Unique Barley Season = Unique Spirit Ahead
Our 2025 growing season began in The Long Field on 17 February, with ploughing completed across all fields by 21 April. By the end of April, all 140 acres had been ploughed and sown, marking a strong start to the year.
In previous seasons, we’ve planted more than one variety of barley. But this year, we returned exclusively to Laureate, a variety that served us well in 2017 and 2018.
Weather Challenges Shape the Crop
As the crop began to establish, nature, as always, had its say.
· A dry spring helped with early growth
· A wet June followed
· Then another prolonged dry spell and a persistent easterly wind
Unfortunately, the July–August dryness caused the barley to ripen without the moisture needed to increase grain size. This accelerated maturity meant an early harvest, starting 18 August, around two weeks ahead of normal. The timing proved fortunate, as heavy late-August rains paused combining across the island for nearly a month.
The Final Tally
Despite lower yields, the harvest brought its own success story:
· 214 tonnes of Laureate barley harvested
· Enough to produce approximately 65,000 LOA (or 520 barrels)
· Average yield of 1.5 tonnes per acre, compared with 2 tonnes per acre in 2024
The reduced yield was largely due to smaller grain size, one of the more visible impacts of the season’s unpredictable weather.
Barley with a Story to Tell
2025 will be remembered as a challenging yet distinctive barley-growing year — one that promises to influence the character of the spirit it becomes. Malting and distilling of this harvest will begin in early 2026, and we expect the resulting flavour profile to be every bit as unique as the season itself.
We know many will be watching eagerly — and waiting impatiently — to enjoy the story this barley will tell in the glass.
From Friday, 31st of October, the Kilchoman Visitor Centre & Café will be open Sunday to Thursday from 10:00 – 16:00. Closed on Fridays & Saturdays.
The Café is open from 10:00 – 15:30 for teas, coffees, and home baking. Lunch is served from 12:00 to 14:30; booking is advisable for lunch.
Our winter tour is now available to book through the website and is £25pp. The tour allows an indpeth look into our traditional malting floor, kiln, stillhouse and one of our dunnage style warehouses and includes 3 drams to enjoy along the way.
If you have any enquiries please contact the visitor centre:
📞: 01496 850 011
📧: tours@kilchomandistillery.com
The 100% Islay Sherry Cask Matured 11 Years Old, was distilled from our 2011, 2012 and 2013 barley harvests, and matured for a minimum of 11 years in ex-oloroso sherry butts. This limited edition is available now (depending on where you’re reading this), launching in the UK and Europe from this week but taking a little longer to reach places further afield.
“I’ve had my eye on these casks for a while, waiting for the perfect time to bottle them,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.
Bottled at 50% abv. with no added colour or chill-filtration, this release combines 16 individually selected first-fill oloroso sherry butts originally used by José y Miguel Martín, Jerez, Spain.
This release differs significantly from the recent 100% Islay 15th Edition, which was matured exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels for nine years. Ex-sherry casks impart remarkable depth, with pronounced notes of dark fruits, spice, and smoked meat, in contrast to the lighter citrus-driven profile more typical of our previous 100% Islay expressions.
At Kilchoman, we produce two distinct styles of spirit. Our 100% Islay whiskies are crafted exclusively from barley grown and malted on the farm at the distillery, while Machir Bay, Sanaig, and the rest of our range are produced from commercially malted barley.
Growing barley on Islay is no easy task. Relentless weather and ever-present wildlife place constant pressure on the crop. Those grains that do endure are often smaller, with a higher ratio of husk to flour, contributing to a richer oiliness and a more textured palate in the resulting whisky.
Beyond the place of growth and malting, there is also a difference in peat levels. Our 100% Islay barley is peated to 20ppm, whereas Machir Bay, Sanaig, and other core expressions are peated to 50ppm. This lighter touch of smoke allows the subtle character of the barley to shine through, a nuance often overshadowed by the bold peat influence of more heavily peated whiskies.
The 100% Islay Sherry Cask Matured 11 Years Old (70cl, 50% abv) will be available in the UK and Europe from this week. For those further from Islay, it’s on the way.
For more information, please email admin@kilchomandistillery.com
As we complete our 2025 barley harvest, we’re delighted to release the 15th Edition of our 100% Islay range. This year’s 9 year old release is a vatting of 54 ex-bourbon barrels distilled from our 2014 and 2015 Concerto and Publican barley harvests.
Now available from our online shop.
Islay-grown barley and a slightly lower peating level create a more viscous palate, with elevated citrus and malty notes compared to Machir Bay and Sanaig. Bottled at 50% abv, it also carries a little more intensity.
From barley field to bottle, the 100% Islay range tells the story of our land and our people. Islay’s only single farm, single malt. Born from barley sown in our own fields, malted and distilled by hand. Matured in our warehouses and bottled at the distillery, it never leaves Islay until it’s ready to be shared.
“Fresh vanilla gives way to tropical fruit, toasted oak, and salted butter, with layers of candied citrus fruits, ripe pear, white pepper and waves of peat smoke,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.
The 100% Islay 15th Edition will be available in the UK and across Europe from this week. For those of you further from Islay, it’s on the way, please contact your local stockist to make sure they have a bottle for you.
For any further information, please contact admin@kilchomandistillery.com
To mark our 20th Anniversary, we unveiled a special 20th Anniversary Cask Series earlier this spring. The series comprised of four releases, each a vatting of five specially selected casks: two 14 years olds, a 15 year old and an 18 year old.
Now, in the run-up to a historic milestone – the 20th anniversary of filling our first cask on 14th December – we have launched a prize draw, offering whisky lovers the once-in-a-lifetime chance to win the very first bottle of 20 Year Old Kilchoman, drawn directly from Cask No.1.
“As we considered how to mark this milestone, it became clear that selling a bottle from cask No.1 would put it out of reach for many people who have supported Kilchoman from the beginning. Instead, we decided to offer a bottle as part of a prize draw. While only one person will ultimately win, it gives everyone an equal chance, not just collectors or investors with the deep pockets, and hopefully, the winner will open and enjoy it as it was meant to be,” Anthony Wills Kilchoman Founder & Managing Director.
The bottle’s casing pays homage to the craft of traditional whisky making. Every material has been carefully selected to create both a tactile and visual experience for the owner. The lid, composed of layered textures, symbolises the distillery’s organic growth over the years. The box was crafted using five different production techniques, with paper sourced from another family company, G.F Smith.
Engraved on Islay, the glass bottle sits inside, depicting the distillery skyline. The owner will also find a hand-written note inside from our founder Anthony Wills.
This cask holds particular significance to Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder and Managing Director. He was there to fill this cask and through the mainly ups and downs that came after it, “It has been a journey, not always smooth, but immensely fulfilling.”
Click here for more information and to enter the prize draw to win the first and only bottle of Kilchoman 20 Year Old.
Award Season 2025 is well underway and our whiskies have been bringing home an impressive array of medals.
International Spirits Challenge 2025
The season began with the International Spirits Challenge 2025, where all four of our entries, Machir Bay, Sanaig, Batch Strength, and the 2025 edition of Loch Gorm, were each awarded Gold.
ADI 2025 International Spirits Competition
Next up, at the ADI 2025 International Spirits Competition, our core range once again received top honours:
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Batch Strength – Double Gold, Best of Class & Category
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Machir Bay – Double Gold
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Sanaig – Gold
The Spirits Business 2025 Awards
Most recently, at the Spirits Business 2025 Awards, Batch Strength achieved the highest accolade, the Master Award, while Machir Bay and Sanaig added yet another Gold to their collections.
Batch Strength
The newest addition to our core range, Batch Strength was released in 2024 and has already made its mark. Crafted to deliver a higher ABV than Machir Bay and Sanaig, it amplifies the depth and intensity of Kilchoman’s signature style. Matured in bourbon barrels and oloroso sherry casks, with 20% re-charred Portuguese red wine casks, it offers a bold, distinctive character of sweet dark fruits, rich spices, and salted caramel, bottled at 57% ABV for a colossal dram.
Machir Bay
Our signature whisky since 2012, Machir Bay takes its name from the beautiful beach just a short walk from the distillery. Made from 50ppm malted barley and matured in a mix of 90% bourbon barrels and 10% oloroso sherry casks, it balances bright citrus sweetness with classic Islay peat smoke.
Sanaig
Named after an inlet on Islay’s rugged Atlantic coast, Sanaig is a vatting of both sherry and bourbon casks. With a 70% oloroso sherry and 30% bourbon barrel vatting, it delivers a deeper profile of dried fruits and spices while retaining Kilchoman’s signature citrus and peat smoke character.
Thank You
These awards wouldn’t be possible without our loyal Kilchoman fans, thank you for your continued support.
Want to find your nearest retailer?
Our award-winning whiskies are available in shops and bars worldwide. Contact us at admin@kilchomandistillery.com and we’ll be happy to help you discover where to enjoy Kilchoman near you.
This year marks a major milestone for Kilchoman: 20 years since we fired up the stills on our farm distillery in the west of Islay, becoming the first new distillery to be built on the island in over 120 years. Two decades later, we remain proudly independent, family run, and committed to doing things the traditional way, from barley to bottle, right here on Islay.
To celebrate, we are bringing Kilchoman to whisky lovers across Europe with a series of special events.
Join us for our UK edition on Saturday 15th November 2025 at Edinburgh Academy Senior School for an afternoon of Kilchoman whisky tasting hosted by the team behind the distillery. Whether you have followed us since the early days or recently discovered us through your latest dram, this is a chance to be part of the celebration.
What’s in Store:
- A guided tasting through our core range
- A selection of limited editions and archive bottlings
- Pours of our new make spirit
- An opportunity to sample our 20th Anniversary Cask Series
- The Kilchoman team pouring, chatting, and sharing stories throughout the afternoon
- Automatic entry into a raffle draw for the chance to win bottles of Kilchoman whisky
Tickets are priced at £30 and include access to all whiskies on pour. The event runs from 2pm to 5pm and is open to everyone aged 18 and over.
Let’s Raise a Dram Together!
It is not every day you turn 20, and we want to celebrate it properly, with the people who made it possible. Secure your place now:
This is just one of several Kilchoman Day events happening across Europe this autumn. Keep an eye out for announcements coming soon.
Planning a trip to Kilchoman this summer and would like to know what to expect? Whether you’re a seasoned Islay visitor or this is your first time, Kilchoman offers experiences catered for all interests, from stunning landscapes, a bite to eat or seeing the traditional methods we instil in producing our range of single malt. Here is everything you need to know.
Distillery Tours & Tastings
We offer a range of tours and tastings to suit everyone –
· Classic Tour: Led by one of our knowledgeable guides you will be taken on a one-hour tour throughout production, from our traditional malt floor to our dunnage warehouses. Includes two samples of our popular core whiskies.
· Limited Edition Tour & Tasting: For a more in-depth experience, this two-hour tour gets into the heart of the whisky making process, and includes a sit-down tutored tasting featuring four of our limited edition expressions.
· Roving Tasting: A sensory journey through the distillery highlighting the unique sights, sounds and smell that make Kilchoman one of a kind. Topped off with dram of one of our many whiskies as you explore thevarious areas of the distillery.
Whisky Bar, Shop & Café
The tasting bar is open from 10:00 AM to 4:45 PM, offering samples of Kilchoman’s full range, from our well-loved core-range releases, limited editions, distillery exclusives as well as some archive stock. One of our guides will be happy to answer any questions and talk you through our expressions. No booking is required, just come in and enjoy a dram!
Our shop offers all of our current releases, branded goods as well as some local crafted gifts to purchase to help make your trip to Kilchoman memorable.
The on-site café is open from 9:45 AM to 4:30 PM serving barista style coffee and fresh homemade baking. We also serve lunches from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM to give you the opportunity to try our infamous Cullen Skink!
All bookings for tours can be made through our website. If you would like further information or to book a table for lunch in our café – advisable to avoid disappointment, then please call the distillery on 01496 850 011 (option 1)
Whether you’re a whisky connoisseur or simply seeking a unique experience, Kilchoman offers a memorable day out. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore Islay’s only Farm Distillery.
Kilchoman Fèis Day 2025 is now less than two weeks away. Save the date – Thursday 29th May. Click here for more details on what’s happening throughout the day both at the distillery on virtually online.
Our 2025 Fèis Ìle Release
One of Anthony’s annual highlights is selecting something special for our exclusive Fèis Ìle release. This year, he has chosen two refill Madeira hogsheads, distilled in 2015 and bottled at natural cask strength.
This single farm, single malt whisky was produced using barley grown and malted at Kilchoman, and lightly peated to 20ppm.
“As usual, our Fèis Ìle release is only available to those who make the journey over to Islay, sold exclusively through the distillery shop. While searching for something a bit unusual to bottle, I came across several Madeira hogsheads that were filled with our 100% Islay spirit back in 2015.
We very rarely mature our 100% Islay spirit for its full maturation in anything other than ex-bourbon or sherry casks, so I was thrilled to find these unusual casks coming along so well. The lighter peating level allows for the bold Madeira notes to come through into the whisky,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.
Fèis Ìle Online
If you can’t make it to Islay, don’t worry – we’ll be bringing a bit of the Fèis atmosphere to you virtually through our online content. We will also be sharing various footage from the distillery throughout the day.
Win a Fèis 2025 Bottle!
We’re giving our social media followers a chance to win a Fèis 2025 bottle! To enter, simply ‘LIKE’ our Facebook page or ‘FOLLOW’ us on Instagram. If you’re already following us, you’re automatically entered into the draw. On Friday 30th May, we’ll randomly select one lucky winner from Facebook and one from Instagram to each receive a bottle of this exclusive release. Good luck!
20 casks to celebrate 20 years of Kilchoman. Casks that epitomise the unique flavour profile of Kilchoman and characterise two decades of commitment to craft.
Selected by Kilchoman Founder Anthony Wills, these casks are a testament to him and his team’s skill, dedication, and perseverance.
There are four releases in the series, each a vatting of five specially selected casks, highlighting the two distinct sides of Kilchoman’s unique character: ex-bourbon and ex-sherry maturation. The ex-bourbon releases are defined by salty peat smoke and bright citrus sweetness. In contrast, the darker-hued ex-sherry releases offer a richer profile, with notes of dried fruits, BBQ smoke, and mixed spices.
“It has been a journey, not always smooth, but immensely fulfilling.” – Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder
The 20th Anniversary Cask Series will be available in the UK and Europe from this week, priced between £120 and £190. For those further away, they are on the way, so please contact your local stockist to make sure they have a bottle for you.
