The Whiskyphiles

Kilchoman

kilchoman-distillery
Kilchoman 100%ISLAY

History The distillery began production in June 2005, and was the first to be built on the island of Islay in 124 years. The distillery uses barley grown on site at Rockside Farm and malted at the distillery, as well as malt from the Port Ellen maltings and releases separate bottlings depending on the source of the grain. It is one of only six Scottish distilleries still doing traditional floor-maltings, and will be unique in having all parts of the process – growing barley, malting, distilling, maturing and bottling – carried out on Islay. The distillery first filled casks on 14 December 2005 and the distillery began bottling 3 year old single malt in September 2009. Kilchoman also intends to release 5, 8, 10 and 12 Year old bottlings. The whisky will primarily age in bourbon casks, though sherry casks will also be employed. The first official Kilchoman, the “Inaugural release” was released in 2009 and the first 100% Islay whisky released in 2011. The whisky produced by the Port Ellen maltings are peated to the same levels as Ardbeg, while the malt peated on their own floor maltings will be approximately 25 ppm.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official Bottling
  • Kilchoman 4 Years Old 2011 Madeira Cask (2015) – Kilchoman Madeira Cask Matured Matured (50%, OB, 2015) Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky Distillery: Kilchoman Bottling: Official ABV: 50% Cost: £82.95 What they say: This expression is our first ever Madeira Cask Matured release! We have selected just 17 first fill ex-Madeira barrels that were filled in 2011 and bottled these at 50%abv. The […]
  • kilchoman-sauternes-cask-matured-2011 Kilchoman 4 Years Old 2011 Sauternes Cask Matured (2016) – Kilchoman 4 Years Old 2011 Sauternes Cask~ 50% (Kilchoman Distillery) Whisky Review Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky Origin: Kilchoman Distillery Bottling: Kilchoman Distillery Company ABV: 50% Cost: £74.93 What they say: We are delighted to announce the first ever Sauternes Cask Matured Kilchoman.  The Limited Edition release of just 6,000 bottles will be available […]
  • kilchoman-6-year-old-2012-single-cask-release-cask-4052012-drinks-by-the-dram-whisky Kilchoman 6 Years Old 2012 Single Cask (2018) – Kilchoman 2012 Wine Cask Finish whisky review: Another great example of smoky and sweet from Kilchoman, reminiscent of previous port cask releases this fruity red wine cask has certainly worked here. 90/100
  • Kilchoman 100% Islay 3ed Kilchoman 100% Islay 3rd Edition (2014) – Kilchoman 100% Islay 3rd Edition ~ 50% (Kilchoman Distillery) 50% ABV, £59.95 for 70cl Score: 81/100 What they say: We are very excited to announce the upcoming release of our 100% Islay 3rd Edition. This is the latest edition of the 100% Islay range which is produced from barley grown, malted, distilled and bottled at […]
  • Kilchoman 2007 Vintage Hi Kilchoman 2007 Vintage (2014) – Kilchoman 2007 Vintage ~ 46% (Kilchoman Distillery) 46% ABV, £51.60 for 70cl Score: 86/100 What they say: The 2007 Vintage is the latest release in the Vintages range. We have previously released the 2006 Vintage which was a vatting of five year old bourbon barrels. The 2007 Vintage is a vatting of six year old […]
  • Kilchoman 2008 Vintage (2016) – Kilchoman 2008 Vintage (46%, OB, 2015) Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky Origin: Kilchoman Distillery Bottling: Kilchoman Distillery Company ABV: 46% Cost: £65.95 What they say: On Monday September the 7th 2015 at 10am we will release our first ever 7 year old whisky.  The Limited Edition 2008 Vintage is a vatting of fresh ex […]
  • Kilchoman-8-2011-Unpeated Kilchoman 8 Years Old 2011 Single Cask 490 (2020) – Kilchoman 8 Years Old 2011 ‘Unpeated’ Cask 490 RMW Exclusive Whisky Review: Ha! Cheeky Kilchoman putting unpeated distillate together with peated feints and forshots from the previous distillation run. Matured in a first fill ex-bourbon barrel (or hogshead based on the number of Cask strength bottles) there is not much here to mask mostly spirit nature. It has been sometime since I regularly sampled Kilchoman and this was a very welcome return and my favourite of the tasting. 83/100
  • Kilchoman Madeira Cask Matured 2011 Kilchoman Club 3rd Release (2015) – Kilchoman Club 3rd Release Madeira Cask ~ 58.4% (Kilchoman Distillery) Single malt scotch whisky 58.4% ABV, £75 Score: 84/100 What they say: The Kilchoman Club Release – Third Edition is exclusively available to members of the Kilchoman Club. This release will be our first ever Madeira matured single malt. The bottling is a vatting of […]
  • kilchoman-club-fourth-release-sauternes-cask Kilchoman Club 4th Release (2018) – Challenging, not overly complex, unusual. Improves with a drop of water as I felt the peat masked a lot of the cask influence and the sweeter Sauternes-influenced notes I was hoping for. 83/100
  • Kilchoman Coull Point (2014) – Kilchoman Coull Point 46% (Travel Retail Exclusive) 46% ABV, £44.99 for 70cl Score: 83/100 What they say: Continuing the tradition of Kilchoman whiskies being named after landmarks near the distillery, Coull Point is a rugged headland just half a mile north of Machir Bay.  Coull Point is a limited edition bottling exclusively available from 14 […]
  • Kilchoman-Feis-Ile-2016 Kilchoman Feis Ile 2016 (2016) – Kilchoman Feis Ile 2016 (56.6%, OB, Oloroso Butt #429/2007, 637 Bottles, 2016) Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky Distillery: Kilchoman Bottling: Kilchoman Distillery Company ABV: 56.6% Cost: £90 What they say: Feis Ile 2016, this Kilchoman is matured in a Oloroso Butt cask number 429/2007. Limited release of 637 bottles. Colour – Dark burned copper […]
  • Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2014 Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2014 (2014) – Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2014 Edition ~ 46% (Kilchoman Distillery) 46% ABV, £59.40 for 70cl Score: 82/100 What they say: The Loch Gorm was filled into fresh Oloroso sherry butts in 2009 and bottled in spring 2014, this full ex-sherry cask maturation creates a unique balance of classic Kilchoman character and rich Oloroso sherry influence. Nose: mixed […]
  • Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2015 (2016) – Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2015 ~ 46% (Kilchoman Distillery) Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky Origin: Kilchoman Distillery Bottling: Kilchoman Distillery Company ABV: 46% Cost: £63.95 What they say: Our first release of the year is the latest edition of Loch Gorm. Loch Gorm 2015 has been bottled and only a limited amount of this release […]
  • Kilchoman Machir Bay 2013 Kilchoman Machir Bay 2013 (2013) – Kilchoman Machir Bay 2013 46% ABV, £39.60 Score 79/100 What they say: Machir Bay 2013 is a vatting of 4 and 5 year old ex-bourbon casks, with the 4 year casks being finished in Oloroso sherry butts for 4 weeks prior to bottling. 46% ABV. The Machir Bay range is Kilchoman’s core expression, first launched […]
  • Kilchoman Machir Bay 2014 (2014) – Kilchoman Machir Bay 2014 46% (Kilchoman Distillery) 46% ABV, £39.90 Score: 81/100 What they say: Machir Bay 2014 is a vatting of 5 and 6 year old ex-bourbon barrels and oloroso sherry butts. 46% ABV. The Machir Bay range is Kilchoman’s core expression, first launched in 2012 when it won the prestigious IWSC 2012 Gold […]
  • Kilchoman Port Label Kilchoman Port Cask Matured (2014) – Kilchoman Port Cask Matured ~ 55% (Single Cask Sample) 55% ABV, Released vatted at £68 for 70cl Score: 89/100 What they say: At the end of August we will release our first ever Port Cask Matured whisky, just 1000 cases (6) of the special edition release will be bottled. The Port Cask Matured release, the […]
  • Kilchoman Small Batch Release Kilchoman Small Batch Release 2013 (2014) – Kilchoman Small Batch Release 2013 58.2% (Kilchoman Distillery) 58.2% ABV, ~£60 for 70cl Score: 87/100 What they say: Kilchoman only produce just over 100,000 litres of spirit a year so when they release a small batch of whisky you know the numbers are limited. This has been matured in both ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso casks. Colour: […]
Independent Bottling
Drinks by the dram
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
  • SMWS 129.3 Unwind and set your watch to Islay Time (2015) – Kilchoman 4 Years Old 2008 129.3 Unwind and set your watch to Islay Time (60.2%, SMWS, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, 256 Bottles, 2013) Islay single malt scotch whisky 60.2% ABV, £75 Score: 84/100 What they say: Cask No. 129.3 What a nose: maritime, fishy, antiseptic and herbal. Let’s make a start; lobster pots, breakfast kippers, […]
  • SMWS-129.6-Peated-Candy SMWS 129.6 Peated candy (2016) – Kilchoman 6 Years Old 2008 129.6 Peated candy (58.9%, SMWS, 243 Bottles, 2015) Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky Origin: Kilchoman Distillery Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society ABV: 58.9% Cost: £76 What they say Cask No.129.6 Peated candy The first comment on the nose neat was sweet peat smoke and that enticing combination would be […]