Kilchoman Maury Cask Matured

Kilchoman Distillery, founded in 2005, is the newest, smallest, and westernmost distillery on Islay. Kilchoman (pronounced kil-‘ho-man) is a farm distillery and the first to be built on the island of Islay in 124 years. Kilchoman gives everyone the chance to come and see everything related to the distillation of malt whisky; from barley to bottle, following the best grass-roots traditions. Anthony Wills built his distillery in the vacant buildings of Rockside Farm, a still-working farm on the remote west side of Islay. The desire was to make as much use as possible of local ingredients to create a truly authentic Islay whisky. Kilchoman is one of the few distilleries that performs its own traditional floor malting. After considerable opposition and setbacks, the first spirit flowed from the very small stills in late 2005. On September 9, 2006, the very first official bottling of Kilchoman was presented on Islay. This New Spirit was judged by connoisseurs as very promising and an excellent base for a fantastic Islay Malt. As befits a true Islay whisky, a great deal of peat is used during the drying of the barley. With 50 ppm peat, Kilchoman became one of the most heavily peated whiskies. The distillery's own spring water is used to reduce the whisky to 46% alcohol. This water comes from the Octofad farm, located on the Rhinns of Islay.

Kilchoman Tasting Notes:
Color: Crimson. Nose: Figs, raisins, and dates, combined with salted caramel, orange peel, and soft peat smoke. Taste: Pipe smoke and dark chocolate, with undertones of syrup and warming spices. Finish: Dried fruit, cocoa, earthy peat smoke, and a subtle, dry spiciness. Anthony Wills, founder of Kilchoman, writes:

These powerful casks that have matured fortified wine can be a challenge to work with, but if handled correctly, they can yield something truly special. We are known for our policy of full maturation for many of our limited editions, and this is another example of that: bringing out all those wonderful Maury flavours in a bold and balanced whisky, not to mention the whisky’s incredible crimson hue.”