In celebration of 15 years since Kilchoman Distillery was established on Islay, we are auctioning 15 individual casks of Kilchoman! It will be a rare chance to own a private cask of Kilchoman with only a small number of casks being offered in the first years of production. Since then we have greedily kept hold of almost every cask for our own bottlings as we soon realised there was not enough to share around.
These 15 casks will be auctioned in batches of 5 casks until the end of 2020, the first of these 5 casks were auctioned in June and the next 5 casks will open for bidding at 13:00 on Thursday 24th September. This time around it’s all about Single Farm Single Malt! All 5 casks in the second batch of the auction will be filled with spirit produced from barley both grown and malted at Kilchoman.
The casks include a Bourbon barrel, Oloroso Sherry hogshead, Pedro Ximénez hogshead, Ruby Port octave and a Calvados hogshead. All the information on the individual casks (volume, spirit type, barley variety, etc) and how to place your bid can be found in the Cask Auction page.
The auction is hosted on the Kilchoman website and you will need to set up an account before registering to bid on the 5 casks. This is separate from your Kilchoman Club account and different login details will be needed here. Once you are all set up and registered you are free to bid away!
The auction for the second batch of 5 casks will end on the 1st October in one hour intervals from 12:00, however if a bid is placed within the last 5 minutes of the auction, an extra 5 minutes will be added. This is to help avoid missing out with any last second bids and any group consulting that is needed.
Happy bidding to you all and good luck!
September 2020 marks the release of our 10th annual edition of our 100% Islay range. The unique Single Farm Single Malt is the only whisky in Scotland to be produced entirely on one farm, from barley to bottle.
We spoke to Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder and Managing Director, to find out more about the latest limited edition release and why it is so special.
What makes the 100% Islay release so special?
What makes the 100% Islay release so special to the distillery is that we do the whole process here on the farm. We grow the barley in the fields surrounding the distillery then we malt, distil, mature and finally bottle it all on site. We are the only distillery producing whisky that does the whole process on site and we’re very proud of that. It is special because we are looking after every process right the way through to you enjoying it when you raise a glass. It is one of the main reasons for starting the distillery, we could have a unique selling point and 100% Islay embraces that completely.
Tell us about this year’s release
We release the 100% Islay on an annual basis and this is the 10th edition. It is older than previous releases at nine years of age. This is the second time we’ve used a bit of oloroso sherry cask maturation in the vatting. In the past most of them have been 100% matured in first fill bourbon casks but we have filled oloroso sherry casks on an annual basis for the 100% Islay and this year you will see the colour is richer and darker and there is a little more weight and body on the palate. I am delighted with it, it has worked really well and it still has all that lovely zesty vibrancy with a little bit of weight from the sherry casks that we’ve used.
Which barley varieties were used in the 2020 release?
The barley varieties used in this edition, the 10th edition, are now printed on the packaging. In this edition we used the varieties Optic & Publican. These were two varieties that were used throughout the industry in those years – 2009, 2008 & 2007. I am a great believer that barley varieties do play a part in the character of the spirit and we’ve done a few experiments here and I’ve been talking about how important and how different the barley varieties can be at the spirit stage. But I think it is important to also realise that once the spirit goes into casks and matures for five, ten, fifteen years, those differences narrow right down. It’s great to talk about it but I think it is difficult to really start arguing that case once you have it in bottle. We’ve done various experiments here over the last few years and we’ve sown different varieties and distilled them separately and will release them separately and it’s all part of our programme of experimentation.
Would you consider a higher PPM or no peating in the 100% Islay release?
The average PPM of our 100% Islay releases tends to be between 15 to 20ppm. We are starting to be able to experiment a little bit more with our peating levels with our 100% Islay barley and that is because of the new still house being completed about 14 months ago. It will allow us to distil completely separately and now the guys are on site five days a week, 24 hours a day, so it therefore allows us to do longer peatings. We’ve already done an unpeated variety. For two months we did an unpeated 100% Islay barley and we look forward to seeing how that performs in a few years time. We’re also going to do longer peating, so maybe 48 hours or more to see what we can do with that and how that will influence the character of the 100% Islay release.
Can you give an overview of your tasting notes?
It is beautifully rich in colour and that is the influence from the sherry casks. It has lovely light, vibrant, citrus notes. And then on the back of the palate the peat and smoke come through but on a very light basis. It doesn’t have the same strength of peat as our other releases and at 50% abv it’s great without water.
How is this year’s harvest going?
The harvest this year has been a bit disrupted by the weather unfortunately. It was all looking great a few weeks ago. We’ve had pretty good weather actually throughout the summer and the barley was ripening really well and we thought we could go to harvest reasonably early, earlier than we normally do. We actually started on Monday the 31st August but we only got four or five hours before the rain came and the weather has been very unsettled ever since. It’s looking a bit better for next week so hopefully we can get back to it because if we can’t then it’s going to be a bit of a struggle to get the barley off in good quality and to get the yields that we are looking for. At the moment the barley grains are looking really ripe and plump but if this rain continues then the quality will dip somewhat.
Have they finally let you drive the combine?
Well I’ve always been asked if I’ve driven the combine and I always tell everyone that I’m going to drive the combine but Andrew manages to keep it quiet when he goes and does the harvest but I’ve said it’s a piece of cake, it’s not as complicated as everyone makes out. It’s just like mowing the lawn, drive it in a straight line, keep within the tram lines and away you go! So hopefully I will get a go at it next week when we get going and that will probably annoy Andrew!
100% Islay, Single Farm Single Malt
Our latest 100% Islay limited edition will be available worldwide from this week. The unique Single Farm Single Malt is the only whisky in Scotland to be produced entirely on one farm, from barley to bottle.
Distilled from Optic and Publican barley varieties grown at Kilchoman in 2007, 2009 and 2010, the barley was then malted onsite and peated using local Islay peat before being distilled, matured and eventually bottled all within the farm distillery’s limits.
This, the 10th annual edition of the range was matured in a combination of 39 bourbon barrels and 2 oloroso sherry butts for a minimum of 9 years. Just 12,400 bottles will be released with each cask personally selected for the release by distillery founder, Anthony Wills.
“Our 100% Islay whiskies are special, they both reflect the traditions of Scotch whisky production and examine the increasing interest in the detail of how single malt is made.
With our 100% Islay range we control every element of the whisky-making process ourselves, from barley variety through to individual casks selected for bottling. It means we are able to adapt our methods and inputs to maximise the character of the whisky in the glass.
The Optic and Publican varieties used for the 10th Edition, paired with a light peat smoking, long fermentation and high spirit cut creates a bright, floral nose of citrus sweetness that gives way to prunes, cinnamon and cooked apples & pears on the palate. The finish brings waves of mildly spiced peat smoke, lasting sweetness and rich sherry notes”
The 100% Islay 10th Edition will retail for £71.94 in the UK (70cl, 50% abv), a limited number of bottles will be available via our website from 2pm on Wednesday 16th, however these will be restricted to one bottle per person.
If you miss out on a bottle when they’re released on our website then don’t worry, bottles will be on shelves around the world soon.
More great news and another gold award! Machir Bay has won a gold award in the ‘2020 Whiskies of the World Awards’.
The ‘Whiskies of the World Awards’ is a worldwide whisky competition produced in conjunction with the International Wine & Spirits Competition, the largest, most prestigious and longest running spirits competition in the world.
Machir Bay is part of our core range and available throughout the world. Named after the stunning beach next to the distillery, Machir Bay is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in approximately 90% bourbon barrels and 10% oloroso sherry. The high proportion of bourbon barrels create a distinct balance of classic Islay character and fresh floral complexity.
For more information about Machir Bay click here
We know Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder & Managing Director, likes to experiment, latest trials include different strains of yeast, planting different barley varieties and particularly playing with various cask types, now he has a new project on the go!
We have recently taken delivery of two ex-red wine oak vats all the way from the Douro Valley in Portugal. Dias is the cooperage that we already buy a number of our experimental casks from and being offered these vats was an opportunity we couldn’t turn down.
Each vat has a capacity of 6,000 bulk litres and they have both now been filled with nineteen first fill bourbon barrels from 2016. The vats have been coopered to our specification which involved shaving, toasting and re-charring the interior. One vat has been lightly toasted while the other has a medium toast. We hope to see subtle differences in the character and colour of the whisky due to the different toasting levels, but only time will tell!
The two experimental vats will now rest in our newest warehouse where Anthony and the team will regularly rummage the spirit and keep an eye (and taste) on how things develop. Anthony predicts that maturation will be slower in the vats due to their size but it will be interesting to see what happens. We will keep you updated!
Join us for another ‘Whisky & Food Pairing Live Tasting’ on Thursday 17th September at 7pm.
Taste along with your Kilchoman Tasting Glass as we take you through our Core Range of whiskies, explaining how we make each whisky and what unique character and flavours can be found in each dram.
You’re welcome to join the live tasting with just the drams, however, you now have the chance to try something different. Over the next few months we will be pairing Kilchoman with a variety of fantastic foods, and where better to look than on our doorstep in Scotland! From highland venison to island cheese and west coast seafood, we’ll be teaming up with some great Scottish producers to complement our whiskies.
For the tasting on the 17th September, we will be pairing a selection of cheeses from Isle of Mull Cheese, a family run business on Sgiob-ruadh Farm. Similarly to whisky making being a long standing tradition within Scotland, so too is cheese making and this tradition is still very much alive on the Isle of Mull. Being a small family run business, Isle of Mull Cheese have complete control over their production enabling them to ensure the highest quality cheese is produced for customers. All of the cheese is made with unpasteurised milk from their hardy, healthy, island cows fed on grass and whisky grains from the Tobermory Distillery.
To find out more about Isle of Mull Cheese and to order your Cheese Tasting Pack click HERE. Isle of Mull Cheese are kindly offering a 10% discount for Kilchoman whisky fans to use on all products available on their online shop. Use the code KILCHOMAN to claim your discount. *(Orders should be placed by 12th September).
The tasting will be broadcast live on Facebook and Youtube at 7pm UK time on Thursday 17th September. We hope you can pour yourself a dram and join us and please send in your questions and comments during the tasting. Recordings will be available afterwards for anyone who would like to catch up at a later time.
Kilchoman Tasting Pack (on sale HERE) includes –
Machir Bay – 46% (20ml) – Our signature peated single malt is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in a high proportion of bourbon casks with a small sherry cask influence.
Sanaig – 46% (20ml) – Although also matured in both sherry and bourbon casks, Sanaig has a high proportion of oloroso influence, giving a vastly different character to the whisky.
Loch Gorm 2020 – 46% (20ml) – The 2020 edition of Loch Gorm is a vatting of 21 oloroso sherry butts from 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.
100% Islay 9th Edition – 50% (20ml) – Distilled from our 2007 and 2009 barley crops, the 9th edition is a vatting of 43 ex-bourbon barrels matured for over 9 years in our on-site dunnage warehouses.
Kilchoman Tasting Glass
Join us for a live tasting on Thursday 27th August at 7pm UK time.
We’ve got an exciting new (and slightly geeky!) tasting pack, delving into our distillation process, focusing on the spirit run that is collected from our spirit still during the second distillation.
Distillery Founder Anthony Wills and Production Manager Robin Bignal will be giving you an insight into the inner workings of our still house, explaining the different flavours and aromas that are present as the spirit run changes and develops over time, from 5 minutes to 90 minutes. Known as the ‘heart of the run’, many have never tasted the huge difference in character between the start and end of the hearts. A limited number of tasting packs are available to order here. Head over to our social media channels and join us live on August 27th.
Tasting Pack –
5 mins – 74% (20ml)
25 mins – 72% (20ml)
45 mins – 69% (20ml)
90 mins – 65.5% (20ml)
Kilchoman Tasting Glass
Great news! Our Sanaig was voted ‘Best Islay Whisky’ in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2020 scoring an impressive 97 points!
Sanaig, named after an inlet on Islay’s rugged Atlantic cost, is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in both sherry and bourbon barrels.
Judge’s Tasting Notes for Sanaig: Roasted fig, cedar smoke and chocolate are full and rich aromas. The plush texture balances the intense campfire smoke with flavors of berries, smoked meats and oats. Impressively smooth throughout, nutty toffee and smoked cacao round out the finish.
Machir Bay was also a finalist scoring 95 points. This release is our signature peated single malt and is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in both bourbon and sherry casks.
“We are delighted to be voted ‘Best Islay Whisky’ in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2020. It recognises the dedication and hard work of the team at the distillery.” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder & Managing Director.
Click here to find out more about our whiskies.
To read more information about the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2020, click here.
Join us for another ‘Whisky & Food Pairing Live Tasting’ on Thursday 6th August at 7pm.
Following on from the huge success of our first whisky and food pairing with Great Glen Charcuterie, we are continuing the theme with more great foods produced from here on our doorstep in Scotland. In the next live tasting we will be pairing our whiskies with delicious west coast seafood from Gigha Halibut who are just across the water from us here on Islay.
Smoked to order, your Gigha Halibut fish is carefully selected and harvested, then allowed to rest with the fillets cured for a day. They are traditionally smoked using oak chips made from ex-Kilchoman casks, the peaty aromas bringing the best out in the Smoked Gigha Halibut. As always, you are welcome to join the live tastings with just the drams in the tasting pack, now available on the website shop, or you can choose to get the full whisky and food pairing experience from the comfort of your own home.
Click HERE to order your Smoked Gigha Halibut and find out more about how they source and produce their fish. Gigha Halibut are kindly offering a 10% discount for Kilchoman whisky fans to use on all products available on their online shop. Use the code KILCHOMAN to claim your discount. *(Orders should be placed by Wednesday 29th July).
The tasting will be broadcast live on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube at 7pm UK time on Thursday 6th August. We hope you can pour yourself a dram and join us and please send in your questions and comments during the tasting. Recordings will be available afterwards for anyone who would like to catch up at a later time.
Kilchoman Tasting Pack (on sale from our website) includes –
Machir Bay – 46% (20ml) – Our signature peated single malt is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in a high proportion of bourbon casks with a small sherry cask influence.
Sanaig – 46% (20ml) – Although also matured in both sherry and bourbon casks, Sanaig has a high proportion of oloroso influence, giving a vastly different character to the whisky.
Loch Gorm 2020 – 46% (20ml) – The 2020 edition of Loch Gorm is a vatting of 21 oloroso sherry butts from 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.
100% Islay 9th Edition – 50% (20ml) – Distilled from our 2007 and 2009 barley crops, the 9th edition is a vatting of 43 ex-bourbon barrels matured for over 9 years in our on-site dunnage warehouses.
Kilchoman Tasting Glass
We are delighted to announce we are re-opening our Visitor Centre on Wednesday 15th July.
We have been busy getting the Visitor Centre ready to welcome guests back to the distillery and we are looking forward to being able to do so from the 15th.
Our priority is of course the health and well being of our staff and visitors. We have followed all government guidelines and added our own additional safety measures to ensure we are opening as safely as possible.
- Face masks/covering must be worn at all times
- Track & trace system in place
- 2 metre social distancing at all times
- Adhere to signs and floor markings displayed
We will be offering a limited range of tours which must be pre-booked by telephone or email.
Tours
- Available 7 days per week – Diary open 2 weeks at a time
- Monday & Tuesday Classic Tour times are 10am/11am/3pm & 4pm £10pp. No other tours available.
- Wednesday – Sunday Tour times 10am/11am/1.30pm/2.30pm/3.30pm £10pp. No other tours available
- Pre-booked tours ONLY by telephone (01496 850 011) or email (tours@kilchomandistillery.com)
- Limited spaces (6 persons if multi groups/persons booking)
- Larger group bookings permitted if social distancing doesn’t need to be in place (max 10)
- No bookings online – phone/email only
Tastings
- Tasting packs available to purchase and take away to enjoy at home
- Tastings available at the distillery with the option of take away
Café
- Remains closed for sit in meals
- Soup & a small selection of sandwiches available to take away as well as home-baking, teas, coffees & soft drinks
- A pre-ordered take away lunch can be arranged with 24 hour notice – telephone the distillery for options.
We look forward to welcoming you at our new Visitor Centre. If you have any queries please contact us by email or telephone.
tel: +44 (0)1496 850 011 tours@kilchomandistillery.com
