colour
Distilled, Matured and Bottled by
Kilchoman - Islay Farm Distillery, Isle of Islay

Kilchoman Distillery was founded in 2005 and is the first distillery to be built on Islay for

over 120 years. It is a farm distillery and a proportion of the barley used in production is

grown and malted at the distillery

Kilchoman is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland producing 90 to 100.000 litres of

alcohol per year.

Kilchoman spirit is filled into a combination of fresh bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky, U S A and fresh oloroso sherry butts direct from Spain.

This is the third release from Kilchoman and has been aged for 3 years in fresh bourbon barrels and finished for 3,5 months in very active oloroso sherry butts.

Colour: Bright golden hue / Nose: Strong peaty aroma, a combination of wood smoke and

medicinal flavours with rich dark fruits / Palate: Peat smoke with dark rich fruits and

creamy toffee. Is has a long finish with a long lingering aftertaste.

Dr. James Swan – Whisky consultant

M. M. Rennie – Distillery Manager

KILCHOMAN

VINTAGE RELEASE

46 %

VINTAGE 2 0 0 6 RELEASE

ISLAY’s FARM DISTILLERY

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Non Chill Filtered

Natural Colour

Distilled, Matured and Bottled by Kilchoman Distillery,

Islay

Colour: Light beech darkening with age.

Nose: Peaty aroma, nice soft cooked fruits. Christmas cake

Palate: Cloves, butterscotch, soft citrus, mouth – filling and with a lasting sweetness.

Finish: A classic Islay Malt, now chowing benefit of ageing; peaty, fresh and clean at

the end.

John MacLennan Distillery Manager

Dr. James Swan Whisky Consultant

KILCHOMAN

3 years old

46 %

ISLAY's FARM DISTILLERY
ISLAY SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY

Uniquely Islay

SUMMER 2 0 1 0 RELEASE
Non Chill Filtered - Natural Colour
Distilled, matured and Bottled by
Kilchoman Distillery, Islay

Colour: Pale Straw

Nose: Strong peaty aromas and a complex blend of pear drops, citrus and hints of mango

Palate: An initial sweetness is followed by peat smoke and the mixed fruits

Finish: Long, clean and refreshing leaving hints of peat smoke and cloves.

KILCHOMAN

MACHIR BAY

46 %

ISLAY SINGLE MALT

SCOTCH WHISKY

ISLAY’ S FARM DISTILLERY

2 0 1 2

UNIQUELY ISLAY

Non chill filtered

Natural colour

Distilled, matured and bottled by

Kilchoman Distillery, Islay

The 2012 release is a vatting of 3, 4 and 5 year old single malt, with the 4 year old being

finished in oloroso sherry butts for 8 weeks prior to bottling.

Colour: Pale straw

Nose: Strong peaty aroma with a soft complex blend of mixed fruits

Palate: Hints of vanilla and rich tropical fruits with an intense sweetnessFinish: A classic Islay malt – fresh, peaty, with a long lingering finish.

John MacLellan – Distillery Manager

Dr. James Swan – Whisky Consultant

KILCHOMAN

SHERRY CASK RELEASE
ISLAY SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
ISLAY'S FARM DISTILLERY
FIRST SHERRY CASK MATURED
RELEASE FROM KILCHOMAN
IT HAS BEEN MATURED FOR
4.5 YEARS IN OLOROSO SHERRY BUTTS
2012
UNIQUELY ISLAY
Non chill filtered
Natural Colour
Distilled, matured and bottled by
Kilchoman Distillery, Islay

Colour: Rich golden

Nose: Soft peaty aromas and a blend of soft fruits and spice

Palate: An initial sweetness is followed by soft peaty aromas, mixed fruits and spice

Finish: Long and clean with a character and richness that beliesits tender age.

John MacLennan - Distillery Manager

Dr. James Swan - Whisky Consultant

KILCHOMAN

50 %

1 0 0 % ISLAY RELEASE

UNIQUELY ISLAY

2 N D EDITION

ISLAY' s FARM DISTILLERY

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Non Chill Filtered

Natural Colour

Distilled, Matured and Bottled at Kilchoman Distillery, Islay

Colour: White wine.

Nose: Light, fresh and clean with peat smoke in the background

Palate: Light, fresh and well balanced with peaty smoke and sweetness

coming through on the finish.

Finish: Long, clean and sweet with soft peat smoke.

KILCHOMAN

over 3 years old

50 %

Islay Farm Distillery

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

INAUGURAL 1 0 0 % ISLAY

Uniquely Islay

Non Chill Filtered

Natural Colour

Distilled, matured and Bottled at Kilchoman Distillery, Islay.

John MacLellan Distillery Manager

Dr. James Swan Whisky Consultant

Aged in fresh and refill Bourbon barrels

Colour: Light golden

Nose: Soft peaty aromas and a blend of citrus, lemon and pear drops

Palate: An initial sweetness is followed by soft peat smoke and the mixed fruits

Finish: Long and clean, you would never guess is was only 3 years old.

KILCHOMAN

Aged 5 years

59.2 %
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Date Distilled: 1st July 2009
Cask Type: First Fill Barrel / ex Bourbon
Society Single Cask No: Code 129.5
Outturn: One of only 257 Bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
"Some like it hot! "

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for re-

lease as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members

are selected, true to our motto: “TO LEAVE NO NOSE UPTURNED “.

Led astray by the aroma of smooth cardamom ice cream it turned into tongue roasting

spicy chicken wings and charred marshmellows ina Tobasco sauce.

Water calmed things down; cinnamon rolls and a slightly burnt pizza with an espresso to finish

The nose was lovely, smooth, creamy and sweet; crème caramel, custard biscuits,

chocolate chip cookie dough as well as cardamom ice cream all washed down with

a cream soda.

The taste neat was nothing like it: chilli heat, tongue roasting fiery spicy chicken

wings and charred marshmallows with a Tabasco Pepper sauce dip – water to the rescue!

Now aromas of burnt dark chocolate cookies and ginger biscuits appear beside Dutch

oven blueberry cinnamon rolls with salted butter.

The taste has gone herbal, oregano and basil on a slightly burnt mozzarella salami

pizza and a well brewed strong Italian espresso in the finish.

KILCHOMAN

46 %
MACHIR BAY
ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
ISLAY' S FARM DISTILLERY

2 0 1 5
UNIQUELY ISLAY
Non chill filtered
Natural colour
Distilled, matured and Bottled by
Kilchoman Distillery, Islay

Colour: Beech

Nose: Lemon and citrus with a sweet smoky aroma

Palate: Vanilla and butterscotch with an intense sweet peaty aftertaste

Finish: Signature Kilchoman, with a long lingering finish.

John MacLellan – Distillery Manager

Dr. James Swan – Whisky Consultant

KILCHOMAN
46 %
LOCH GORM

ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
ISLAY' S FARM DISTILLERY
Distilled: 2010
SHERRY CASK RELEASE
Bottled: 2015
UNIQUELY islay
Non Chill Filtered
Natural Colour
Distilled, Matured and Bottled by
Kilchoman Distillery, Islay

Established in 2005, Kilchoman (pronounced Kil – ho – man) is one of the

smallest distilleries in Scotland. Based on a farm on the rugged west – coast

of Islay, Kilchoman was the first distillery to be built on the island for 125 years.

Kilchoman displays all that is great about the grass – roots traditions of Scotch

whisky distilling and truly is Islay’s farm distillery – from barley to bottle.

Loch Gorm, located just north of the distillery is very peaty in colour, similar to

the dark rich colour of our sherry cask matured single malts and is the name

given to our sherry cask matured releases. It has been matured for over two

years in oloroso sherry butts.

Colour: Deep and rich

Nose: Soft, spicy and rich with light smoke, dark chocolate and citrus fruit

Palate: Soft fruits and peat smoke with a rich sweet finish

John MacLellan Distillery Manager

KILCHOMAN

Established 2005
46 %
SANAIG
ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
ISLAY' S FARM DISTILLERY
UNIQUELY ISLAY
2 0 1 5
Non chill filtered
Natural colour
Distilled, matured and bottled by
Kilchoman Distillery, Islay

Established in 2005, Kilchoman (pronounced Kil – ho – man) is one of the

smallest distilleries in Scotland. Based on a farm on thr rugged west – coast

of Islay, Kilchoman was the first distillery to be built on the island for 125 years.

Kilchoman displays all that is great about the grass – roots traditions of Scotch

whisky distilling and truly is Islay’s farm distillery – from barley to bottle.

Sanaig, located north of the distillery is a small rocky inlet and is the name given

to the newest expression in the Kilchoman range. It is a vatting of ex bourbon

and sherry casks.

Colour: Beech wood

Nose: Soft cooked fruits with caramel and vanilla now evident

Palate: Toffee, peat smoke and citrus with a lingering sweetness

Finish: A lovely balance of peat smoke, fruit and sweetness

John MacLellan, Distillery Manager

KILCHOMAN

50 %
Over 5 year old
THE 5TH   EDITION
100 % ISLAY
ISLAY's FARM DISTILLERY
Matured in fresh - and refill Bourbon Barrels
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Non Chill Filtered
Natural Colour
Kilchoman Distillery, Islay

Colour: White wine.

Nose: Light, fresh and clean with peat smoke in the background

Palate: Light, fresh and well balanced with peaty smoke and sweetness

coming through on the finish.

Finish: Long, clean and sweet with soft peat smoke.

KILCHOMAN

63. 7 %
Over 5 years old
ISLAY's FARM DISTILLERY
Islay Single malt Scotch Whisky
Distillation Date: 29.6.2010
Bottle Date: 12.8.2015
CASK STRENGHT
SINGLE BOURBON CASK
Cask 323 / number 2010
239 Numbered Bottles
Selected and Bottled for Bresser & Timmer.NL
SINGLE CASK RELEASE
Kilchoman Distillery, Islay

Colour: Golden hay
Nose: soft fruits, citrus notes with a sweet smoky aroma
Palate: Subtle creamy vanilla and ripe fruit with a burst of smoke
The finish is long, clean and sweet.

KILCHOMAN

WINTER RELEASE
2 0 1 0

46 %

ISLAY’s FARM DISTILLERY

Kilchoman Distillery Uniquely Islay

FIFTH RELEASE

Aged in fresh and refill Bourbon barrels

Non Chill Filtered

Natural Colour

Distilled, Matured and Bottled by

Kilchoman – Islay Farm Distillery, Isle of Islay

Colour: White wine

Nose: Peaty aromas and a complex blend of citrus, pear drops and vanilla

Palate: A initial sweetness is followed by peat smoke and the mixed fruits

Finish: Long, clean and sweet leaving hints of peat smoke

I s l a y

T h e K i l d a l t o n D i s t i l l e r i e s

SWEET, FRUITY, SMOKY

KILCHOMAN

Kilchoman werd op 3 Juni 2005 opgestart, het is de eerste distilleerderij die wordt
geopend sinds Malt Mill, in de Lagavulin distilleerderij werd opgestart in 1908

De distilleerderij is gelegen aan de westkust van Islay, dichtbij de Machir Bay en
het beroemde Celtic Cross, dat dateert van A.D. 1400.KILCHOMAN

Kilchoman is gevestigd op de Rockside Farm van Mark French, die al 25 jaar boert
op Islay en zocht naar mogelijkheden om zijn bedrijfje een breder draagvlak te geven,
onder de merknaam Islay Fine Food verkoopt hij gerookt rund- en lamsvlees, en zijn
vrouw Rohaise verzorgd tochten met een huifkar over het eiland.

Op de boerderij groeit het gerst, nodig voor het distileren, terwijl het residu, dat na
het distilleren overblijft gebruikt wordt als voer voor zijn koeien en schapen

Kilchoman kwam mede tot stand dank zij de langdurige vriendschap van Mark French
Met Anthony Wills te Argyllshire, eigenaar van Liquid Gold Enterprises, een firma
die zich specialiseert in Single Cask bottelingen

Anthony Wills had eerder geprobeerd Glen Scotia in Campbeltown over te nemen, maar
dat was te kostbaar

Ze zijn er in geslaagd Jim Swan, eerder betrokken bij Blackwood Distillery op Shetland
en Gwalia in Wales en John McDougall, legendarisch in de Schotse Whisky industrie
vanwege zijn betrokkenheid bij niet minder dan 19 distilleerderijen, waarbij Laphroaig
en Springbank

Men verkreeg ook assistentie van Ron Gibson, chemisch ingenieur te Girvan in Ayrshire,
eerder werkzaam bij William Grant & Sons Ltd en verantwoordelijk voor het ontwerp
van de Grain distilleerderij te Girvan, van William Grant & Sons Ltd

Kilchoman is genoemd naar een gehucht dichtbij de distilleerderij, Kil is kerk, Choman
is heilige in het Keltisch

Er staan een Wash Still van 2700 liter, een Spirit Still van 1500 liter en twee Washbacks
van roestvrij staal

Het water dat wordt gebruikt voor het weken, brouwen en koelen komt van één bron:
Allt Gleann Osamail, een kunstmatig meertje dat het water opvangt dat komt van de
heuvels Cnoc Dubh, Cnoc na h-Uamha en Air Liath, gelegen achter Bruichladdich.

De ketels komen van de legendarische ketelbouwers Forsyths te Rothes

Er wordt niet meer dan 35000 liter spirit geproduceerd, oplopend tot 90000 liter in
de toekomst.

De stichtingskosten bedragen 900.000 Engelse ponden
De eerste whisky wordt gelagerd in Bourbon vaten
Er wordt ook geexperimenteerd met andere vaten, en verschillende Peat levels.
Men mout zelf, maar er wordt ook gemoute gerst van Port Ellen betrokken

Op 12 Februari 2006 brak er brand uit, maar de schade bleef beperkt
Er is een bezoekerscentrum, koffieshop, en souvenierverkoop
Capaciteit : 90.000 liter

Kilchoan is een boederij distilleerderij; de gerst komt van de Rockside Farm, en er wordt
gemout, gedistilleerd, gelagerd en gebotteld ter plekke
De machinerie bestaat uit een mash tun, vier r.v.s. wash backs, een eash still van 2700 liter,
een spirit still van 500 liter
De gisting duurt 100 uur, 40 % van de behoefte wordt ter plekker gemout, de rest komt van
Port Ellen
De mout heeft een phenolpercentage van 25 - 30 ppm, terwijl de mout van Port Ellen hetzelfde

percentage heeft als Ardbeg
Lagering vindt plaats in op de boerderij in lagerpakhuizen (Dunnage) = met een aarden vloer
Kapaciteit van de lagerpakhuizen is 600 vaten
De 95.000 liter spirit lagert in 630 Bourbon- en 40 Shery vaten

De flessen met whisky gemaakt van mout van Port Ellen krijgen de vermelding Kilchoan,
de flessen met whisky met mout van de eigen mouterij krijgen de vermelding Kichoan
100 % Islay

Barley is Grown at the Distillery
Malted on a Malt Floor at the Distillery
Peated to an average of 45 ppm (parts of million of phenols)
Distilled and Matured at the Distillery
The New Spirit is Filled into a Combination of Fresh Bourbon Barrels, from Buffalo
Trace Distillery, Kentucky, Fresh Oloroso Sherry Butts, as well as carefully selected
Refill Bourbon Barrels
When Mature our Malt will be Bottled at the Distillery
The First Bottling will take place in 2009 (3 years of age)
A visitor centr, shop and café are also part of the distillery operation. The shop sells
a range of Kilchoman merchandise, miniatures of Kilchoman 'New Spirit'a limited
edition release of an Islay Single Cask Malt under the Macbeatha brand, and a superb

range of gifts. The café offers delicious homemade soups, paninis, cakes, coffees, teas
and other refreshments

Rockside Farm, Bruichladdich , Isle of Islay, Argyll

2002

Planning starts in 2002

2005

Production starts in June

2006

A fire breaks out in the kiln

causing a few weeks production stop
but malting has to cease

2007

Kilchoman is expanded with
two wash backs

2009

9th September the first 3 year
old single malt is released followed
by a second release

2010

Three new releases and the
introduction of the United States market
MacLellan comes over from
Bunnahabhain to become
General Manager

2011

Kilchoman 100 % Islay is
released, and a 4- and 5 year old.

2012

Machir Bay, the first core expression
is released, also a Sherry Cask and
the second release of 100 % Islay

2013

Loch Gorm and Vintage 2007
released

2014

A 3 year port cask matured and the
first duty free exclusive released:
Coull Point

2015

A Madeira Cask maturation,
and Kilchoman Distillery is 10 years
old

2016

Sanaig and a Sauternes Cask
maturation are released

2017

A Vintage 2009 and a Red Wine Poruguese
Maturation are released

2018
A Original CS launched

2019

A limited STR Cask Matured is launched
2 more stills installed

2020

Capacity 480.000 Ltrs

Output 300.000 Ltrs

Am Burach and a fino sherry casl are released

2021A Mdeira and a px sherry bottling are released

2022

Casado is released

15 November, 2013

Islay's independent farm distillery, Kilchoman, has built a new warehouse to hold more than 10,000 casks.
Cose to the distillery and visitor centre, the 2,400 metres-squared warehouse was built to meet demand for the Kilchoman whiskies, which includes Machir Bay, Loch Gorm and a new edition of 100% Islay. The company says the development is a landmark in the distillery's history, which only released its first single malt, 100% Islay, in June 2011.
Kilchoman managing director Anthony Wills said: "The new warehouse opens up a number of opportunities for Kilchoman and to have reached this milestone earlier than we had anticipated is a great achievement for us.
"We built the warehouse to utilise the space we have at the distillery and we're looking forward to being able to move Kilchoman into a new chapter of its history."

Established in 2005, Kilchoman (pronounced Kil - ho - man) is one of the
smallest distilleries in Scotland. Based on a farm on the rugged west - coast
of Islay, Kilchoman was the first distillery to be built on the island for 125 years.

Kilchoman displays all that is great about the grass - roots traditions of Scotch
whisky distilling and truly is Islay's farm distillery - from barley to bottle.

Loch Gorm, located just north of the distillery is very peaty in colour, similar to
the dark rich colour of our sherry cask matured single malts and is the name
given to our sherry cask matured releases. It has been matured for over two
years in oloroso sherry butts.

Established in 2005, Kilchoman (pronounced Kil - ho - man) is one of the
smallest distilleries in Scotland. Based on a farm on thr rugged west - coast
of Islay, Kilchoman was the first distillery to be built on the island for 125 years.

Kilchoman displays all that is great about the grass - roots traditions of Scotch
whisky distilling and truly is Islay's farm distillery - from barley to bottle.

Sanaig, located north of the distillery is a small rocky inlet and is the name given
to the newest expression in the Kilchoman range. It is a vatting of ex bourbon
and sherry casks.

Loch Gorm is our annually released sherry matured limited edition. The loch, murky and peaty in colour, reflects the dark coppery tone of the sherry matured Loch Gorm release.

As the only release in our range to be fully matured in sherry casks (from filling to bottling), Loch Gorm has always attracted special attention from whisky fans, especially given that just 15,000 bottles will be released.

Loch Gorm has been evolving over the years, each new edition containing a different combination of casks. This year Anthony has selected twenty oloroso sherry butts from 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, meaning that for the first time Loch Gorm will contain 12 and 13 year old casks.

“It has been fascinating to see first-hand how the character of our oloroso butts have developed. Recent editions of Loch Gorm have seen a coming-of-age for the range, the addition 12 and 13 year old casks add a fantastic balance and complexity.” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder & MD

Anthony’s tasting notes: Layers of stewed plums, pears and tropical fruit have become more defined in the casks as they age, complimenting the bold, spicy and rich character of early releases, creating a beautiful marriage of Kilchoman and oloroso sherry cask maturation. I’m delighted with the 2019 release and look forward seeing how it’s received.”

KILCHOMAN SET TO RELEASE STR CASK WHISKY

May 2019

Islay distillery Kilchoman is set to release a limited edition STR Cask Matured whisky next week, distilled in 2012 and fully matured in rejuvenated red wine casks.

New life: Kilchoman has used rejuvenated, STR red wine hogsheads to mature its latest single malt

The casks have been treated with the ‘STR’ method, which stands for shaving, toasting and re-charring, a process pioneered by the late whisky consultant Dr Jim Swan.

The insides of the casks are shaved in order to expose the whisky to new oak, before being toasted and charred to ‘maximise flavour extraction’.

Anthony Wills, founder and managing director of Kilchoman, said: ‘The STR cask balances influences from both new and used oak to create a powerful combination of rich fruit, oak, spice and maritime peat smoke.’

Kilchoman STR Cask Matured 2019 is said to take a different approach than the distillery’s previous red wine cask release in 2016, as the treatment is said to have ‘reduced some of the bolder flavours on the surface of the oak’ to provide ‘a more subtle red wine influence’.

The whisky is said to contain ‘summer fruits with a hearty measure of cinnamon spice’ on the nose and ‘soft caramel at first with layers of red berries’ on the palate.

Bottled at 50% abv, a total of 14,500 bottles have been produced from 30 ex-red wine hogsheads.

Shaved, Toasted and Re-charred Red Wine Casks

A creation of the late Dr Jim Swan, STR refers to a specific formula for the Shaving, Toasting and Re-Charring of Red Wine Hogsheads.

A total of 43 casks filled in 2012 were selected by Anthony Wills, Kilchoman’s Founder and Managing Director, bottled at a strength of 50% abv without chill-filtration or colouring.

The process of shaving, toasting and re-charring has had a huge influence on these casks and the flavours of the resulting single malt. We released a full maturation Red Wine Cask release in 2016 which took on lots of the big and bold wine flavours, however the STR cask provides a different approach. The shaving has reduced some of the bolder flavours on the surface of the oak, producing a more subtle red wine influence. Once shaved, the casks were then toasted and charred over a natural oak fire, fuelled exclusively using oak chips from used staves. These processes remove harsh tannins and undelivered flavours and break down unwanted chemical bonds such as lignin, celluloses and hemicelluloses, replacing them with sugars, vanilla and spice notes.

Priced at £78.98 per 70cl bottle, Kilchoman STR Cask Matured 2019 will be on sale worldwide from 8 May.

The STR method has been used by many of the distilleries Dr Swan worked with as a consultant, including Kavalan distillery in Taiwan and Cotswolds distillery for its Founder’s Choice release

Farm distilleries were by their very nature always self-sufficient and while that is difficult these days with global demand for whisky on the rise, Kilchoman continues to try and stay true to that original model.

These days 25% of its barley requirements come from Islay (mostly from fields around the distillery). It has a small malting floor and kiln which produces a medium-peated malt - the heavily peated with which it is mixed comes from Port Ellen. Inside the distillery, fermentation is long - helping to create fruitiness to balance the shoreline/shellfish like phenolics, while an enlightened (and pricey) wood policy has seen a high percent of first-fill ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks being used. The result is that Kilchoman has hit the start of its mature period at a remarkably young age.

The location of Kilchoman on Islay’s west coast has some historical resonance. It was in this parish that the MacBeatha/Beaton family settled when they came across in 1300 from what is now Co. Antrim. They were doctors (a Beaton was the hereditary physician to the kings of Scotland for hundreds of years) who translated medical texts about distillation from Latin into Gaelic. There is therefore a theory (albeit unproven) that Islay was the first place where distillation took place in Scotland - and that Kilchoman parish was where it occurred.

It wasn’t so much this which caused Anthony Wills to build his farm distillery here in 2005 - it was more the fact that there was a spare steading at Rockside farm available. In building Kilchoman, the Wills family has brought farm distilling back to Islay.

Now surrounded by barley fields, the distillery has expanded once (in 2007) built new warehouses and in 2010 hired a hugely experienced manager in John MacLellan who had spent many years at the helm of Bunnahabhain. The history may be short, but the long-term vision is very much in evidence.

CAPACITY (MLPA) i

0.125

CONDENSER TYPE i

Shell and tube

FERMENTATION TIME i

70-110hrs

FILLING STRENGTH i

63.5%

GRIST WEIGHT (T) i

1.2

HEAT SOURCE i

Steam

MALT SPECIFICATION i

Diageo malt 50ppm, own malt 10-25ppm

MALT SUPPLIER i

Diageo and own maltings

MASH TUN MATERIAL i

Copper domed, stainless steel

MASH TUN TYPE i

Semi Lauter

NEW-MAKE STRENGTH i

69.7-70.2%

SINGLE MALT PERCENTAGE i

100%

SPIRIT STILL CHARGE (L) i

1,600

SPIRIT STILL SHAPE i

Onion shape with boil ball in neck

SPIRIT STILL SIZE (L) i

2,070

STILLS i

WAREHOUSING i

Currently at Kilchoman, Bruichladdich, Bowmore and Port Ellen. Mostly dunnage

WASH STILL CHARGE (L) i

3,000

WASH STILL SHAPE i

Classic Onion

WASH STILL SIZE (L) i

3,230

WASHBACK CHARGE (L) i

6,000

WASHBACK SIZE (L) i

8,000

WASHBACK TYPE i

Stainless steel

WASHBACKS i

WATER SOURCE i

Surface water collected in small dam close to distillery

WORT CLARITY i

Good

YEAST TYPE i

Mauri

OWNER

Kilchoman Distillery Company logo

CURRENT OWNER

Kilchoman Distillery Company

2002 - prese

KILCHOMAN FÈIS ÌLE 2019

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Kilchoman Fèis Ìle 2019

ABV

54.4%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Islay

AVAILABILITY

939

FLAVOUR CAMP

Smoky & Peaty

NOSE

This is very Kilchoman in its understated quality and, like the Caol Ila, there’s a light mintiness to begin with. This then moves further down the herbal route – there’s an almost garrigue-like quality to it, like thyme and rosemary to the fire. The smoke seems quite subtle, hanging like a soft cloud above it all. In time you get hints of seashore before a dried fruit funkiness snaps you back into focus. Things never become too heavy or wood-dominant. When water is added more peat is released, along with peppermint.

PALATE

Kilchoman often has flavours that take you back to a sweet shop. Here it’s strawberry Haribo and foam bananas. As these start to melt there’s some crème brûlée elements, some tangerine and a touch of clove. There’s an overall suppleness to the delivery while the smoke is beautifully integrated. It starts to break free and becomes more defined when water is added.

FINISH

Long and gentle.

CONCLUSION

A soft and refined dram, resulting from a vatting of a first-fill ex-Bourbon barrel and an ex-oloroso Sherry cask.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Calmly watching the Light On Water.

KILCHOMAN LAUNCHES 100% ISLAY 9TH EDITION

September 2019

Kilchoman has released the ninth edition of its 100% Islay range, an annual bottling in which all aspects of the whisky-making process have taken place on site.

Kilchoman's 100% Islay 9th Edition

Islay provenance: Kilchoman's 100% Islay 9th Edition is ‘Scotland’s only single farm single malt’

Distilled from barley grown in the fields adjacent to the Islay distillery, the nine-year-old whisky has been matured in ex-Bourbon barrels before being bottled at 50% abv.

The oldest whisky in the 100% Islay range to date, the ninth edition uses a lower peating level than the bottlings found in Kilchoman’s core range.

Anthony Wills, Kilchoman founder and master distiller, said: ‘The lower peating level allows the natural floral sweetness of the spirit to shine through, whilst a higher age profile adds layers of overripe tropical fruit and stewed plums.

‘I’m delighted with how the ninth edition has come together and as ever, I look forward to hearing people’s opinions.’

Only 12,000 bottles of Kilchoman 100% Islay 9th Edition will be available worldwide from 12 September, priced at around £72 per 70cl bottle.

Kilchoman completes Islay distillery expansion

August, 2019

Kilchoman Islay single malt whisky distillery has completed the expansion of its distillery which has the potential to double capacity.

A new building has been constructed containing two new stills, a new mashtun and six additional washbacks which will boost capacity to 480,000 litres of alcohol.

“The stillhouse extension is the latest phase of an expansion that started last year with the completion of our new malt floor and kiln, we hope to complete the final phase; a new visitor centre, shop and café within the next 3-4 months," said Kilchoman founder Anthony Wills.

Kilchoman became the first whisky distillery to be built in Islay for 124 years when it was erected in 2005 and is one of the few independent scotch whisky producers.

It remains the only Islay single malt whisky to be completely made on site and from harvesting barley to bottling its whisky.

Wills added: “At a time when I thought I might take a step back we’ve invested around £6m in upgrades. That said, without an increase in capacity we would be heading towards a situation where all Kilchoman would be sold purely on allocation.

“The investment amounts to almost an entirely new distillery in itself however we wanted to ensure that the new equipment was a mirror image of the original stillhouse and we’ve been delighted with the quality of the spirit, with no discernible difference in the character of that produced from the new compared to old stills.

“The new equipment will also allow us to experiment more during the malting and peat phases as well as in the stillhouse with yeast varieties and isolating specific spirit runs.”

2010 Vintage

We’ve been launching single vintage releases for a number of years, they are some of my favourite Kilchoman expressions, mostly because they’re classic Kilchoman but also because each marks the development in the age profile of our maturing casks.

The 2010 Vintage is a vatting of 45 casks, all filled in 2010. It consists of 42 fresh bourbon barrels and 3 oloroso sherry butts, bottled at 48% abv with no chill filtration or colouring (as with all Kilchoman bottlings). A total of 15,000 bottles will be available worldwide from October 16th.

Until the previous vintage release, 2009 Vintage, the range had been matured exclusively in bourbon barrels however this year’s edition, as with the 2009 Vintage, is a vatting of both bourbon and sherry casks, this time roughly 85/15 bourbon/sherry casks. The balance of bourbon and sherry maturation is a tried and tested combination for us, it allows for both the vanilla and citrus flavours from the bourbon barrels and the rich, spicy influence of the oloroso sherry casks to balance and complement one another.

2019 Club Release

NOVEMBER, 2019

This year’s Club Release is a vatting of one oloroso sherry butt and three bourbon barrels filled between October 2006 and December 2007, bottled at cask strength; 54.3% abv. 1,242 bottles will be available via the Kilchoman website from Noon (GMT) on Thursday the 28th priced at £119.40 (including UK taxes).

After quite a bit of deliberation I settled on a 50/50 vatting of bourbon and sherry maturation, the casks I chose range from 11 to 13 years old. From the first time I began blending Kilchoman casks I’ve felt that the best results were achieved by combining bourbon and sherry maturation. On larger releases where I’m combining 20-40 casks I tend to use high proportions of bourbon maturation as most of our sherry casks are generally more rich than fruity. However with this year’s Club bottling I sought out a particularly fruity sherry cask, this totally changes to dynamic of the vatting, removing the dominant dry sherry note and creating a more complex combination of stewed fruits which are offset beautifully by the caramel, citrus and more prominent peat smoke of the bourbon barrels. Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder and Master Distiller.

Tasting Notes

Nose: coastal freshness with minerality, cool blasts of peat smoke, seaweed and roasted pinecones. Time brings out crisp citrus sweetness, heather and soft leather.

Palate: menthol sweetness and intense peat smoke then stewed plums, glazed/salted BBQ ribs, cooked plums, apples and currents with black pepper, sweet caramel and tobacco.

Finish: rich, slightly dry sherry notes then citrus sweetness returns with peat fire embers, fig and quince fruitiness. A warm embrace on a cool winter evening!

If you aren’t a member click here to join – https://kilchomandistillery.com/my-account/

The Club Release is exclusively available to members of the Kilchoman Club; a free to join group which offers inside information on upcoming releases, discounts when you visit the distillery and access to the annual Club Release, the jewel of our annual releases.

Last year’s release sold out fast so we’d recommend setting a reminder. To ensure that the maximum number of people have the opportunity to taste the club release we’ve limited members to one bottle per person.

Juni 2020

Am Bùrach, het verhaal achter deze unieke botteling

Am Bùrach, Gaëlisch voor "een rommeltje", lijkt misschien een vreemde naam voor een limited edition single malt. Echter dit heeft te maken met het unieke verhaal achter deze botteling. In 2014 vond er een incident plaats waarbij twee verschillende Kilchoman whisky's abusievelijk werden geblend. De verantwoordelijke Stillman mengde per ongeluk vaten Machir Bay (standaard botteling van Kilchoman) en een Port Matured Kilchoman, waardoor Islay Heads, General Manager, het resultaat omschreef als "Am Bùrach", oftewel een rommeltje.

Deze eenmalige botteling, eentje om nooit meer te herhalen, heeft een ietwat ingewikkelde lagering van negen jaar. De botteling bestaat uit een vatting van Kilchoman whisky gelagerd op, ex-Bourbon en ex-Sherry vaten, gecombineerd met een op ex-Port vaten gerijpte Kilchoman whisky. Deze vatting vond in 2014 plaats daarna werd de whisky vervolgens opnieuw gevuld in ex-Bourbon vaten voor een rijping van zes jaar, met een finish van 6 maanden op ex-Port vaten.

Anthony Wills, oprichter van Kilchoman en algemeen directeur.

'Bij het maken van goede whisky gaat het vaak om geduld hebben. Toen in 2014 het incident plaatsvond, van het per ongeluk combineren van vaten, ging de whisky qua smaak en geur alle kanten op. Nu de whisky een lagering heeft gehad van 6 jaar, kreeg het de tijd om te rusten en te ontwikkelen tot een prachtig uitgebalanceerde unieke Kilchoman single malt''

''Ongeacht hoe Am Bùrach tot stand kwam, zijn diepte van karakter onderscheidt zich met, rijk, fruitig en zoet in de neus, romige zoetheid en kruidige turfrook in de mond, eindigend in een finish van gedroogd fruit en citrus zoetheid. Een niet te missen single malt met slechts 10.550 flessen beschikbaar wereldwijd''.

FINO SHERRY

Available worldwide from this week

The second of our Autumn releases comes in the form of a Fino Sherry Matured limited edition, our first global release of this cask type. The whisky has spent its full maturation in fino casks previously used by Bodega Miguel Martin in Spain, 11 fresh butts and 1 refill butt.

This release follows on from other limited-edition expressions using experimental cask maturations from Kilchoman, full term maturations in port, madeira, sauternes, red wine and STR cask types, amongst others. This particular release is limited to just 10,500 bottles worldwide.

Our core range of whiskies include oloroso sherry in their maturation, a medium-dry style of sherry which gives our whiskies a range of cooked and dried fruit influence. Fino differs from this by being a drier, more saline type of sherry which gives Kilchoman whisky layers of fragrant green apple, balancing beautifully with the citrus sweetness, cooked fruits and maritime peat smoke of our spirit.

PX Sherry Cask Matured Release

MAY 3, 2021

This special edition, the second of our two Spring limited edition releases, is a combination of 33 casks, 9 only matured in Pedro Ximénez casks and 24 finished in PX casks for between 12 and 18 months. The 12,000 bottle release will be available from your local Kilchoman stockists around the world from this week.

Whilst we’ve released a number of Pedro Ximénez single casks over the years, this is the first time we’ve vatted multiple casks together for a global release. Anthony and Robin have spent many days in the warehouses tasting endless numbers of casks to find the perfect balance of character, constructing a whisky that showcases the rich sweet flavours of Pedro Ximénez sherry but also reflects the signature flavours of our 50ppm spirit.

“Pedro Ximénez casks aren’t always the easiest to work with. That was why we decided on a combination of full maturation and finishing, to balance the distinct PX influence with that of our spirit. I’m delighted with the result; big and bold but with a delightful poise and balance of flavour,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder & MD

Having tasted numerous combinations, Anthony and Robin eventually settled on a vatting of roughly 2/3rds finished casks from 2013 and 1/3rd full maturation casks from 2015. The older casks have more layered depth of character compared to the big-hitting 2015 full maturation casks, combining the two produces the perfect balance of maritime smoke, citrus, berries and rich dark honey sweetness.

Anthony and Robin settled on a strength of 47.3% abv after tasting samples at various strengths. At 47.3% the whisky had more assertiveness and allowed for the natural citrus character of the Kilchoman spirit to shine through

The 2021 Club Release will be available exclusively to Club Members from Wednesday, December 8th at 2pm Islay time. Bottles can be purchased (on the 8th) by clicking on the link below.

The 10th Edition of the Club Release is a vatting of three 2008 oloroso sherry casks selected by Kilchoman Founder, Anthony Wills. The three hogsheads were vatted together and bottled at natural cask strength, 52.6%, producing a total of 807 bottles.

Available to purchase from 2pm (Islay time) on Wednesday, December 8th.

"These are some pretty special casks with quite a unique story. Originally the whisky was filled into oloroso sherry butts however I wasn't satisfied with their development so in 2016 I decided to decant the whisky into refill oloroso hogsheads.

Since being decanted, the whisky has come on beautifully and in my opinion these casks are at their absolute peak in terms of their depth of flavour. The influence of the sherry oak is certainly present however, it is subtle and rounded, the character coming through on the palate is fruity and layered, offset perfectly by typical Kilchoman freshness and citrus sweetness"

Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder

Bottles will be limited to one per person, priced at £114.90 per bottle (Inc VAT, 70cl, 52.6% abv). If you have any questions then please email info@kilchomandistillery.com, call (+44) 01496 85011 or contact us via our social media channels.

The Loch Gorm 2022 will not be available from our website but can be purchased from regular Kilchoman stockists around the world from this week. Please get in contact if you have any questions about finding a bottle near you.

100% Islay 12th Edition

SEPTEMBER 5, 2022

The 100% Islay 12th Edition is available from this week. This release was distilled from our 2011, 2012 and 2013 barley harvests, consisting of publican barley variety, then matured in 29 bourbon barrels and 6 oloroso sherry butts for a minimum of 8 years.

From our inception, the 100% Islay range, Islay’s only Single Farm Single Malt, was our reason for being. It represents the revival of traditional farm distilling; growing our own barley before malting, distilling, maturing and bottling every bottle of our 100% Islay range on site.

100% Islay in the barley field at Kilchoman Distillery

“It’s a lovely 100% Islay, rich and fruity on the nose then lots of citrus sweetness and tropical fruit on the palate with waves of peat smoke coming through on the finish,”

This year we have grown barley on a total of 138 acres. The harvest has begun and we are hoping for good weather to get this finished over the next week – we’ll keep you updated on our progress through our social media channels.

The 100% Islay 12th Edition will be available from Kilchoman stockists around the world from this week. Please click here for more information about where to find a bottle.

Casado Limited Edition Release

OCTOBER 17, 2022

Our first-ever Casado release is now bottled and ready to launch worldwide! Available from this week, the Casado release is another experimental maturation from the distillery.

Casado (Portuguese for marriage) is a limited edition bottling which was matured in fresh bourbon barrels for 6 years before 38 casks were selected and married together for 2 years in two 6,000 litre Portuguese red wine vats.

“The red wine marriage gives the whisky layers of red fruit and spices which complement the vanilla and butterscotch influence of the bourbon barrels beautifully,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.

Experimenting and exploring different flavours throughout the whisky-making process is something we’re always doing here at Kilchoman. In recent years barley variety and yeast influence have been discussed in depth but wood management remains a key part of any single malt. Anthony had an idea, he wanted to try something out of the norm and purchase these 6,000 litre red wine vats at char level 2 and 3, each giving a slightly different impact on the whisky finishing inside, then marrying them together after a longer than usual finish.

Machir Bay Cask Strength

NOVEMBER 21, 2022

Back by popular demand, the Machir Bay Cask Strength is set for it’s latest edition! With new look packaging, the cask strength release will be hitting shelves just in time for the cold winter nights.

Delayed from its scheduled release last year, the 2021 Machir Bay Cask Strength is finally here (in 2022). This limited edition is made using the same vatting recipe as our regular Machir Bay bottling however rather than reducing the strength to 46% abv we have released a limited number of bottles at cask strength; 58.3% abv. The higher abv allows for the quality and intensity of the Kilchoman spirit to shine.

“Machir Bay at cask strength has such intense flavours, the tropical fruit on the nose jumps out of the glass and the citrus sweetness on the palate is so concentrated and powerful. Cask strength whiskies are such a pure representation of a distillery and maturation, they are hard to beat.”

Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.

CASK VATTING

18,000

BOTTLES

46%

ABV

50 PPM

HEAVILY PEATED

Named after the famously dark, peaty loch overlooked by the distillery, our annual Loch Gorm limited edition is our only regular expression matured entirely in oloroso sherry casks.

For the 2023 Edition Anthony and Robin selected a total of 22 casks, 8 distilled in 2013, 6 distilled in 2014, and 8 distilled in 2015. This latest edition of Loch Gorm will be available from Kilchoman stockists around the world from this week (a little longer for those living far away from Scotland). Please contact us if you have any questions about where to find a bottle.

Nose: Hints of cacao with an essence of leather, black cherry and light smoke.

Palate: Roasted hazelnuts, dark chocolate and roasted dark fruits give way to light ashy peat smoke.

Finish: Balanced and long with fresh Islay sea breeze.

Each cask was chosen for its unique flavour profile which, when combined together with the other 21 casks, create a beautiful balance of rich fruity character with layers of classic Kilchoman peat smoke and citrus sweetness.

“Rather than dominating, Loch Gorm’s oloroso maturation works in harmony with the natural character of Kilchoman. The 2023 release has a fantastic spectrum of flavour, from rich spices and macerated peaches to fresh citrus, ginger, orange zest and waves of salty peat smoke.”

What influence does peat have on Single Malt Whisky?

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Scotland, and more precisely, Islay, has long been associated with producing heavily-peated styles of Single Malt whisky, but when does that renowned flavour and influence of peat smoke become part of the whisky making process and when is the PPM content measured?

If you are, or have been, fortunate enough to visit Kilchoman Distillery on Islay, you will see that to produce our 100% Islay releases, we’re able to not only grow our own barley on site at the farm surrounding the distillery but we’re unique in that we also malt our barley on site at the distillery using traditional floor maltings; this is a key part in being Islay’s Farm Distillery and ensuring that 100% of the process is carried out at the distillery, on Islay.

The peated malt used to create our iconic whiskies – whether it be using our traditional floor maltings at the distillery or barley that we purchase from the commercial maltings – the concept is the same; we want to steep, germinate, and kiln the grains of barley in order for them to record a parts per million (PPM) content. You can read more about our malt floor and what goes on, here.

Often, the assumption is that the PPM is measured in the final spirit however as an industry standard, it is measured in the malted barley. This allows for a level of consistency across all producers as multiple factors throughout the production can reduce the PPM total in the bottled spirit. For Kilchoman, this can be tested on site at the distillery however we will send samples of the malted barley to a third party whereby the malt will be analysed for quality and control purposes.

Once steeping and germination on our malt floor have taken place and the distillery team are happy with the quality of grain, kilning is used to stop further germination ensuring we capture the necessary starches required to eventually convert to alcohol during fermentation. It is at this stage that we use peat to influence our malt, producing a distinct ‘smoky’ aroma and taste. Kilning is the point at which our barley is spread out evenly on a mesh floor in the upper part of the kiln, 5 meters above the peat fire. Hand cut Islay peat will be burned on the fire below, allowing the peat smoke to rise and immerse itself into the green malt.

Temperature, airflow, and time are all important factors considered when determining the final PPM as they all have an effect on the overall influence on the malt. A distiller, at this point, can specify the peating level they require.

To aid consistency, at Kilchoman for our 100% Islay Edition, we burn hand cut, Islay peat under controlled conditions for 15 hours. This in turn results in a phenolic level of 20PPM (approx.). Our 50ppm malt is ultimately held under these conditions for a longer period of time, resulting in a higher PPM figure. Increasing the final PPM figure of malt is achieved by lengthening the amount of time the malt spends under the conditions provided by the kilning phase, balancing the temperature, moisture content and the level of smoke being created by the quantity of peat used as well as the rate of burning of the peat. It is important to note that if we were to use warm air (rather than peat) in the kilning process, this would create an unpeated whisky.

So, does the source of the peat influence the whisky? Each part of the whisky making process has an impact on the final flavour created and the source of the peat is no different. For example, if we were to test highland peat against Islay peat, both would affect the malt profile drastically. At Kilchoman, it’s important that we produce peated malt using peat only from Islay. For our 100% Islay edition, our peat is sourced from a nearby peat bank, managed by Derek Scott, Bottling Hall Manager, while our commercial malt uses peat from the east side of Islay, near Port Ellen resulting in two styles of peated spirit (20PPM and 50PPM). Derek and James take a walk through the malting and peating process here.

How does all this impact our whisky that’s being tasted around the world? Often during tastings, you will hear the speaker discuss the smoky and peaty characteristics found within the whisky (if it’s a peated malt) but both profiles can be individually defined. It’s easier to note the profile of smoke than it is peat, whether that be through nosing or tasting. Below are a few typical notes to look for:

Smoky – dry/wet smoke, bonfire smoke, woody and ashy

Peaty – medicinal (TCP, iodine, tar, seaweed), sulphur and mossy/earthy soil

A mix of the above is possible and when it comes to what you taste, it’s completely individual. Focussing on Kilchoman Single Malt, our aim is to continue producing a classic Islay heavily peated malt but with an elegant balance allowing for notes from the malt, fermentation, distillation, and cask type to play a significant part in the final product.

Something special has arrived in time for winter – The Kilchoman 16 Years Old! A proud moment for all at the distillery as we release our oldest global bottling to date. Anthony and Robin have spent the last few years keeping a close eye on these early casks, waiting for the right moment to vat them together and form our momentous Kilchoman 16 Years Old. They eventually settled on a combination of 21 casks, predominantly ex-bourbon barrels with a hint of ex-oloroso sherry, creating a perfectly balanced single malt.

The Kilchoman 16 Years Old is available from stockists around the world from this week, but, as usual, it may take a little longer to reach those further away from Scotland. Please contact us if you have any questions about where to find a bottle.

Nose: Delightfully rich with a creamy citrus sweetness and layers of cooked apples, pears, plums and nutmeg.

Palate: A masterful balance of festive spices, fresh vanilla, tropical fruit and smouldering peat smoke.

Finish: Dried mango and apricots with bbq smoke and lasting mouth-coating honey sweetness.

“This is a landmark release for the distillery, the oldest global bottling we have done to date at 16 years of age. I look forward to Kilchoman fans around the world tasting this outstanding whisky and experience the evolving character of our single malt.”

ANTHONY WILLS, KILCHOMAN FOUNDER

A Bottle From Cask No.1 sells for £15,000 in auction

We are delighted to have taken part in the Distillers One of One Auction for the second time. Our bottle, “Cask No.1”, from the first cask the distillery ever filled, offered a unique opportunity to own a remarkable piece of Kilchoman history and sold for a total of £15,000. Hammer proceeds of 1.8 million from yesterday’s auction will primarily benefit …

PX Sherry Cask Matured Release

We first released a PX influenced bottling in 2021, a combination of full maturation and finished casks, the latest edition is exclusively made up of full maturation casks. Our PX Sherry Cask Matured limited edition has been matured for a minimum of five years in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks previously used by Bodega José y Miguel Martin, Jerez, Spain. …

It’s that time of year again at Kilchoman and we have a special pre-Christmas treat for you!

This year Anthony and Robin have selected casks 1110 and 1101 of 2016. The whisky in these casks was initially matured in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished for 14 months in our rarely used Blanc de Blancs wine casks.

The 2023 Club Release is exclusively available to Club Members (that’s you, if you are receiving this email) on Wednesday 6th December at 12 noon, Islay time, priced at £70.75 per bottle excluding VAT (£84.90 inc. UK VAT), 70cl, 54.1% abv, limited to one per person.

Blanc de Blancs is the name given to sparkling wines from a world-famous winemaking region of France produced entirely from white grapes, most commonly Chardonnay. These wines are known for their minerality and freshness, matching perfectly with the citrus sweetness and maritime peat smoke that characterises Kilchoman.

"The Blanc de Blancs casks have added layers of lemon tart, tropical fruit and aromatic honeysuckle which build on the caramel and vanilla influence of the bourbon barrels and pair beautifully with the natural salty sweetness and peat smoke of the Kilchoman spirit. It’s a shame we didn’t fill more Blanc de Blancs."

Christmas Tasting Pack

£22.90 (ex VAT)

Join us live on Facebook and Youtube for our ‘Live Christmas Tasting’ on Thursday 28th December at 6pm Islay time. Taste along with your Kilchoman Tasting Glass as Anthony and James talk you through a range of our whiskies, explaining how we make each whisky and what unique character and flavours can be found in each dram.

The Kilchoman 16 Years Old

This is a proud moment for all at the distillery as we release our oldest global bottling to date. A combination of 21 casks have been maturing for over 16 years, predominantly ex-bourbon barrels with a hint of ex-oloroso sherry, creating a perfectly balanced single malt. With a marriage of both ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, this release showcases how …

Batch Strength – Core Range Launch

MARCH 25, 2024

Announcing the arrival of BATCH STRENGTH, the latest addition to our core range.

Matured in a combination of re-charred red wine casks, oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels, a few drops of water were added post maturation to produce a Batch Strength of 57% vol. The result is a colossal dram combining the natural peat smoke and citrus character of Kilchoman with dark fruits, rich spices and salted caramel sweetness.

Anyone who has tasted a cask strength Kilchoman, be it a Single Cask or Machir Bay Cask Strength, will know how the Kilchoman spirit shines at a high volume.

“At 57% vol., Batch Strength is a giant of a dram, it has a raw intensity, that I love. But importantly, that power is balanced by a delicacy and finesse that speaks for the quality of our production processes in the stillhouse and also the quality of casks used for maturation,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.

Batch Strength possesses all the character that typifies a classic Kilchoman; fresh, vibrant peat smoke, citrus sweetness and a balance of fruit and spices. However, with the influence of re-charred red wine casks, there is an abundance of red fruits and caramel, and at 57% vol. rather than the standard 46%, it has a weight and power that makes you stand up and take notice.

It is now available on our online whisky shop and from stockists around the world from this week.

To celebrate the launch of Batch Strength, we’re embarking on our biggest tour ever – visiting 20 countries over 10 weeks, starting in Switzerland on March 26th, finishing back on Islay for our Fèis Ìle day on May 30th.

Loch Gorm 2024

APRIL 22, 2024

The much-anticipated annual launch of Loch Gorm is finally here! Named after the famously dark, peaty loch overlooked by the distillery, our annual Loch Gorm limited edition is our only regular expression matured entirely in oloroso sherry casks.

The 2024 edition was distilled in 2014 and matured in oloroso sherry butts previously used by Bodega José y Miguel Martín. The majority of fresh casks in the vatting allow for layers of oloroso influence to be imparted from the sherry soaked oak.

“Loch Gorm has often been our most sought after limited edition and I don’t see that changing in 2024. Distilled in 2014, these sherry butts have given this year’s release an abundance of rich spices and toffee notes. A great example of peat and sherry working in harmony together,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.

Loch Gorm 2024 will be available from your local stockists in the UK and across the world from this week. For those of you who live in countries further away, bottles may take a few more weeks to find themselves on shelves.

Anthony & Kathy travelled to Jerez to meet our sherry cask supplier, Jose y Miguel Martín. Click here to read more.

A Trip to Spain: Visiting Our Sherry Cask Supplier

MARCH 14, 2023

Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder & Master Distiller, has always placed great importance on sourcing casks of the highest quality. This is precisely what he obtains from José y Miguel Martín, whose sherry casks are always of exceptional quality.

In February 2023, Kathy and Anthony went on a trip to Spain to visit Miguel Martín, our sherry cask supplier since the distillery was founded in 2005. Over the years, a great working relationship has flourished, and Miguel Martín consistently provides sherry casks of outstanding quality. During the visit Kathy and Anthony had the opportunity to spend some time on-site with Miguel and meet some of the individuals involved in the family business, from the team crafting the casks in the cooperage to the people producing and maturing the sherry wines in the bodegas.

The visit provided a glimpse of the passion and enthusiasm that the José y Miguel Martín team have for creating the highest quality casks. From sourcing the best American and European oak to the meticulous process of constructing the highest quality casks on-site, to exploring and learning more about the production of different sherry wines, the trip was very successful and enjoyable for Kathy & Anthony and only deepened their appreciation for what Miguel and his team do. And of course, tasting the different sherries along the way was definitely a highlight. Anthony now has his eye on some other sherry cask types to experiment with at Kilchoman!

Family Business

Anthony and Kathy Wills founded Kilchoman in 2005. As the business grew, their three sons, George, James and Peter, came on board. Kilchoman has remained an independently owned and family run business, which is fairly unique in the whisky industry.

Anthony is delighted to be able to source his sherry casks from José y Miguel Martín, which is also a family run business. It was a privilege and a pleasure to spend time with Miguel, who is the second generation in his family business, as well as other family members including his nephews.

“I always enjoy working with family run businesses. The passion, commitment and work ethic is something you don’t always see at large multinational companies. Miguel has a vision for his business which is similar to mine. Always produce quality products and be one step ahead of the competition”,

Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder

The Cooperage

At Kilchoman we buy our casks directly from source whenever possible to ensure the casks are of a consistently high quality. Being able to take a step further back and learn more about the oak being sourced and the process of how the casks are made was fascinating. Seeing the coopers at work and learning more about the traditional craft, leaves you with a deep appreciation of their expertise and again highlighted that the sherry casks we obtain are crafted with exceptional quality at the forefront.

Traceability is something we often talk about, particularly with our 100% Islay releases which are produced from barley grown on our own farm. It is also something that is being further developed by Jose y Miguel Martín, with the aim of developing a system to enable them to trace the oak back to the location of the forest, identify which cooper crafted each individual cask and the maturation details of the sherry in each cask.

Oloroso Sherry Casks – Loch Gorm

Our Loch Gorm release is exclusively matured in oloroso sherry casks from José y Miguel Martín. These American oak butts are shipped fully intact from their bodegas in Jerez all the way to Islay. By not breaking the casks down for transportation, it ensures that casks arrive at the distillery in the best possible condition ready for us to fill.

The 2024 edition of Loch Gorm was distilled in 2014 and matured in oloroso sherry butts. We use butts for Loch Gorm with the aim of maturing over a longer period of time to give us the balance and depth between the distillery character with the sherry flavours from the casks. This year’s release has an abundance of rich spices and toffee notes.

Farming Update: 2024 Barley Varieties

MAY 6, 2024

Things are picking up on Rockside farm at the distillery with spring well underway. We have ploughed all our fields with the aim of sowing 170 acres with the barley being kept exclusively for future releases of our 100% Islay range. Spring is also a very important time of the year for our herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle and our sheep. With a lot of early mornings and late nights ahead of us to ensure everything runs smoothly.

This year we have opted for two tried and tested barley varieties, LG Diablo and Laureate. We have grown Laureate on the farm for several years, with it being the highest yielding variety of spring barley available to us in Scotland. It is readily used in the country for malting and brewing and continues to be one of the top performers. LG Diablo is a newer variety to us with the first crop grown on the farm in 2020 and was approved for use in malting in 2019. Having used it for a few years now we are very happy with how it performs throughout production, and we are hoping for another successful crop from them both this year.

In terms of flavour, we do notice a difference during our production process. If the barley quality dips, the production team will find it more difficult to work with during key stages like malting, mashing and distillation. So, it really is a big risk trialling more experimental varieties. Anthony has also noticed differences in the flavour of the new make spirt depending on the barley variety used. Laureate gives the spirit more notes of cereal and a malted characteristic compared to LG Diablo. All that being said, we are still at the hands of mother nature, and are all holding our breath these next few months for a good summer of weather – something that is a rarity on Islay!

We have not only been busy preparing our fields for our barley but we have also been very busy with the livestock side of the farm. Springtime is always a hectic time on any farm and here at Rockside it is no exception. Jim, our farmer, is about to begin the hard work of lambing and calving. We have 24 cows calving with the first one having been born already on the 6th of March! In addition, we have over 500 sheep lambing from early April, so we are making sure they have all their correct dozes and medicines to ensure they are fit and healthy and ready to be mothers. Even though the distillery is always busy producing whisky, this time of year is a particularly stressful time on the farm. We are very proud to still be running the farm at Kilchoman as it was there long before the distillery and we want to continue the original farming heritage of Rockside.

Farming is not a 9-5 job, it is a way of life and we are working hard to make sure our sheep have lambs, our cows have calves, and obviously, our barley grows!

Sauternes Cask Matured 2024 has arrived!

MAY 20, 2024

The Sauternes Cask Matured has now arrived! The Sauternes Cask Matured limited edition has spent its full maturation in ex-sauternes wine casks. Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder, selected a combination of fresh and refill Sauternes barriques from two separate years, the youngest being from 2018, creating an extraordinary balance of buttery sweetness, barbecued pineapple, candied ginger and floral peat smoke.

Sauternes maturation is a challenge, particularly full-term maturation, that’s why it is so rare. Our first release of sauternes cask matured Kilchoman, in 2016, was matured entirely in fresh (first fill) sauternes casks for five years. The second edition, released in 2018, was finished for five months in sauternes casks.

This time Anthony decided on a vatting of 22% fresh and 78% refill casks from two distillation years. This roughly 3:1 ratio of fresh and refill casks creates the perfect balance of sauternes influence and Kilchoman character. Most of the refill casks selected were previously used for the 2018 sauternes finish release. Using sauternes casks for finishing is the ideal preparation for full maturation, the shorter finishing period extracts the most intense sauternes influence, creating casks that develop plenty of sauternes character without losing structure or balance.

“After a six-year absence, the Sauternes Cask Matured Kilchoman is back! The previous edition was a Sauternes finish, now it’s time for a return to the full power that complete maturation in these wine casks brings. Waves of sweet fruits and butterscotch balanced with our Islay peat smoke, a delicious dram,”

Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.

The Sauternes Cask Matured (70cl, 50% vol.) will be available from your local stockists in the UK and across the world from this week. For those of you who live in countries further away, bottles may take a few more weeks to find themselves on shelves

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100% Islay 14th Edition

September 2, 2024

The 100% Islay 14th Edition was distilled from our 2013 and 2014 barley harvests before being matured in selected bourbon and oloroso sherry casks for a minimum of 9 years.

This year, Anthony Wills, Kilchoman founder, has decided on a cask ratio of Bourbon 9:1 Oloroso Sherry. The combination of bourbon and sherry cask maturation has created layers of vanilla, butterscotch, and rich fruity character that balance beautifully with the natural citrus sweetness and floral peat smoke of our 100% Islay spirit.

“Our 100% Islay releases are the culmination of efforts made at each stage of the process, from sowing the barley back in 2013 and 2014, through harvesting, malting, distilling and maturation, all done on-site here at Kilchoman. This year we selected a combination of bourbon and sherry cask maturation. In my eyes, the contrasting influences create a lovely balance of richness and light floral character,”

Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.

Our Distillery is situated on Rockside Farm which covers around 3,000 acres on the north-west coast of Islay. The parish of Kilchoman is home to some of Islay’s most fertile ground. It is here, in the fields surrounding the distillery, where we can grow up to 440 tonnes of barley each year for our annual 100% Islay range.

Sown each spring, once Islay’s 50,000 geese have migrated, our farm team care for the barley over the summer months before harvesting in early September. Harvest time represents the start of the whisky-making process which sees our Kilchoman grown barley malted, distilled, matured and bottled here at the distillery, eventually becoming Islay’s only Single Farm Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

The 100% Islay 14th Edition (70cl, 50% vol.) will be available from your local stockists in the UK and across the world from this week. For those of you who live in countries further away, bottles may take a few more weeks to find themselves on shelves.

Behind The Scenes: Exploring The Landscape That Shapes Kilchoman Whisky

July 3, 2024

Famous all over the world for its whisky, but it’s beauty, people and wildlife are what keeps people coming back year on year. Known as “The Queen of the Hebrides”, she lives up to her title every day. From the dark, stormy & quiet winters to the bright, vibrant summer months – both equally as picturesque. There really is no place in the world quite like it, and Kilchoman is lucky to be one of the 10 distilleries currently producing whisky on this beautiful Island we call home.

Before we go any further, let’s talk pronunciation. There have been many versions over the years – “EYE-LAY”, “IS-LAY”. Neither are correct. It is pronounced “EYE-LAH” (you will earn serious brownie points with the locals if you say it right!).

Another is location. A lot of people think of the Scottish islands and assume they are all very far north, but Islay is actually the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. Only 23 miles across the water to Northern Ireland. It measures 240 miles squared with a population of roughly 3,500 people – with that doubling during the peak summer season. This makes it the 5th largest island in Scotland by size and 7th largest by population.

Despite being relatively small compared to the rest of the world, we produce almost 22 million litres of spirit between 10 distilleries. To complete such a task, it does mean most of Islay’s residents work in the whisky industry. If they are not directly employed by a distillery, they have been contracted to do work at the distillery, grow barley, work in a hotel for the tourists who visit, they have a small business that is supported by the visitors. I have always admired the work ethic of locals and how we bind together as a community to contribute towards not only the success of the whisky but of island as a whole.

The natural variation in Islay’s geology means it supports a range of environments from dark peat bogs and heather moorlands to luscious woodland and picturesque grasslands. The Rhinns of Islay (the area of land on Islay the distillery is situated) is made up of a rock formation dated from 3 billion years ago, helping to form Islay’s rich history with the earliest known settlers dating back to 10,800BC – one of the earliest recorded in Scotland.

Due to the islands varied geology, ecosystems and geographical affects, it allows the island to give us an extremely diverse array of flora and fauna. It is particularly famous for its birdlife with more than 200 species including everything from golden eagles, choughs, geese & corncrakes.

Despite birds being so populus, visiting Islay you may also see red deer, otters, highland cows and even the occasional snake…. if you are less lucky. Look out into the waters around the island and you could see, minke whales, seals, killer whales, basking sharks and bottle-nosed dolphins.

Rockside Farm is on the northwest of the island, about 2 miles away from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean – meaning next stop Nova Scotia! This does test us when it comes to growing barley as despite the ground being very fertile, the harsh winds from the Atlantic cover the land in a layer of salt, which can really prove difficult when trying to maximise our yields.

With that being said, when it comes to cutting peat, we love the salt filled Atlantic winds. Islay is famous for a specific type of peat smoke – oily, iodine, heavy maritime peat smoke. We cut our peat about 3 miles from the distillery so that distinct Islay character is always prominent in Kilchoman and marries beautifully with our light, floral, citrus new make spirit, making it integral to the style of whisky we aim to create.

There is no doubt that it is the whisky that brings most people to Islay, but it’s beautiful scenery with windswept beaches, rugged moorlands and beautiful coastlines are also truly encapsulating. The vast span of rare wildlife on your doorstep. The friendly people with their chatty personalities and iconic ‘Islay wave’, the sense of community and an atmosphere that is indescribable. It truly is the most unique place in the world.