Kilchoman is the first distillery to be established on Islay in over 124 years. The distillery was built in 2005, with the first run of new spirit comming off the stills later that year. It is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland with an annual production of approximatley 120,000 litres of alcohol and is one of only six distilleries to carry out traditional floor maltings. Their barley is grown right there on the farm, whereas other distilleries purchase barley from around the country. Anthony Wills, the founder and managing director of the Kilchoman Distillery Co Ltd ran his own independent single cask bottling company for 8 years when he came up with the idea of building a farm distillery. Islay was chosen as the location for the distillery because of it’s reputation for producing top quality malts, and also because Anthony knew the island well having married into a family that had owned an estate on the Island for 60 years. Specifically Rockside Farm was chosen because of the ideal buildings available and because the farm grows the best malting barley on the island.
Tasting Notes
Color & Consistency: Golden wheat with mildly developing legs that run into oblivion
Nose: Peat, sherry & caramel with a hint of brine. Light stewed fruits & hazlenuts
Taste: Peat again, sweet, orange/citrus rind and vanilla
Finish: Take everything that is great about the taste and just let it linger awhile
Conclusion: Definitely gets two points for presentation. Just sniff, sip, repeat. Sweeter than most Islay Scotch but really a delicious combination of flavors and the sweetness is not overpowering. We would buy this one again in a heartbeat although its unique history and flavor most likely warrant the higher price tag, it may be somewhat of a hold back.