Barley is a fundamental ingredient when making single malt scotch whisky but at Kilchoman the barley is much more than just an ingredient, it’s integral to our whole philosophy. As a farm distillery, we are one of the few distilleries in Scotland to grow barley on-site, and one of only a handful that completes the entire whisky-making process on-site. This gives us a unique insight into the challenges and successes that come with growing barley – especially on Islay!
The first step is picking the variety. Sounds simple? Not quite. The barley variety can have a serious domino effect on the rest of the production process. If the wrong variety is selected, it might not perform as well, reducing your yearly yield. We always choose a good, hearty variety as we are growing it on Islay after all! In the past, we have used varieties such as Concerto, Diablo, Publican, Sassy, Optic, Octavia, Planet, and Laurette. All perform differently depending on the weather, the condition of the soil, or even the wildlife that lives amongst it. Compared to barley grown on the mainland, which is primarily used for commercial maltings, our yield is slightly lower. On Islay, we are situated right next to the Gulf Stream, which helps to regulate our temperature and keep the overall climate warmer. However, it does bring additional wind and rain, resulting in a more challenging environment to grow barley than you would experience elsewhere in Scotland. We initially focused solely on how much yield it can produce but over the years have come to realise the impact the different varieties also have on the character of the spirit.
It is not all as bad as it seems though! Rockside Farm, upon which the distillery is built, also has some of the most fertile land on Islay and allows us space for 230 acres worth of good barley growing ground. We don’t sow all of those acres yearly, as it is important to allow the fields to rest in between crops to maximise our yields overall, but it is still a decent portion of land for a 2000-acre farm on an island covered in peat bogs! As well as this, growing our own barley allows us a massive insight into the deeper role barley plays in the production. Growing different barley varieties in fields side by side has enabled us to directly compare the impact they have on the distilled spirit. It also allows us to further experiment with peating levels or yeast varieties and see the impact this has on the spirit’s flavour profile from each of the different barley varieties.
For centuries, the area around Rockside Farm was always some of the most sought-after land due to farming being the most prominent industry on the island. Traditionally, barley would have been grown for use in the industry, with whisky production being a by-product of this, but that soon got flipped on its head. When the whisky industry started to gain popularity in the early 1900s, and distilleries started to increase capacity, Islay could no longer grow all the barley required to supply the distilleries, so the barley had to be sourced out with the island to keep up with demand, and with-it went traditional farm distilling.
One of Anthonys’ goals when starting Kilchoman was to take whisky back to its original grassroots, and growing our own barley on the farm was vital to achieving this. Despite the odds being against us and dealing with struggles from the combine breaking down mid-harvest to severe flooding or the lack of rain altogether, we love the unpredictable Islay weather! We do not grow barley because it is easy or to produce a lot of whisky. We do it to keep whisky rooted to the original connection to the island and its heritage. We are proud to be one of the only distilleries in Scotland to produce a Single Farm Single Malt and the only one in the world to be 100% Islay.
It’s that time of year again at Kilchoman and we have a special pre-Christmas treat exclusively for our Kilchoman Club members!
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 in our rarely used Blanc de Blancs wine casks.
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,” Anthony Wills, Founder.
The 2023 Club Release is exclusively available online to Club Members on Wednesday 6th December at 12 noon Islay time, priced at £70.75 excluding VAT (£84.90 inc. UK VAT) per bottle and limited to one per person. For shipping information please click here.
If you are not already a club member you can sign up here.
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 the recognised Kilchoman flavours and character has developed over the last 16 years of maturation.
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 this momentous Kilchoman 16 Years Old.
“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.
The Kilchoman 16 Years Old is available from Kilchoman stockists around the world from this week.
For more information please contact admin@kilchomandistillery.com
From Wednesday 1st November, we are open Monday to Friday from 09.45 – 17.00. The Café and Visitor Centre will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Café is open 10.00 – 16.30 for teas, coffees, and home-baking. Lunches are served from 12.00 to 14.30 each day, booking is advisable for lunch.
Bookings for tours can be made via our website.
Once again it has been a busy Summer here at Kilchoman, our guides have poured many whiskies, welcomed lots of lovely new and returning guests and chatted all things Kilchoman with friends from all over the world but it is now time for the team to take a break and allow them time to recharge.
We look forward to welcoming you over the Winter months to sit by our fire with a dram in hand and enjoy the slower seasonal pace of life.
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 the Distiller’s Charity’s Youth Action Fund, which aims to transform the lives of young people in Scotland aged between 16 and 25, by helping them to develop knowledge, confidence, resilience, and skills.
Yesterday’s result means that the first two Distillers One of One Auctions have raised a combined total of £4.2m for charity and we are delighted that we’ve been able to participate in both.
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.
“The 2023 PX Sherry Cask Matured release is our first limited edition to be fully matured in PX casks. Some might consider five years to be a short maturation, but these PX hogsheads give such a rich and sweet character, shorter maturation is the only option to maintain a good balance of flavour. Here, the citrus sweetness and peat smoke of our spirit balance beautifully with the PX character to create a multi-dimensional whisky, rich and sweet with hints of light citrus sweetness and waves of maritime peat smoke,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.
The PX Sherry Cask Matured is available from Kilchoman stockists around the world from this week and, 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.
The 100% Islay 13th Edition was distilled from barley grown on the farm at Kilchoman in 2012, 2013 and 2014, it was then matured for a minimum of 8 years before 44 bourbon barrels were selected for this year’s release of bottles.
“The 13th Edition is the first release since 2019 where I have opted for solely bourbon barrels. The 44 bourbon barrels that I selected are predominantly fresh casks, this gives the whisky lovely layers of buttery vanilla and caramel flavours which pair beautifully with the citrus sweetness of our spirit,”
Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.
Our Distillery is situated on Rockside Farm which covers around 3,000 acres on the north-west coast of Islay. Most of the area is marginal ground, only suitable for resilient breeds of cattle and sheep however we do have 200 acres of good-quality soil surrounding the distillery. It is here that we grow the barley for our annual 100% Islay editions.
Not only is the barley grown on site but once it’s harvested, our team also malt the barley using traditional floor malting techniques; first germinating and then smoking the barley, using local Islay peat, to give the whisky its smoky character.
Each year Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder, selects a specific combination of casks. This year Anthony has selected 44 bourbon barrels from three different ages, the youngest 8 years of age.
Bottles will be hitting shelves in the UK and Europe from today, for those living further afield, bottles are on the way!
To find Kilchoman in the UK and abroad click here or contact us by email for more information – admin@kilchomandistillery.com
To be amongst the first to hear about all our new releases click here to sign up and join the Kilchoman Club for free
As every farmer knows, success in agriculture is often at the mercy of the weather. The year began with a wet spring but as we transitioned into March, a dry spell of weather descended upon us and on the 2nd of March we started ploughing and by the 18th of March we had successfully ploughed most of our barley fields. Our progress was briefly halted by a change in the weather, but we soon resumed our work, and we had 155 acres of barley sown by the 2nd May. This year we grew two varieties of spring barley, around 50% sassy and 50% planet over the 155 acres. These two varieties not only perform well in the fields and provide a good yield, but also create a balanced flavour profile for our single malt.
For six weeks, we experienced an unusually long dry spell of weather after sowing. The barley in the fields with lighter soils and gravels suffered due to a lack of moisture. This drier than usual weather which was then followed by wet and colder conditions, all of which were less than ideal for our crops. But as they say, farmers are never happy unless they’re complaining about the weather! We just had to get on with it and have patience (and fingers crossed!) that all would work out well in the end.
Despite the challenges we faced with the very mixed weather early on, harvest season turned out to be pretty much plain sailing. We kept pinching ourselves because the weather was so unbelievably good! It felt like we went from early autumnal weather back to summer weather pretty much overnight. The return of the warmer, drier weather in late August allowed us to get the combine into the fields and start combining on September 1, 2023. With the excellent weather persisting, we continued to harvest every day until we wrapped up a week later. Remarkably, this was the first time that the weather did not disrupt our harvest at some point.
The two varieties, Sassy and Planet, seemed to be very similar in performance. We were pleased with the grain size, yield and how they harvested. The straw this year was shorter compared to other years but was in good order for the combine apart from where the deer, crows and geese had gotten into the crop. Overall we are delighted with our crop for 2023 as the weather this year made challenging growing conditions for the barley.
We know it’s never easy growing barley on Islay, which for us, makes it all the more rewarding once the combine gets going and the barley is safely off the field and into trailers. Being able to grow the barley on our own farm and then traditionally floor malt and peat it before mashing, fermenting, distilling, maturing and finally bottling our 100% Islay releases all on site, is something we are very proud of. We are delighted with this year’s results and we now have around 275 tonnes of Kilchoman barley stored in silos until it will be used through the whisky-making process to produce our unique Single Farm Single Malt – 100% Islay, from ‘Barley to Bottle’.
As we reflect on the past year with a dram to hand, we’ve already begun planning for 2024. We’re also busy preparing to launch the next edition of 100% Islay – the 13th Edition – which is coming very soon! Keep an eye out for more details.
To be amongst the first to hear about all our new releases click here to sign up and join the Kilchoman Club for free
We are delighted to be once again taking part in the Distillers One of One auction, this time we’ve donated something truly special, a 70cl bottle from Cask Number 1!
This is a unique opportunity to own a remarkable piece of Kilchoman, and perhaps whisky making history. This auction lot, “Cask No.1”, is from the first cask the distillery ever created, filled on the 14th December 2005.
Presented in an etched glass bottle with a bespoke layered wooden box design, representing the distinct landscape surrounding the distillery, the lot comes with an accompanying letter of authenticity from Kilchoman Founder, Anthony Wills.
This unique whisky has a delicate fresh citrus and sweet nose with a balance of maritime notes, fruit, and smoke on the palate.
In partnership with Sotheby’s The Distillers One of One auction brings together an unparalleled collection of one-off, never-to-be-repeated Scotch whiskies from distilleries across Scotland. Launched in 2021, this biennial series of auctions is now returning for the second edition.
The first Distillers’ One of One auction took place in December 2021 and achieved record-breaking hammer prices. Over £2.4 million was donated to the Distillers’ Charity, partially to the Youth Action Fund, which aims to improve the life chances of disadvantaged young people in our Scotch Whisky-making communities.
The 2023 auction will take place on Thursday 5th October. Hosted in the resplendent Hopetoun House, widely considered to be one of Scotland’s finest stately homes, this will be an unmissable showcase of rare and remarkable Scotch Whisky.
Click here for more information.
Prior to our global launch of Cognac and Fino Sherry Cask Matured, Antea was on a market tour in France and was fortunate to be able to spend the Monday after the Limoges Spirits Festival, diving into the world of Cognac and she shares her experiences below.
While my primary focus was exploring the impact of Cognac casks in the maturation process of whisky, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the gorgeous distilleries and wineries making with this exquisite spirit. In this article, I will share my experiences and insights gained from visiting just some of the renowned Cognac distilleries including Giboin, Curvasieur, and La Chevalierie (Vignoble Pelletant).
Our latest – and first ever – Cognac Cask Matured Kilchoman has been released after a 6 year maturation solely in Cognac casks sourced from Tonnellerie Bossuet. Tonnellerie Bossuet is family ran (father and son), with a legacy that spans over a century. They have established themselves as a leading name in the world of cooperages supplying barrels to distilleries, wineries, and spirits producers around the globe. This cooperage based in Cognac, creates casks from both Tronçais and Limousin Oak. Tronçais creates a softer profile during maturation due to the light tannins in the oak whereas Limousin is more robust as a result of heavier tannins. This proves yet again that the flavours and influence of the oak can vary depending on their provenance and structure.
Staying just 10 minutes drive from Giboin Distillery, it made sense to make it my first stop. Giboin Distillery is a small country house, nestled in the heart of Cognac’s historic region. Giboin has a rich heritage spanning several generations and I met with Pierre-Louis outside the distillery.
While I was in Cognac, it was during the seasonal shut down of distilleries. All distilleries must adhere to the deadline for final distillation on March 31st , complying with the requirement of Cognac AOC guidelines. Unfortunately, this meant that I couldn’t see the process first hand.
After an explanation from Pierre-Louise on Gibion’s production from grape to bottle, we stepped into their cellars where I was instantly captivated by the intoxicating aroma of aging Cognac, but also by the beauty of their Charentais pot stills. Known for their meticulous craftsmanship and dedication to tradition, Giboin expertly combine the mastery of oak maturation with their exquisite eaux-de-vie. Cognac maturation begins in fresh oak casks, typically 350 litres in size, and spends a minimum of 18 months. The eaux-de-vie is then decanted into vieux casks, which are slightly larger at 400L.
After a walk through Giboin’s vineyards, it was time to move to a larger distillery in the heart of Cognac. Another family business that started in 1850 by the Meukow brothers, now run by the Coste family. My interest piqued when we arrived at the vats used for blending after maturation has taken place. These vessels will marry together multiple ages of Cognac. This process is carried out by the Maître de Chai or Master Blender. The Cognac will spend a minimum of 6 months in the oak vats.
My final stop was on my return journey to Limoges. Stopping off in Saint Amant de Nouere, a small village protected by vines and farms, where silently working, Vignoble Pelletant can be found alongside their La Chevalierie domain Cognac.
A noticeably different setting to my other visits on this trip, I met with Domenique, the owner, who kindly showed me around. Domenique explained that the cellars were over 200 years old and contain predominantly their own casks. The majority of their production – around 80% – leaves the site to be bottled under larger brand names. The cellar walls were covered with black fungus (Baudoinia Compniacensis) – which can also be found in whisky warehouses – but this amount was something that I hadn’t before seen. Domenique noted that the thick walls and natural clay flooring allow for a consistent temperature throughout the year. While the stills were getting cleaned, I noticed some similarities between the design of our (Kilchoman) stills and theirs whereas the fermentation tanks in Cognac production are neutral containers with thick, temperature-stabilizing walls which are believed to soften the spirits texture.
I was fortunate enough to taste a variety of samples throughout these visits and each provided a unique tasting. Typically, larger and more commercially available Cognacs gave a sweeter style whereas the smaller producers provided a more distinctive style with spicier and often fresher aromas.
The Cognac maturation has worked incredibly well on our latest limited release. It has added the rich spiciness and buttery texture that we would expect from a high-end Cognac, while allowing a soft Kilchoman peat smoke to remain present. On the finish, dried fruit, marzipan and liquorice wood allow for a complex lasting impression.
Our very first fully matured Cognac Cask Matured release is available in stores across the world, find the list here!
Sante’,
Antea
