Kilchoman distillery – Wikipedia

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Scotch whisky distillery on Islay, Scotland

Kilchoman distillery
Location Islay
Owner Anthony Wills
Founded 2005
Status Operational
Water source Small dam close to distillery
No. of stills 2 wash stills
2 spirit stills
Capacity 221,000 L (49,000 imp gal)
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.

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]

Bottlings[edit]

Kilchoman releases several bottlings.[14]

  • Machir Bay, 46% ABV[15]
  • Loch Gorm, 46% ABV, launched in 2013.[16]The latest bottling from the series was release in 2023.[17]
  • Sanaig, 46% ABV, originally released for the French market – launched worldwide in 2016[18][19]
  • 100% Islay, 50% ABV – this is the grain-to-glass offering from Kilchoman[12]

References[edit]

  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.
  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. ^ MacLean, Charles (2012). Whiskypedia. Edinburgh: Birlinn. ISBN 9780857900692.
  15. ^ Micallef, Joseph V. “Holiday Gift Guide 2020: The Top Peated Scotch Whiskies”. Forbes.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ “Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2023 Edition veröffentlicht”. CaptainScotch.de. 21 March 2023.
  18. ^ “A week in whisky: Islay, islands and Ireland”. 21 August 2020.
  19. ^ Hale, Alex (17 January 2020). “5 great whiskies for Burns Night”. Good Housekeeping.

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 55°47′13″N 6°25′51″W / 55.78694°N 6.43083°W / 55.78694; -6.43083