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Kilchoman distillery

Coordinates: 55°47′13″N 6°25′51″W / 55.78694°N 6.43083°W / 55.78694; -6.43083
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Kilchoman distillery
Region: Islay
LocationIslay
OwnerAnthony Wills
Founded2005
StatusOperational
Water sourceSmall dam close to distillery
No. of stills2 wash stills
2 spirit stills
Capacity221,000 L (49,000 imp gal)
Kilchoman
Age(s)3 Years
5 Years
8 Years
10 Years
11 Years

Kilchoman distillery (pronounced Kil-ho-man)[1] is a distillery that produces single malt Scotch whisky on Islay, an island of the Inner Hebrides. Kilchoman Distillery is in the northwest of the island, close to Machir Bay. Kilchoman was founded by Anthony Wills and remains an independent, family run distillery.[2][3][4] It is the smallest on the island but since obtaining Rockside Farm in 2015, is in the process of expanding.[5][6][7]

History

[edit]
First cask of Kilchoman single malt whisky

The distillery began production in December 2005,[8][9][10][11] and was the first to be built on Islay since 1908.[12] The distillery uses barley grown on site at Rockside Farm and malted at the distillery, as well as malt from the Port Ellen maltings and releases separate bottlings depending on the source of the grain.[6][12] It is one of six Scottish distilleries still working with traditional floor-maltings, and is unique in completing all parts of the whisky making process – growing barley, malting, distilling, maturing and bottling – on Islay.

Kilchoman Loch Gorm, 46%

The distillery first filled casks on 14 December 2005 and the distillery began bottling 3-year-old single malt in September 2009.[6] The first Kilchoman, the "Inaugural release" was released in 2009 and the first 100% Islay whisky released in 2011.

The whisky produced by the Port Ellen maltings are peated to the same levels as Ardbeg 50 ppm, while the malt peated on their own floor maltings will be approximately 20 ppm.[13] Since 2023, Kilchoman has been sourcing bourbon casks from Breckenridge Distillery in Colorado. The new supplier has replaced Buffalo Trace, from where Kilchoman has sourced bourbon barrels since 2005.[14][15] In 2023, the distillery came second in a ranking by Cask Connoisseur of the most popular whisky distilleries.[16]

Bottlings

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Kilchoman releases several bottlings.[17]

  • Machir Bay, 46% ABV[18]
  • Loch Gorm, 46% ABV, launched in 2013.[19] The latest bottling from the series was released in 2024.[20]
  • Sanaig, 46% ABV, originally released for the French market – launched worldwide in 2016[21][22]
  • 100% Islay, 50% ABV – this is the grain-to-glass offering from Kilchoman[12]
  • Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured 2023 - Full Sherry cask maturation limited to 23000 bottles[23]
  • Kilchoman 16 Years - Matured in bourbon and oloroso sherry, the distillery's oldest whisky to date[24]

References

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  1. ^ "Top 10 mispronounced Scotch brands". 10 September 2015.
  2. ^ Tsang, Amie (17 October 2019). "A Scotch Maker's Challenge: First Brexit. Now Tariffs. (Published 2019)". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "Scotch on the rocks as trade tariffs threaten US exports". Financial Times. 18 October 2019. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  4. ^ Reid, Scott (6 October 2020). "'Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to buy into Scotland's most northerly mainland distillery". scotsman.com. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  5. ^ Morrice, Philip (1983). The Schweppes Guide To Scotch. Sherborne, Dorset, England: Alphabooks. pp. 340–342. ISBN 0-906670-29-2.
  6. ^ a b c "Kilchoman Distillery". Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  7. ^ "Abhainn Dearg Distillery | Isle of Lewis".
  8. ^ Murray, Jim (11 December 2020). Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2020. Dram Good Books Ltd. p. 104. ISBN 9781838320713.
  9. ^ Moyle, Nick (23 January 2020). "The Esquire Guide To Scotch Single-Malt Whiskies". Esquire.
  10. ^ "Exploring Islay's farm-based Kilchoman Distillery". scotsman.com. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  11. ^ Briggs, Fiona. "Independent distillery, Kilchoman, releases its oldest whisky to date – 2007 vintage". Retail Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  12. ^ a b c Smith, Gavin D.; Roskrow, Dominic; De Kergommeaux, Davin (2012). Whisky Opus, The Definitive 21st-Century Reference to the World's Greatest Distilleries and Their Whiskies. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 144. ISBN 9781409375807.
  13. ^ "Distillery in Focus: Kilchoman". whisky-news.com.
  14. ^ "New Bourbon Cask Supplier - Breckenridge Distillery, Colorado". Kilchoman Distillery. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Kilchoman: Breckenridge Distillery ist neuer Lieferant für Bourbonfässer und löst Buffalo Trace ab • CaptainScotch.de". CaptainScotch.de (in German). 2 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  16. ^ "Erhebung: Das sind die 10 beliebtesten Whisky-Brennereien in Schottland, England, Wales und Irland • CaptainScotch.de". CaptainScotch.de (in German). 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  17. ^ MacLean, Charles (2012). Whiskypedia. Edinburgh: Birlinn. ISBN 9780857900692.
  18. ^ Micallef, Joseph V. "Holiday Gift Guide 2020: The Top Peated Scotch Whiskies". Forbes.
  19. ^ Erskine, Rosalind (22 June 2020). "11 of the most exciting new whiskies released so far this year - and where to buy them". Scotsman Food and Drink.
  20. ^ "Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2024 ab demnächst erhältlich • CaptainScotch.de". CaptainScotch.de (in German). 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  21. ^ "A week in whisky: Islay, islands and Ireland". 21 August 2020.
  22. ^ Hale, Alex (17 January 2020). "5 great whiskies for Burns Night". Good Housekeeping.
  23. ^ "Kilchoman stellt limitierten Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured 2023 vor • CaptainScotch.de". CaptainScotch.de (in German). 23 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  24. ^ "Kilchoman 16 Years Old - Bislang ältester Whisky der Brennerei veröffentlicht • CaptainScotch.de". CaptainScotch.de (in German). 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
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55°47′13″N 6°25′51″W / 55.78694°N 6.43083°W / 55.78694; -6.43083

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