If you're going to be standing on the shoulders of giants, you best not be afraid of heights. In the whisky world, prestige and lineage inspires that sense of awe - who knows what century old stories are held within the malting rooms, distillery stills and barrel warehouses of those that came before? For us scotch drinkers, we are blessed to look up upon a pantheon of legendary distilleries that have withstood the test of time; that sometimes, it's hard to conceive the sheer bravery, courage and gut it takes to dare claim a place.

That is precisely the story of Kilchoman, the distillery that broke Islay's 124 year old dry spell.

Anthony Wills. Source: The Best Address

Anthony Wills is no stranger to the alcohol business, having been an independent bottler for 8 years for whisky. During his time as an independent bottler, he found that sourcing great casks were increasingly difficult - whisky had seen a boom unlike before. Anthony, in his interviews, mentioned that starting a distillery felt like the next natural progression.

Kilchoman Distillery. Source: Kilchoman

Natural doesn't mean easy, with more than a hundred well established distilleries producing great liquid. Anthony knew that his distillery had to be unique and special; and hence the big question: where?

Anthony and his wife, Kathy, set their eyes on Islay. One, Islay was already a much beloved region for outstanding whiskies; and two, Kathy had family on the island, which both Anthony and Kathy visited often. It felt like it was written on the stars for the distillery to be at Islay, which just so happened, to be the first for the island since 1881.

The next youngest distillery (at the time of Kilchoman's founding in 2005) was Bruichladdich, founded in 1881. Source. Islaywhisky.se

In 2005, the distillery was set up and to be named Kilchoman. Off near the coast of Northwest Islay road stood the Kilchoman Church, built in 1827, which used to serve a small population of 15,000 people. The area, which was also surrounded by many beaches, had some of the most fertile land Islay had to offer.

The Kilchoman Church and Cross. Source: SOBT

Here, Anthony had the idea to bring back  one of many traditions of the old: farm distilleries; where a portion of the harvested grain in the farm would've been turned to whisky. This was the key difference that the distillery was going to set itself apart its peers - and hence the distillery was built and named Kilchoman, where a few derelict farmhouses once stood.

Anthony proudly holding a bottle of the 100 Islay, Kilchoman's farm to bottle whisky. Source: Kilchoman

Where big name distilleries have moved towards modernisation (and, increasingly automated processes to increase production), Kilchoman was designed to include floor malting: the tedious, often backbreaking of wetting barley grains, spreading them all over a floor and turning them over (by hand!) using stakes to dry them out evenly over the course of a few days. This process, traditionally done a few decades and centuries ago, made the barley grains germinate, a crucial step before drying out the grains to be fermented.

To keep things even more traditional, the floor is not heated - hence, the malting team has to appreciate climatic differences, temperatures, and forces of nature in each batch!

The road wasn't easy; Anthony had to do much convincing and spreading the word of Kilchoman to get investors on board. It is not uncommon for budding distilleries to start producing gin first to rake in some profits while the whiskies slumber in casks for a few years, but Anthony did not pursue that route.

Source: Kilchoman

Instead, Anthony focused on producing whisky from the start, deciding to release younger whiskies instead. The move was unconventional, where age statements are prized and associated with quality, and that younger whiskies were deemed not flavourful enough. Nevertheless, Kilchoman's early releases were surely tasty enough to fund the distillery in the early years.

The barrel warehouse in Kilchoman. Source: Kilchoman

Another interesting facet of Kilchoman (and perhaps slightly related to the brand's origins) is the aversion from putting age statements on the bottle, at least currently. Despite not putting age statements on their bottles, most of Kilchoman's bottles come with a QR code that details how old and type the casks have been that went into the whisky. Part of Anthony's philosophy is to keep whisky reasonably priced, sharing the sentiment amongst many distillers that whiskies should mainly be opened and enjoyed, not collecting dust on a collector's shelf; and on the same vein, that the quality of the whisky matters more than racking up impressive age statements.

Anthony and Kathy Wills and sons. Source: Kilchoman

Today, Kilchoman still stands independently owned, becoming a family business where Anthony and Kathy's sons have joined in the distillery. The production volume of Kilchoman still compares relatively small compared to the others on Islay, but has been growing steadily, with a new still house being built on the property and the addition of a new pair of stills in 2019.

In our masterclass today, we even had a live feed of Russel touring us around the distillery! At Kilchoman, the distillery pretty much runs 24/7 with day and night shifts.

Kilchoman's been making a tour around Asia, debuting the Batch Strength bottling as their third installment in their core range.

I've had the chance to learn more about Kilchoman from the Brand Manager Catherine Macmillan, right at La Maison Du Whisky Singapore. We'll be taste testing the new Batch Strength, alongside other bottlings from Kilchoman. Let's get to it!

Kilchoman 100% Islay 13th Edition, 50% ABV

The first whisky was the 100% Islay bottling, a limited edition release that uses only Kilchoman's farm-grown barley. At Kilchoman, the malt is smoked to 20ppm peat, with this year's edition using Publican barley from 2012, 2013 and 2014 harvests. Kilchoman's 100% Islay is made with ex bourbon barrels. 

Kilchoman's farms account for roughly 20-30% of the malt used in the distillery, the variance owed to crop rotations on the farm. Source: Kilchoman

Nose: Refreshing green pomme fruits at first: sliced green apple, desiccated apple bits, accompanied with wheat biscuit and smouldering smoke. As it sits, burning firewood arises from the whisky, before subsiding into oat cookies.

Taste: Bright and slightly sweet. There is a lemon zest, tart green apple and slight lime peel in the whisky. it then turns slightly towards sliced vegetables, like raw capsicum and cucumber peels. Throughout the tasting, there is a lingering salinity that dances in the background.

Finish: On the finish, the flavours revolve around an ashy profile - like white wood ash and burnt leaf litter. After the initial wave of ash, sweetness comes through - sweet wheat biscuits, with a slight floral note of dried marigold. It then goes towards whole wheat flour, whilst the smoky ash clings to the sides of the mouth.

My Thoughts

Wow! While the smoke isn't particularly strong or the fiercely dominant at any one point of the tasting, it serves as the consistent, grounding beating drum. Throughout the nose, taste and finish, there is an ever present smokiness that reads like bonfires and smouldering embers.

Within the context of this tasting session, it really set the stage right on what Kilchoman has to offer; the signature smoke, the fresh and light profile of the whisky, and the noticeably higher proof (which did not feel sharp or burning).

Kilchoman Machir Bay, 46%

The Machir Bay was going to be Kilchoman's first core release, named after the scenic, beautiful beach two kilometres west of the Kilchoman distillery.

Machir Bay holds a special place in Anthony's heart - he even said that it was the best place to enjoy a dram of whisky.

The first Machir Bay was released in 2012, using outsourced malt that has been smoked with Islay peat to 50ppm (like all of the other whiskies in this list). The whisky features 90% ex bourbon cask and 10% oloroso sherry cask, aged for an average of 5 years. Catherine shared that this whisky was meant to be bright and refreshing.

Nose: Light, with a relatively honeyed and citrus nose. Lemon juice, lemon curd are the main aromas at first, with dabs of pollen-heavy honey come through every now and then. After letting the whisky sit a bit, the citrus notes start to take a step back, putting forth apple sauce, apple puree to take the stage. Then, it turns towards orange spirtz, before showcasing campfire smoke.

Taste: Whilst carrying sweetness, it does not suggest the same citrussy, tart brightness on the nose. White tea, crab apple, and peaches are the mainstay sweet flavours. After a bit of sitting, a herbaceous sweetness arises, akin to thyme stalks. A prickly ash texture starts to show itself more the longer it sits.

Finish: Relatively delicate. More cereal notes are revealed at the finish: wheat flakes, plain cereal, and bread flour. The prickliness of the ash on the taste ebbs and flows, eventually turning to wood ash.

My Thoughts

True to the brief, the Machir Bay was bright with a refreshing profile. The smoke wasn't as intense here, instead dulled a bit by the fresher, citrus aromas and sweet taste. I found the whisky having a slightly waxy texture, which gave it an enjoyable chew. Again, a great whisky that still showcases core Kilchoman, perhaps with more vibrancy and refreshing characteristics.

Kilchoman Sanaig, 46%

The next Kilchoman core release is the Sanaig, named after Sanaigmore, a cove at  the northern coastline of Islay. The Sanaig is made with 70% oloroso sherry and 30% ex bourbon, in particular, using Sherry hogshead. The Sanaig was first launched on 2014, with a global release on 2016.

Source: SOBT

Nose: Big and candied on the nose: golden syrup, golden raisins, chrysanthemum blossoms and a hint of candied green mango. There is a smoky aroma here, but more towards burnt brown sugar, hot boiling sugar, and caramel. Letting it sit,  the aromas reveal baked apple and brown sugar pie crust.

Taste: Slightly dense and heavy on the palate, with flavours of hot honey, sweetened tea, and the juice of fresh cherries. After the initial denseness, it opens up slightly, giving more warming spice, a mild black pepper numbness with a chewsome sweetened green tea flavour towards the end.

Finish: Rather gentle and subtle: burnt ends, toasted meringue, and again baked apple pie with heavy caramelised brown sugar. It turns more floral here as well, like jasmine blossoms and aromatic green tea.

My Thoughts

If you're looking for sweet, this is the whisky to go to. The sherry casks influence is still tightly balanced with fresh and smoky flavours, not turning cloying or dense. I find that this is a great crowd pleaser whisky, a versatile one that fits most occasions. Need something easy going, easy to sip and satisfyingly sweet; or; something that offers subtle, nuanced smoke and fruitiness, with an element of spice? Both are equally valid choices, and I could see why this was the folk favourite!

Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2024 Edition, 46%

If you've caught on, there's a pattern in Kilchoman's releases: that the distillery experiments quite a fair bit, tweaking the ratios of sherry and ex bourbon in each expression. The Loch Gorm is named after a famous lake within Islay, where the colour of its water has a brownish tint from running through layers of peat.

Source: Kilchoman

The Loch Gorm was chosen to reflect the colour of this pure oloroso sherry expression; and in this 2024 Edition, 17 fresh and 6 refilled casks are blended into this bottling, with the youngest cask being roughly 9 years old. Catherine mentioned that this whisky was meant to be big, bold and smoky.

Nose: Big, woody and sweet - teak furniture, raisins, dried figs, even some candied orange peels. It is a mix of many aromas intermingling with one another, for instance, dried fruits and dairy, such as panettone, loaded heavy with candied fruits. Interestingly, there is a floral element in the aromas, such as fresh white chrysanthemum flowers.

Taste: Dark raisins, cooked apples and candied orange come through at once immediately - a concentrated, dried and cooked fruit character that is not too sweet. After sitting for a bit, the whisky takes on a chocolately character, such as milk chocolate coated fruit gummies.

Finish: A flavour very akin to rosemary smoke - herbacousesly sweet, yet carrying a distinctive aromatic smoke flavour. The smokiness grows on the finish, giving flavours of lapsang souchung, smoked dried flowers and smouldering charcoal. At the end, a wood ash smoke rounds off the finish.

My Thoughts

This expression goes hard on the smoke, though, it reads like a slow burn, only really expressing itself towards the finish and after letting it sit for a bit (and yet, you don't catch much of this smoke on the nose either!). Nevertheless, this is a vibrant, balanced whisky that practices some restraint, not leaning towards overtly sherry notes with still some bright fruity elements coming through. For the folks who love smoke in their whisky, this is definitely one for you.

Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured 2023 Edition, 50% ABV

As the name says, this bottling is made out of mostly PX casks, though with the 2023 edition, mostly PX refill casks are used, with a minimum of 5 years.

Nose: Milk chocolate coated dark raisins at the start. After that, the aromas tilt towards chocolate fondue: a mix of heated, melted and warm milk chocolate and freshly cut fruits such as strawberries and black grapes. As it sits, the fresh berry aromas take over, such as strawberry and black cherries, before going towards strawberry compote.

Taste: Vibrant and sweet, with some tartness, like fresh kumquats, golden raisins, dried pineapple. Then, the whisky takes a turn towards more juicy and tropical flavours, like freshly sliced pineapples, custard apple, and barely ripened mangoes.

Finish: Relatively honeyed and confectionery on the finish, such as icing biscuits, sweet wheat biscuits, yellow sponge cake and lemon bars. After the initial burst of confectionery flavours, it turns towards a combination of fresh figs and campfire smoke.

My Thoughts

The vibrancy and bounce on the whisky is delicious, maintaining the fresh, smoky vibrancy of Kilchoman's signature profile, whilst integrating a yummy sweet, chocolatey candied flavour into the whisky. Again, this was a display of Kilchoman's savvy restraint at play - the whisky doesn't feel overly sherried or cloying in any sense, keeping a balance that showcases the new make with its relatively young cask age. If you need a fresher style of sherried whiskies, this is really a solid pick.

 Kilchoman Batch Strength,  57.3%

Remember what makes Kilchoman so special - being a farm distillery! And where there are farms, there are cattle. Catherine shared many stories of how the mascot animal is bribed with food and treats during the photo bottle shoots. It's a lot more engineered than the photos might suggest!

 Source: @kilchomandistillery

For the Batch Strength, to reflect the big, bold personality of the whisky, Rory the bull was chosen - the only male within a herd of 30 animals. The whisky is bottled at cask strength, being a mix of 70% ex bourbon, 10% oloroso sherry cask, and 20% "recharged" red wine cask from the Douro Valley. By "recharging", the inner layer of the red wine casks are scrapped to temper the influence of wine into the whisky.

Source: @kilchomandistillery

Whilst bottled at cask strength, as this bottling would be the new core release of Kilchoman, for consistency sake there is water added to the whisky to maintain the 57.3% alcohol by volume.

Nose: Right on the nose, there is a big grassy note - overgrown grass fields, tree foliage, followed by fresh tea leaves. After letting it sit for a considerable amount of time, the whisky starts to get fruitier on the nose, like lemon icing and lemon poppy muffins. The smoke is ever present as well, intermingling with the grassy and fruity aromas, akin to hojicha and smoking damp vegetation.

Taste: Chewsome green tea flavours at the start (in particular loose leaf teh hijau), with a relatively grassy, vegetal edge following up quickly, such as raw kale or cut grass. The fruitiness comes through, again, reminiscent of lemon flavoured cakes or candied lemon peels. Sitting for a while, cooked marmalade, stewed peaches and fruit pie filling take over, which then gets taken by roasted leafy vegetables such as chargrilled kale or endives.

Finish: The vegetal, tannic profile continues on to the finish, giving hojicha tea stalks, with its rough, chlorophyll-ic and mild smoky edge. Burnt dried flowers, smoking lavender arise, which is then accompanied with a toasted bread flavour - like the char spots on pita bread or naan. The cereal profile of wheat porridge, steel cut raw oats and wholemeal bread finish off the whisky.

My Thoughts:

If I had to summarise the whisky in one picture (or painting, or photograph, depending on your imagination), I conjure the image of farmers toiling hard on the land green with shoots, with a campfire at the background. This whisky is fresh in a vegetal sense, giving elements of fruits strongly every now and then, whilst maintaining that strong smoky backbone throughout. Don't be shunned away by the high proof however, the whisky reads like normal strength whisky despite being at 57%! Considering the Kilchoman style as a whole, this feels like a worthy side offload that's definitely worth the trip down to; it gives a slightly different scenery and character to the Kilchoman profile. Worth a try!

 Kilchoman Feis Ile 2024, 53%

Catherine brought something special from Feis Ile, Islay's yearly celebration of music, partying and great whisky - a 100% Kilchoman barley unpeated expression!The whisky is from 2 12 year old ex bourbon barrels that have been blended together. With such limited bottles available, this one was something really special to try.

Nose: Fresh lemon juice and white chocolate ganache are the two main aromas at the start. Then, lemon peel comes through, alongside floral aromas like fresh frangipani and honeysuckle blossoms. The aromas then turn towards a sweeter profile, such as navel orange zest.

Taste: Green fruits at first: sweet green apple, overripe green pear, which then reveals honeyed flakes, altogether reading like a green apple flavoured granola. More wheaty and bran-like cereal notes are expressed, like wheat flakes, before rounding off to preserved orange peels and dried tamarind.

Finish: Delicate finish, whilst giving a waxy texture on the palate. White chocolate cereal bars, oat digestives and fresh clear honey develop on the palate, before coalesceing into a fruity, sliced red apple flavour.

My Thoughts

Wow! This really is a treat - fresh, fruity, appetising and sweet, all of what you want in a brighter, sweeter style whisky. Perhaps more interestingly is how without the Kilchoman signature smokey profile, you really perceive much intensity in the way of fruits and flowers, which really cannot be understated.

For fans of Kilchoman and those looking to acquaint themselves with the brand, the unpeated whisky really gives a new dimension to the distillery's house style, that is certainly worth the effort seeking out and trying. Delicious stuff!

Conclusion

I think Kilchoman offers something different from the meta so to speak - younger aged casks, a distinctive house style, and a true dedication to the craft despite being a relatively new kid on the Islay block. Not to mention, the blending of sherry with the ex bourbon is really masterful work here as well!

In a sense, I do think that Kilchoman also signals a change in the wind for whisky drinkers; for those just getting their lips wet into the category and for the seasoned folks who've been enjoying whisky for a long time, there is certainty a growing thirst for just simply good whisky - good new make, a clear house style, and whiskies that don't break the bank and are meant to be enjoyed. Cheers to Kilchoman, and definitely worth a try!

@vernoncelli