It was back in 1992 that a group of islanders got together and the current Kilchoman Distillery Isle of Islay Pipe Band was born. It was duly formed and subsequently registered with the Royal Pipe Band Association in Glasgow and since then the band have successfully been progressing their way through the grades.
Under the leadership of Nigel Morris, Pipe Major, the band won their first trophy at a competition in Pitlochry in 2006. Since then, they have progressed steadily through the grades picking up many prizes along the way. But the achievements have not stopped there, through hard work and dedication, the band have been promoted to Grade 2 and now attend all the major competitions. Most recently the band celebrated winning 3rd place in Grade 2 at the Scottish Championships! The band will now go into The World Pipe Band Championships 2022 in a couple of weeks in high spirits and determined to add to their growing list of accolades. If you’re in Glasgow on the 13th August you can go along and support them! Click here for more information.
Funding a competitive pipe band is very expensive – from weekly hire of a practice venue, maintenance of pipes, drums, uniforms and the purchase of equipment for new members to the added financial burden of traveling from an island to attend competitions on the mainland. Since 2012 Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder, has been very proud to sponsor and support the band on their competitive journey at all five major championships on the mainland.
As well as taking part in various competitions, the pipe band also play at a number of local events on Islay & Jura including ceilidhs, weddings and of course the annual Fèis Ìle.
Click here to find out more about Kilchoman Distillery Isle of Islay Pipe Band. Hopefully next time you’re on Islay you’ll get to enjoy them playing in person!
In the meantime, here’s a wee tune for you to enjoy from our stillhouse…
Each part of the production process at Kilchoman has an influence in creating the final liquid we fill into our bottles. One of the last processes before bottling – and the process which takes the longest time – is the maturation. At Kilchoman we’re proud to say that we warehouse 100% of our spirit on Islay, right here at the distillery.
To produce Single Malt Whisky, the legal requirement is a minimum maturation period of 3 years and 1 day, matured within oak barrels. These oak barrels come in a variety of styles, shapes and sizes and we’re going to go through some of the main varieties we use here at Kilchoman.
Once our spirit stills produce the heart of the distillation at approximately 70%ABV, this is reduced to 63.5%ABV with water from Glen Osamail burn before filling into our hand-picked casks.
Kilchoman spirit is predominately matured in Bourbon casks – a decision made by founder and Managing Director, Anthony Wills. Bourbon casks are the most widely used casks within the Single Malt industry. They are shipped to Scotland directly after being used only once due to the long-standing legislation in America. Flavour profiles that can be found from Bourbon matured Kilchoman releases can range from butterscotch and honey to vanilla. Bourbon casks are 200L in capacity, constructed using American white oak (Quercus Alba). Kilchoman Machir Bay – our award-winning core whisky – is created using close to 90% Bourbon matured spirit which allows the unique style of Kilchoman to come through with ease.
Sherry casks are our second most used for maturation at Kilchoman. We directly source each variety of sherry cask from Bodega Miguel Martin in Spain; Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez (PX) and Fino. These casks can be in the form of Hogsheads (approx. 225-250 litres) or Butts (approx. 475-500 litres). Each variety of sherry will impart its own unique flavour and aroma onto the Kilchoman spirit throughout maturation. Using Oloroso, Anthony would expect to find flavours such as dried fruits and spice alongside nutty aromas. Alternatively, using PX provides us with a sweeter sherried profile and will give added influence in dark chocolate, dates, figs, and honey. Fino offers a drier, more saline type of sherry which allows for a profile dominated by green fruits.
Cask experimentation will always play a vital role at Kilchoman and since the first cask filled in 2005, we have experimented with many varieties, some of which are Madeira, Port, and Red Wine. Our progression in cask experimentation grows as the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) continues to ease restrictions on the variety of casks available to use for maturation. In 2019, the SWA opened the category further, allowing distilleries access to additional varieties of casks – if cask maturation is part of the traditional production process of these spirits – for example, Tequila, Mezcal and Calvados. Anthony used this is an opportunity to fill 25 Tequila and 25 Mezcal casks with some intended for finishing and some for a full maturation.
Once Anthony has chosen the cask for maturation, the casks are filled and taken to our on-site warehouses. Two styles of maturation are used at Kilchoman, dunnage and racking. Our traditional dunnage warehouses are stowed 3 high on top of earth floors. Our newly built racked warehouses are designed to stow 10 high on steel frames. Over the maturation period, we expect to see anywhere between 1.5-2% volume loss per year, otherwise known as the ‘angel’s share’.
The colour of Single Malt is often discussed during tastings. When producing Single Malt Whisky, the addition of caramel colouring (E150a) is legally authorised. If E150a is added, it can turn a lightly coloured whisky, dark. The additive acts as a modifier correcting any natural variations that may be present. It’s worth noting, E150a doesn’t affect the flavour profile but allows for uniformity, ensuring that each release is visually identical. At Kilchoman it’s important that we release natural whisky, free from additives. This means that all the colour comes exclusively from the cask. We would expect our Bourbon casks to give a golden or caramel colour to the Kilchoman spirit. Sherry casks will provide a darker, deeper finish. This means that each release may vary in colour slightly, which is the beauty of creating a natural Single Malt and something that we celebrate here at Kilchoman.
Each cask will be used for maturing Kilchoman spirit only twice. After the second use, our casks will be sold and will continue their life in the wider whisky industry. This is to ensure we have the maximum amount of flavour from the oak imparted into our whisky. It’s a common misconception that Single Malt Whisky must have significant age to be considered a great whisky, but Kilchoman demonstrates otherwise. The distillery was designed to release a ‘younger’ style of Islay Single Malt; a fine balance between producing an elegant Islay spirit, coupled with selecting the correct cask for maturation has shown quality and depth of flavour.
Comraich is a Gaelic word and translated into English, it means Sanctuary or Asylum. In Scotland during medieval times, sanctuary sites were commonplace. During those years, if you had debts, you could face a prison sentence or, even worse, death. But if you were able to make your way to a sanctuary site, you could live there indefinitely without fear of your creditors.
Sanctuary sites were marked by four cornerstones that were placed one Scottish Mile (the length of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh – 1.8km) out from a central point. In most cases, that was a church or place of worship.
On Islay, one such site was located close to the old parish church at Kilchoman, and one of the remaining stones marked with a cross is still very much visible today. One of the other stones now rests at the Islay Museum, where it was taken to be protected. The presence of these cross marked stones denotes that this was once a very important area in medieval times.
Sanctuary sites carried on in Scotland until 1880, when an act of parliament meant that debtors could no longer be jailed, but many of the markers to guide you to those old sites still exist. Like the one on Islay, or more famously, the gold S slabs on the grounds of Holyrood Palace in Scotland’s capital city.
Thankfully the world has moved on but there are times that we all need a place of ‘Comraich’ to relax, unwind and even for just the smallest time, allow us the space to forget all our troubles and enjoy a dram of Kilchoman Single Malt Scotch Whisky. This idea was the birth of our Kilchoman Comraich global network of bars, dedicated to the enjoyment of our single malt, with exclusive releases to sample.
Click here to find our Comraich Bars around the world and discover our Comraich batch releases.
For summer 2022, the Visitor Centre & Café is open seven days per week from 9:45am to 5pm.
Tours & Tastings
We offer three ‘classic tours’ daily and a limited-edition tasting and tour. Our ‘Classic tours’ take place at 10 am 1.30 pm and 2.30 pm. This is a one-hour guided tour around all our production areas, showing you the steps that go into making our single farm single malt scotch Whisky. On the way around, you get to sample two of our most popular whiskies. Classic tours are £10 per person and under 18s are welcome – click here for all the details. Drivers’ drams are also available.
Our Limited Edition Tasting & Tour runs each day at 11 am and lasts 2 hours. Accompanied by one of our guides, you will see first-hand all the processes that go into how we make our whisky. Enjoy a dram of our 100% Islay on the malt floor as we talk you through our barley-to-bottle philosophy. Followed by a tutored tasting of four of our limited-edition whiskies. The limited-edition tour and tasting is £35 per person – over 18s only. Drivers’ drams are available.
All of our tours are available to book via our website
Whisky Bar
Our tasting bar is open every day from 10am to 4.45pm. You can sample all of our current range of whiskies as well as some of our archive stock from the past 16 years. Booking is not required for this.
Café
And for anyone who wants to have something other than whisky, our on-site café is open each day too. Teas, coffees and our fabulous home-baking is available daily from 10am to 4.30pm. Our chocolate brownies are famous the world over so why not treat yourself while you are here. They go even better with a dram of Machir Bay and cream. Whisky and Chocolate what is not to like?
Our lunches which include delicious homemade soups, Cullen Skink, baked potatoes, paninis and sandwiches with various fillings are a must if you have a busy day planned on nearby Machir Bay. Lunches are served from 12noon to 3.30pm each day. Booking is advised. A large group menu is available for groups of 10 and above. For more details or to reserve a table, please contact: tours@kilchomandistillery.com or call us on 01496 850 011.
We look forward to welcoming you back and chatting all things Kilchoman with you soon.
For more information email tours@kilchomandistillery.com
Fèis Ìle 2022 was another special moment in time for Kilchoman Distillery and the Wills family – the release of our first ever 16-year-old bottling. The barrels selected were from the first 50 casks ever filled at Kilchoman, some of our most treasured and rare casks.
“I always try and find something special for the Fèis Ìle releases and with the return of people to Fèis on Islay rather than exclusively online I thought the time was right to bottle some of our oldest casks. I’d love to keep these casks in the warehouse for my own personal consumption, but they are too good not to share,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.
We were delighted to welcome the highest number of visitors to date at the distillery on our Fèis Day this year which was on Thursday 2nd June. The atmosphere was fantastic and everyone was enjoying being back at the distillery in person after three years of being restricted to a virtual festival.
Thanks to everyone who joined us and we hope to see you in 2023! Click here for more info.
It’s smiles all round as the awards keep coming! Sanaig was named ‘Best Islay Single Malt – No Age Statement’ and awarded the highest ‘Master Medal’ at the Spirits Business Scotch Masters 2022.
As many of you will already know, Sanaig is part of our core range and is a vatting of both sherry and bourbon casks. The high proportion of Oloroso sherry influence adds a balance of dried fruits and spices to the classic Kilchoman citrus sweetness and peat smoke character.
Sanaig was not the only Kilchoman release picking up an award in the Spirits Business Scotch Masters 2022, Machir Bay was a ‘Gold Medal Winner’.
Machir Bay is also a combination of both bourbon and sherry casks but it has a vatting of a high proportion of bourbon barrels which creates a distinct balance of classic Islay character and fresh floral complexity.
If you’ve tried either of these whiskies we’d love to hear what you think over on our social media channels, we’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
Sanaig and Machir Bay can be located in a number of countries around the world. You will find a list of retailers and distributors on our map or you can get in touch with us for more information – info@kilchomandistillery.com
Click here to join our Kilchoman Club and be amongst the first to know about new releases as well as having access to exclusive Club Release bottlings.
It has been another busy springtime on the farm and lambing is now complete and only a couple of heifers still to calve. The tractors have been busy doing all the groundwork in preparation for this year’s barley crop. The seed was sown between 22nd and 26th April and we’re now seeing a green covering in all the fields that were ploughed in March as the barely starts to grow.
Back in autumn 2021, fields were selected for growing the 2022 barley crop and the area is around 140 acres. After researching the barley varieties available it was decided that we would grow Sassy, a previous experimental variety, and Planet, a new variety for us. Planet caught Islay’s eye for its good traits such as yield, straw strength and time to maturity.
“The weather this spring has been mixed. It remained cooler than we would like but at the time we came to sowing the barley the ground was good and dry and we got it all sown within four days. After it was sown the weather took a turn for the worse and we’ve had a lot of rain since, not ideal for the barley but despite this, germination has been good and the fields now have a good green covering. We now need some sun and heat as the barley is starting to show signs of stress due to the amount of cold wind and rain,” Islay Heads, General Manager.
As an additional experiment this year, we have sown a small section in Stone Cottage Field with a third variety, Laureate, to see how it compares with Sassy and Planet. We will continue to bring you more updates over the coming months.
Click here to become a Kilchoman Club Member and be one of the first to hear all our news from the distillery, including information about new releases!
The Madeira Cask Matured limited edition was distilled in May 2016 and matured for 5 years and 3 months in 46 fresh Madeira hogsheads, before being bottled at 50% abv in August 2021. We had planned to release this in late 2021 however a bottle shortage meant that it was delayed. Now the wait is over and the Madeira Cask Matured is available from Kilchoman stockists around the world.
“Kilchoman really lends itself to maturation in fortified wine casks. The rich fruity character of the casks balances nicely with the creamy citrus sweetness of our new spirit. My preference when using wine casks has always been to use fresh first fill barrels with a view to bottling the whisky relatively young. This approach means the lighter clean flavours and the fresh maritime peat smoke isn’t overwhelmed by the cask influence,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.
Due to Brexit and other restrictions with global shipments, the Madeira Cask Matured will not be available from our website. However, you will be able to get your hands on a bottle through our usual distribution partners around the world. For worldwide and UK distribution information please click here.
To be amongst the first to hear about future releases you can sign up for free and become a Kilchoman Club Member here
Kilchoman Sponsorship
We are delighted to be entering our sixth consecutive year of sponsoring Alan Roberts, a professional sailor who has been rising up the ranks to become one of the best short handed sailors in the world.
Sailing has always been something that both Anthony and Kathy Wills have enjoyed themselves. Did you know that Anthony has in fact sailed around the world! Anthony feels very passionate about supporting something you enjoy yourself hence his continued partnership with Alan Roberts.
Who is Alan Roberts?
Competing in the highly professional and competitive Figaro Class, Alan has gained vast amounts of experience through hard time spent on the water resulting in multiple podiums and winner of the VIVI Trophy for top International in the Figaro class, ranking amongst the best in the world.
Having sailed a variety of dinghy classes, sports boats and keelboats where he has gained a reputation for being a hard worker with a very focused, methodical mindset. This has led him to five UK National Championship titles, two Endeavour Champion of Champions wins in the UK.
Alan’s Ambition
Alan’s ambition is to compete in the 2024 Vendée Globe following in the footsteps of previous Vendée Globe Winners through the Figaro class he hopes to compete for the top step of the podium to become the first non-French winner of the event.
Sailing Background
Seven seasons in Figaro class since 2014
Over 50,000 miles Solo offshore
Top results in Figaro
- VIVI Trophy Winner ‘First International’ x 2
- Best Solitaire du Figaro leg result 3rd
- Best Championship du France en Solitaire 8th
Figaro podiums
- Solo Concarneau 2nd & 3rd
- Solo Normandie 3rd
- Solo Maître CoQ 2nd
- Solitaire du Figaro Etap 3 2021 3rd
- Tour du Bretange Etap 2 & 7 2nd
- Solitaire du Figaro prologue 1st, 2nd & 3rd
- Tour du bretange prologue 1st
- Bouée Radio France x 2
Click here to find out more about Alan and to follow his journey
Kilchoman is one of only a handful of distilleries still practicing traditional floor malting, a process that Scotland’s other distilleries have outsourced to commercial maltsters. The labour-intensive nature of floor malting is a significant factor in its demise, though it remains at the heart of our philosophy. Our 100% Islay represents the revival of traditional farm distilling, standing alone as Islay’s only Single Farm Single Malt Scotch Whisky, completing all stages of the process at Kilchoman from barley to bottle.
Steeping
Malting consists of three main functions: steeping, germinating and kilning. As the first of these steps, steeping could be said to be the most critical. The process of steeping determines final malt quality and if you don’t get this stage right, you are potentially giving yourself a greater chance of problems later in the malting stage.
At Kilchoman, the barley we harvest can be stored for up to a year before being used in the next whisky-making process, steeping. The purpose of steeping is to break dormancy in the barley and trigger germination by achieving an optimal moisture level in the grain which is normally between 43% and 45%. The main considerations at this stage are temperature, moisture content and germination and these are all carefully monitored by our team throughout.
Temperature – our steeping regimes vary at different times of the year to ensure optimal conditions are maintained. For example, in the colder winter months we often do an 8-hour steeping cycle which means the barley is steeped for 8 hours then drained and left for another 8 hours before repeating these steps for a total of three cycles. In the warmer months we do 12-hour cycles which means the barley is soaked for 12 hours then drained and left for 12 hours before repeating the soaking and dry cycle again. Both cycles take a total time of 48 hours, the significant difference is the water temperature during each steep. Ideally we want the temperature between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius. In the summer the temperature outside rises and therefore so does the water temperature which is sourced from nearby Glen Osamail. The shorter eight-hour steeping time across three steeps helps us to maintain a cooler water. Barley steeped at warmer temperatures develops less a-amylase enzymes which are critical for mashing. Another benefit of using colder steep water and a longer steep cycle is that there is a more uniform water uptake and hydration throughout the kernel.
Moisture Content – as well as ensuring the ambient temperature throughout, the correct combinations of water/air/water/etc must be given to result in the correct moisture content of the grain being raised to the required level of around 43-45%, and without ‘drowning’ it!
Typically, the first soak will bring the moisture level up to only around 37% so further steeping is required. By using multiple waters the air rest time after each steep allows the grain to accept more water in the next steep. It also avoids the risk that the grain will become saturated resulting in slower chitting if too much water is given too quickly.
It is crucial that the moisture content of the germinating barley is distributed as evenly as possible between each kernel. Air is blown through the grain suspension between the wet phases to remove carbon dioxide and toxic metabolites, to discharge excess heat and to replenish oxygen as well as helping to ensure that the grains are all consistently modifying.
During steeping, hydration stimulates the embryo into growth and respiration commences. If unchecked, the heat generated during steeping as the grain respires has a cumulative effect and forces the grain to respire more rapidly. Uncontrolled respiration causes the grain to hydrate quicker but in an irregular fashion throughout the grain population which can cause problems.
Germination – At around 35% moisture content the embryo within each kernel of barley will start to germinate, but there is insufficient moisture to allow the complete modification of the starchy endosperm that we require. Reaching the desired moisture level steeping and later at the drying stage is crucial as it determines the quality of the malt and will have an impact on the overall yield.
Malting
When the desired moisture content of between 43-45% is reached the ‘green malt’ (the term for the barley at this stage) is then spread on the malt floor by hand using traditional methods for the second phase of growth.
The thickness of how the green malt is spread on the floor is a judgement the team make in order to maintain the ambient conditions. In the colder months the room temperature will be lower so the green malt is spread in thicker piles of approximately 400-500mm in comparison to the warmer times of the year when it is spread more thinly. The reason for this is to maintain the ambient grain temperature for growing to continue.
Throughout germination it is essential that the grain bed maintains moisture otherwise the grain could become dehydrated and result in restricted modification. The moisture of the grain is monitored throughout and we maintain a moisture of above 40%.
At certain times of the year, mid-late summer especially, the air is warmer so in order to keep the grains within the desired temperature range we will open windows to help cool the room and spread the malt as thinly as possible on the floor. In contrast, at cooler times of the year, the green malt is laid on the floor in a deeper pile to help keep it warm. In particularly cold times we have occasionally kept the door from the kiln area open to gain some extra heat from the kiln fire. It is all about monitoring, assessing and responding to the environmental factors and how the grain is modifying at each stage of the malting process.
Ensuring there is a sufficient supply of oxygen to the grain whilst also maintaining an even temperature throughout all the grains is also vital. To ensure there is adequate aeration and an even temperature the floor is turned every four hours by hand using traditional tools.
Two major changes occur during the time the green malt is on the floor: Firstly enzymes are developed which break down the cell walls, the `action of these enzymes gives us freely available starch. Secondly, other enzymes are produced which break down proteins. Further enzymes are developed which will convert the starch into fermentable sugars in the mash tun during the mashing stage. These changes are known as “modification”. When the acrospyre is visibly around three quarters the length of the grain this indicates that we’ve reached the required point and the time has come to stop the germination process and conserve the enzymes required for mashing. It takes around five days to get to this stage.
Kilning
If germination continued a plant would grow and all the starches that convert to alcohol during fermentation would be used by the plant. The kilning stage terminates germination and prevents this from happening by reducing the moisture content of the green malt.
From the malt floor, the green malt is moved by hand to a conveyor which transfers it to the kiln. To obtain that famous Islay peat smoke character in our whisky, peat is cut from a local peat bank and burns under controlled conditions for 10-15 hours approximately. During this time the peat smoke rises up through the mesh kiln floor and penetrates the green malt. This time of peating gives us a phenolic level of approximately 20ppm.
The three main variables that affect the kilning process include: temperature, airflow and time.
Temperature – A combination of high moisture and high temperature would destroy the enzymes developed during germination therefore we maintain a low temperature to avoid this. Rather than a roaring kiln fire we control it so that it smoulders as we are looking to produce as much smoke from the peat as possible but keep the temperature inside the kiln from getting too hot.
Airflow – Similarly to when the green malt is on the floor, maintaining an appropriate and even temperature as well as good aeration is vital so turning by hand will continue every few hours and the temperature inside the kiln is monitored and adapted as required.
Time – Following on from the 10 -15 hours of peating we continue to reduce the moisture content for a further 20 hours approximately by forcing air through the green malt until it reaches a moisture content of between 4.7 – 5%. The kilned product is now called malt and is in a stable form. The grain is dormant and can now be transferred to rest in the silos for a minimum of six weeks before being milled for mashing.
For a full ‘360 Experience’ of the traditional floor malting process join James and Derek here
Click here for more information about our whisky
