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Kilchoman (Kilhoman) is a young, but already well-known brand of Scotch whiskey. The distillery is located in the western part of Islay. The enterprise remains completely independent, unlike other manufacturers in the country, which are mostly owned by large corporations. Despite the small volumes of production, the assortment of the plant is very extensive and includes both regular releases and limited releases aged in small batches of barrels.
Historical information
The Kilchoman distillery was founded in 2005 by Scottish entrepreneur Anthony Wills. The young businessman put all his money into the business and attracted several private investors, who later admitted that they considered the idea crazy and did not believe in the success of the enterprise. It was the first factory built on Islay in 120 years.
Wills made every effort to revive the old traditions of production. The idea was to organize all stages in one place – from growing barley to bottling the finished product. Kilchoman has become one of the few Scottish distilleries that makes whiskey from its own raw materials. The fields of the Rockside farm are practically next to the production complex.
The businessman had to overcome many difficulties – in 2006 a fire broke out at the malt house, after which the building had to be rebuilt. Boilers broke down and steam pipes failed more than once. Wills admits that he could write a book about the mistakes not to make when building a distillery.
The first bottling of the three-year-old whiskey took place in 2009. Drink with a strong taste of peat smoke was liked by customers and was highly appreciated by experts. A year later, John Maclelan, who had led Bunnahabhain for many years, joined the company. Under the new management, the plant’s products have gained worldwide fame and recognition of experts at prestigious tasting competitions.
Awards
Among recent achievements:
- Whiskey World Cup 2018, Stockholm – the best peaty whiskey;
- International Whiskey Competition 2019, Chicago – 95,1 points (Kilchoman Sanaig);
- Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2019, New York – finalist, 95 points (100% Islay);
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2019, San Francisco – gold and silver medals.
Production features
Kilchoman is one of six Scottish breweries where malt is not purchased, but is made independently in the traditional way – on the floor. Copper container for wort is designed for 1,2 tons of raw materials. Fermentation takes at least 85 hours, which is much longer than usual. During this time, esters and lactic acid accumulate in the mash, giving the finished drink an oily structure and a creamy-fruity taste.
The company has only two small distillation cubes, the output is alcohol with a strength of up to 69%. Bourbon barrels are brought from the American plant Buffalo Trace Distillery. 20% of the products are poured into containers of Oloroso sherry, port wine, sauternes and even cognac.
Since the company’s warehouses are still under construction, part of the whiskey is stored at other enterprises. The volume of bottling is small – the production capacity is designed to produce 120 thousand liters of strong drinks per year.
Interesting Facts
- Anthony Wills believes that he was able to achieve success largely due to the correct choice of the site for the construction of the plant. The task would be much more difficult if he decided to do business in a part of Scotland where there is no such well-established tradition of distillation as on the Isle of Islay.
- In 2015, Wills purchased the agricultural land around the plant from local farmers. The company annually processes up to 200 tons of its own raw materials. The barley is soaked, scattered on the malthouse’s concrete floor, and then regularly turned by hand. After germination and fumigation with smoke, the malt is kept for another two weeks at rest, and only after this they start grinding and mashing.
Types of whiskey Kilhoman
Kilchoman Machir Bay, 46%
Peaty single malt whiskey made from spirits aged 5-6 years in bourbon and sherry casks. Named after the beach of Islay, famous for its beauty. The color of the drink resembles white wine. The aroma mixes the smells of smoke and sea freshness, to which candied fruits are added. The structure is pretty light. At the start, spices come in sharply, which are replaced by salty and woody notes, at the finish there are apple shades.
Kilchoman Sanaig, 46%
The amber-coloured whiskey is aged in bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks. The aroma has smoke, caramel and dried fruits. The palate is buttery and moderately sweet, with wine, red berries, fudge and citrus highlights. Closer to the end, hints of dark chocolate and apple jam flavored with ashes are added.
Kilchoman 100% Islay, 50%
Single Farm Single Malt is a whiskey that has gone through all the stages of production on the island of Islay. The eighth release was deposited between 2008 and 2012. The limited edition includes 12 bottles. Whiskey color light gold with aromas of peat smoke, caramel and lemon zest. The taste is perfectly balanced and combines notes of sweet fruits, cinnamon and chocolate. Closer to the finish, smoky shades are felt stronger.
