When you are the first new Scotch distillery on Islay in124 years you’ve got rather a lot of people scrutinizing

you to see if you’re going to succeed or fail. Luckily for lovers of peaty whisky from Islay, Kilchoman

exceeded expectations with its first bottling in September 2009 and a lot of empty glasses were filled and

drained with satisfaction.

Kilchoman (pronounced kil HO men) is a unique farm distillery (Rockside Farm), which produces its own barley, has its own floor maltings, (some is produced at Port Ellen) and distills and reduces their spirit to 46% with Islay spring water. The operation is privately owned, with multiple investors, but was the brainchild of Anthony Wills in 2005.

According to the 2010 Malt Whisky Yearbook, the malt prepared on premises, “is peated for 10 hours to a peating level of 20-25 ppm [parts per million phenols] and then dried using warm air for 30-60 hours…the remaining malt, with the same specification as for Ardbeg (50ppm) is bought from Port Ellen.”

My own notes for that bottling were, On the nose: smoky, peaty, iodine, floral. On the palate: Sweet, smoky, soft, balanced, salty with a long spicy finish. 85-90.

The newest release is the Kilchoman Spring 2011 Release, 46% ABV, non chill filtered, natural color.

This bottling is a vatting of 70% 3-year old in first fill bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace and 30% 4 year old aged in first fill bourbon barrels, and then finished in Oloroso sherry butts for five weeks.

Color: Pale gold,

Body: Medium bodied, very slow legs

On the nose: Smoky, iodine, grilled peaches, sea spray, slight tariness, vanilla, cream.

On the palate: Smoky, briny, slight sweetness, vanilla, anise, charing bacon fat.

Long spicy finish. 90-95.

I didn’t taste the Spring 2011 and the Winter 2010 together, but it seems that the newer release has a bit more body and more complexity.

Local spirits purveyor, Wine Merchant, in St. Louis is bringing in a cask strength, single cask bottling, which unfortunately is sold out, but hopes to bottle another single cask for the

St. Louis area soon. Look for the regular bottling of Kilchoman in the next month or so.

Kilchoman is imported exclusively in the US by Impex Beverages. Thanks to them for this sample.