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Sampling Kilchoman’s New 11th. Edition 100% Islay – A Whisky That Makes Me 100% Happy!

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Kilchoman launch their 11th. Edition 100% Islay!

Kilchoman launch their 11th. Edition 100% Islay, Single Farm Single Malt Whisky!

The 100% Islay 11th Edition was distilled from their 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 barley harvests before being matured for a minimum of 9 years in 26 bourbon barrels and 7 oloroso sherry butts.

The combination of lightly peated barley matured in both bourbon and sherry casks creates an intense combination of floral sweetness, layers of rich fruity character and soft maritime peat smoke.

Anthony Wills – Kilchoman Founder and Managing Director

From their inception, the 100% Islay range, Scotland’s only Single Farm Single Malt, was their reason for being. It represents the rebirth of farm distilling, where the responsibility for growing and malting barley, the foundation of single malt, is not outsourced but completed on site with skill, care and attention to detail. An unbroken chain of creation from barley field to bottle, each stage all done right here at Kilchoman.

Having tasted some excellent older sherry butts we quickly decided that they were at their peek, we then tried a few bourbon barrels of a similar age and the backbone of this edition came together very easily.

Our bourbon barrels and oloroso butts are incredibly consistent and this combination of roughly 40% sherry butts and 60% bourbon barrels works phenomenally with the style of whisky we produce. It allows both the citrus sweetness of our spirit and the rich fruity flavours of the casks to balance perfectly.
– Anthony Wills: Kilchoman Founder and Managing Director

Limited to 12,000 bottles, the 11th Edition 100% Islay is now available worldwide at a rrp of around £75. Bottled at 50% abv with no chill-filtration or colouring.

Limited to 12,000 bottles, the 11th Edition 100% Islay is now available worldwide!

Kilchoman has kindly sent me a sample to try. (Thanks kilchomandistillery.com / @Kilchomanwhisky!)

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Kilchoman 11th. Edition 100% Islay Single Malt Whisky (50%)


BARLEY VARIETY: OPTIC & PUBLICAN HARVESTS: 2007, 2009, 2010 & 2011

Nose: Sweet, peaty smoke with plump fruits, crunchy apples, cereal and toffee. Add in a salty, coastal breeze and you get a very inviting nose indeed!

Palate: Gorgeous cane sweetness with toffee, sticky fruits and smokey peat layering nicely on top.

Finish: Very smooth with a warming savoury spice, charred wood and those magnificient peat, sweet flavours. A joyous taste experience that keeps on through to a satisfying long finish.

Overall: Kilchoman never fails to impress me – their drams really do bring a smile to my senses! A nose to-die-for followed by flavours that NEVER disappoint!

My Conclusion: 100% Islay = 100% Happy!

Farm distilling – an unbroken chain of creation from barley field to bottle, each stage all done right here at Kilchoman!

Kilchoman is available to buy from these Merchants:-

Many thanks to kilchomandistillery.com (@Kilchomanwhisky) for sending me the sample!

About Kilchoman

Kilchoman Distillery is a small family run farm distillery based on the rugged west coast of Islay. The distillery was established by Anthony Wills in 2005, the idea was to build a new distillery which took whisky production back to its roots. Anthony and wife Kathy have been joined by their three sons; George, James and Peter.

Kilchoman produces its 100% Islay single malt from barley which is grown in fields surrounding the distillery and completes every stage of the whisky-making process at the distillery, including traditional floor malting. Kilchoman is the only distillery in Scotland to do this.

Since the first bottling was released in 2009, Kilchoman has quickly established itself as a high quality Islay Single Malt Whisky with these notable awards:

– Kilchoman’s exceptional quality was recognised at the prestigious International Whisky Competition (IWC) when Anthony Wills was named Master Distiller of the Year 2013.
– In 2016 both core expressions won major awards with Sanaig named Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky – no age statement at the IWSC and Machir Bay came first as Best Islay Single Malt Scotch in the International Whisky Competition.
– Machir Bay was also awarded a Gold Medal in 2015 at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) with Loch Gorm being awarded a Silver Outstanding Medal and 100% Islay a Silver at the prestigious awards.
– Kilchoman won Malt Advocates Artisan Whisky of the Year 2011, only three years after the first bottling was released.

Sampling Kilchoman’s ‘PX Sherry Cask Matured’ – A Limited Edition – With No Limits In Flavour!

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Kilchoman’s ‘PX Sherry Cask Matured’ – A Limited Edition!

Kilchoman has scored another first, namely ‘PX Sherry Cask Matured’, a PX (Pedro Ximénez) Sherry Cask Matured limited edition!

Some may already have tasted the single cask releases matured in PX from Kilchoman, but this will be the first general release, available worldwide.

Recent releases of Fino and Oloroso sherry matured whisky from the distillery has shown how each individual style of sherry has added its own unique character to the Kilchoman spirit. Pedro Ximénez, commonly referred to as PX, is a sweet sherry that adds waves of richness and intensely sweet flavours to the whisky.

This first edition of the PX Sherry Cask Matured is a vatting of 33 casks in total, 9 fully matured casks and 24 finished in Pedro Ximénez for between 12 and 18 months. These casks were combined to produce 12,000 bottles at a strength of 47.3% abv.

Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured is bottled at 47.3% ABV and is now available worldwide!

Pedro Ximénez casks aren’t always the easiest to work with. That was why we decided on a combination of full maturation and finishing, to balance the distinct PX influence with that of our spirit.

I’m delighted with the result; big and bold but with a delightful poise and balance of flavour.
– Anthony Wills: Kilchoman Founder

Kilchoman Distillery sits nestled amongst the traditional buildings of Rockside Farm on the north-west coast of Islay. Famous as Islay’s Farm Distillery, the distillery’s barley fields stretch west to the shores of Machir Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Established in 2005, Kilchoman is unique in many ways, most notably for their 100% Islay range, Scotland’s only Single Farm Single Malt. True to Islay’s rich farm distilling heritage, Kilchoman uses local Islay cut peat, slowly distilling by hand, maturing in traditional dunnage warehouses and bottling on site without colouring or chill-filtration.

Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured is bottled at 47.3% ABV and is now available worldwide – RRP: £74.94

Kilchoman has kindly sent me a sample to try. (Thanks kilchomandistillery.com / @Kilchomanwhisky!)

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured Limited Edition Islay Whisky (47.3%)

Nose: Plump, stewed fruits with inviting wisps of peaty smoke. It’s accompanied with a salty coastal tang which is a delight! Later on there’s sherry, chocolate and toffee caramel at the very end.

Palate: More of those tempting stewed fruits but this time there’s cherries as well. Hints of mint and menthol with sherry and chocolate adding to the fun!

Finish: Smooth, long and very warming with peppery smokiness and strong underlying tobacco.

Overall: The smokiness builds up over time and makes an excellent partner for the sweeter side of the dram.

Another very enjoyable whisky from Kilchoman – they are really spoiling us!

Kilchoman is available to buy from these Merchants:-

Many thanks to kilchomandistillery.com (@Kilchomanwhisky) for sending me the sample!

About Kilchoman

Kilchoman Distillery is a small family run farm distillery based on the rugged west coast of Islay. The distillery was established by Anthony Wills in 2005, the idea was to build a new distillery which took whisky production back to its roots. Anthony and wife Kathy have been joined by their three sons; George, James and Peter.

Kilchoman produces its 100% Islay single malt from barley which is grown in fields surrounding the distillery and completes every stage of the whisky-making process at the distillery, including traditional floor malting. Kilchoman is the only distillery in Scotland to do this.

Since the first bottling was released in 2009, Kilchoman has quickly established itself as a high quality Islay Single Malt Whisky with these notable awards:

– Kilchoman’s exceptional quality was recognised at the prestigious International Whisky Competition (IWC) when Anthony Wills was named Master Distiller of the Year 2013.
– In 2016 both core expressions won major awards with Sanaig named Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky – no age statement at the IWSC and Machir Bay came first as Best Islay Single Malt Scotch in the International Whisky Competition.
– Machir Bay was also awarded a Gold Medal in 2015 at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) with Loch Gorm being awarded a Silver Outstanding Medal and 100% Islay a Silver at the prestigious awards.
– Kilchoman won Malt Advocates Artisan Whisky of the Year 2011, only three years after the first bottling was released.

Sampling A Whisky Exchange Exclusive: Kichoman 2007, 13 Year Old – A Real Special ‘K’ – And It’s Available From Today!

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Kichoman 2007, 13 Year Old – Whisky Exchange Exclusive!

The Whisky Exchange has, today, released another one of their Exclusives – namely a Kichoman 2007, 13 Year Old!

Aged Kilchomans are few and far between so it’s a real treat when they release a 13 year old.

So what goodies are on offer? Here are the details:-
Kichoman 2007, 13 Year Old
Region: Islay
Made with barley peated to 50ppm
Matured in a single, first-fill bourbon cask – number 197 (18/7/2007)
Bottled: 25/2/2021
Bottled at cask strength of 53.9% ABV

Not chill-filtered
Natural colour
204 bottles available

Kilchoman Distillery is a small family run farm distillery based on the rugged west coast of Islay. The distillery was established by Anthony Wills in 2005, the idea was to build a new distillery which took whisky production back to its roots. Anthony and wife Kathy have been joined by their three sons; George, James and Peter.

Kilchoman produces its 100% Islay single malt from barley which is grown in fields surrounding the distillery and completes every stage of the whisky-making process at the distillery, including traditional floor malting. Kilchoman is the only distillery in Scotland to do this.

The Whisky Exchange has kindly sent me a sample to try (Thanks @WhiskyExchange!)

Only 204 bottles are available!

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Kichoman 2007, 13 Year Old – Whisky Exchange Exclusive (53.9%)

A 2007 Kilchoman single malt bottled in February 2021 exclusively for The Whisky Exchange after 13 years in a single ex-bourbon cask.


Nose: Sweet woodsmoke with fragrant peat. Fresh coastal notes. Attractive, crunchy, green apples. Later on it melds into toffee and vanilla.

Palate: Full-bodied mouthfeel. Dark, sweet peat with wisps of woodsmoke and green apples. Following on there’s mint on the highnotes and dark chocolate.

Finish: Biting spice and heady pepper – but it’s alright – that sweet vanilla woodsmoke saves those tastebuds! This then gives way to charred wood and burnt embers with a little dryness.

Overall: This 13 year old has some very satisfying peat notes and flavours and it’s a mighty fine dram for it! It’s aged well and developed lots of character and body.

I love Kichoman – I love this Kichoman even more than usual – it’s a real special K!
£125

Once again, many thanks to The Whisky Exchange (@WhiskyExchange) for the taster!

Sampling A Whisky Exchange Exclusive: The Caol Ila 2005, 15 Year Old – Get Ready For A Taste Bud Treat!

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The Caol Ila 2005 15 Years Old – Whisky Exchange Exclusive!

The Whisky Exchange has released another one of their Exclusives – namely a Caol Ila 2005 15 Years Old!

This 2005 Caol Ila single malt was matured in a single refill sherry hogshead for 15 years, before being bottled in January 2021 by Gordon & MacPhail as part of their Connoisseurs Choice range – exclusively for The Whisky Exchange.

Here are the details:-
Caol Ila 2005 15 Years Old
Region: Islay
Matured in a refill sherry hogshead #301507
Bottled: 06/01/2021

Not chill-filtered
Natural colour
266 bottles available

Gordon & MacPhail was established in Elgin, Scotland in 1895 and has always been a family owned and family run business.

They carefully select casks of whiskies from more than a hundred Scottish distilleries, many of which have since stopped production or simply vanished entirely.

Their ranges include Discovery – aimed at categorising Scotch whisky’s many facets and introducing new drinkers to new tastes in a manageable way – to the exclusive Private Collection and the iconic Connoisseurs Choice allowing them to cater for drinkers at every point on the Scotch whisky spectrum, from beginners to true connoisseurs.

The Whisky Exchange has kindly sent me a sample to try (Thanks @WhiskyExchange!)

“A glorious mix of orchard fruits and peaty smoke!”

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Caol Ila 2005 15 Years Old – Whisky Exchange Exclusive (57.5%)

Nose: Fruit and smoke battle it out in a friendly fashion! There’s wisps of woodsmoke and peat mixed with fresh orchard fruits, mainly apple, with some additional sweet, sherry notes – glorious!

Palate: Wonderful mix of orchard fruits and peaty smoke! Sweet sherry with shades of toffee and some zingy mint.

Finish: Fiesty spice with some serious punch to it! It’s tempered though with fading smoke and vanilla sweetness.

Overall: A great selection of flavours wrapped up in a very enjoyable dram. I love the combination of fruit and smoke – making for a fantastic taste bud treat!
£120

Once again, many thanks to The Whisky Exchange (@WhiskyExchange) for the taster!

Sampling Kilchoman’s Loch Gorm 2021 – A ‘Jack Of All Flavours’ – And A Master Of All Of Them!

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The Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2021!

The hotly anticipated Loch Gorm 2021 from Kilchoman Distillery has once again had its annual release!

Named after Islay’s largest freshwater loch neighbouring the distillery, Loch Gorm is their only annual limited edition matured entirely in oloroso sherry casks.

Year on year the vatting of Loch Gorm subtly changes (and sometimes not so subtly), in age, colour and character. 

The 2021 edition is a vatting of 24 oloroso sherry butts filled in 2011 and 2012

The 2021 edition is a vatting of 24 oloroso sherry butts filled in 2011 and 2012. These large 500 litre sherry butts have been sourced from Bodega Miguel Martin in Spain and filled with Kilchoman spirit peated to 50ppm.

Once these casks had been matured for a minimum of 9 years, they were then vatted together and bottled at 46% abv, resulting in 17,000 bottles being made available to Kilchoman fans around the world. 

Although we have always filled the bulk of our spirit into ex-bourbon barrels, the Loch Gorm releases have shown how well our peated Islay spirit can combine with sherry casks, something that’s not always an easy task.

Rich bold flavours with a breadth, depth and balance of character that sets it apart, the 2021 edition is packed with juicy fruit, macerated lemon and sweet chargrilled BBQ smoke.
– Anthony Wills: Kilchoman Founder and Master Distiller

Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2021 retails in the £69.95+ range.

Kilchoman has kindly sent me a sample to try (Thanks kilchomandistillery.com / @Kilchomanwhisky!)

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2021 Islay Whisky (46%)

Nose: Rich, smokey, peaty nose with smooth sherry. Then along comes some apple and vanilla with buttery biscuit. The peatiness fades away after a time to be replaced by lemon creams and fruit cake – delightful!

Palate: Sweet, thick, plump fruits with sweet spices including cinnamon. Add in some lemon citrus and dark chocolate and you have a gorgeous palate right there!

Finish: Strong black pepper, sweet liquorice, smokey polish finishing with a dry peat, smoke finish.

Overall: A cracking dram and I love it! Rich flavours abound and I can’t fault it. This whisky is a ‘Jack of all flavours’ – and it’s the Master of all of them!

Kilchoman is available to buy from these Merchants:-

Many thanks to kilchomandistillery.com (@Kilchomanwhisky) for sending me the sample!

About Kilchoman

Kilchoman Distillery is a small family run farm distillery based on the rugged west coast of Islay. The distillery was established by Anthony Wills in 2005, the idea was to build a new distillery which took whisky production back to its roots. Anthony and wife Kathy have been joined by their three sons; George, James and Peter.

Kilchoman produces its 100% Islay single malt from barley which is grown in fields surrounding the distillery and completes every stage of the whisky-making process at the distillery, including traditional floor malting. Kilchoman is the only distillery in Scotland to do this.

Tweet Tasting Bowmore’s Whiskies – ‘Timeless’ – But (With Drams This Good) How Can We Live Normal Lives Now?!

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Bowmore – Legendary, Timeless!

I was lucky enough to take part in the recent Bowmore ‘Timeless’ @TweetTastings – and it was truly Legendary!

Once again ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire, we were also joined on the night by David Turner, Distillery Manager at Bowmore, who imparted his wisdom!

The malts sampled were:-

  • Bowmore 12 Years Old
  • Bowmore 15 Years Old
  • Bowmore 18 Years Old
  • Bowmore ‘Timeless Series’ 27 Years Old
  • Bowmore ‘Timeless Series’ 31 Years Old

Bowmore was the first licensed Islay distillery, and has stood on the shores of Lochindaal, a sea loch opening out into the wild Atlantic Ocean, since 1779.

The distillery still operates in traditional ways, honouring the origin whisky-making techniques, refining their craft for over 240 years.

Bowmore uses the soft fresh water from the nearby River Laggan, barley malted in their proprietary malt barns and perfectly-timed fermentation periods with a cocktail of cultivated yeast to produce their single malt.

The Malt Barns are hand crafted, the tradition has been handed down through generations. It’s an art of time, turning the Barley by hand for 7 days. The tropical fruits Bowmore is well known for start out in the Malt Barns and get carried through the process to the whisky.

The Mash is run very slowly, stirring a maximum 3 times in 5 hours and 30 minutes which gives a nice semi-clear wort. This is what brings the fruity flavours through from the Malt Barns.

Fermentations are for 66 hours, using two different yeasts to give the Fermentation the flavours Bowmore requires.

The Spirit Stills are also run slowly – 16 litres per minute from each Spirit Still. This is to ensure only the finest and lightest of flavours carry over the neck of the Stills and into the Condensers and Spirit Safe.

If you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say you can view their comments by searching for the hash tag #BowmoreTimeless on Twitter.

So, what did I think?

Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite on the night!

Tasting Notes – Bowmore 12 Years Old (40%)

Bowmore 12 Year Old: Matured in a combination of Bourbon barrels and Oloroso Sherry casks. The oloroso sherry casks come from Bodega Jose y Miguel Martin in Jerez, Spain.

Nose: Peaty smoke with lovely coastal aromas – creamy vanilla with hints of citrus.

Palate: Sweet and pleasantly smokey which makes it very sippable! Zesty lemon and some floral notes.

Finish: A dry spicy finish with yummy peppery bite!

Overall: Lovely sipping dram with some great floral and smokey flavours!
Available to buy from these Merchants:-

Tasting Notes – Bowmore 15 Years Old (43%)

Initially matured in a combination of 12 years in Bourbon barrels and finished for 3 years in 1st. fill Oloroso Sherry casks.

Nose: Mmm, creamy sherry – completely different to the twelve! Raisins, plump fruits, dusky polish and very faint hints of strawberry! Plenty of toffee, toffee, toffee as time passes and this dram also gets smokier after a good long sit in the glass!

Palate: Ooh! Nicely sherried with plenty of fruit! Some smokey backburner action going on as well!

Finish: A spicy finish with blackcurrant & chocolate.

Overall: A big step-up from the twelve and a great dram to boot! As often is the case, the 15 of any range is a good compromise between taste (of an 18) and price-point (of a 12).
Available to buy from these Merchants:-

Tasting Notes – Bowmore 18 Years Old (43%)

Matured in a combination of Bourbon barrels and Oloroso Sherry casks.


Nose: Very fruity with plump blackcurrant. There’s more tropical fruitiness and also dusky roominess & furniture polish ‘Liquid’ smoke & toffee!

Palate: Very smooth and creamy with tropical fruits to the fore! There’s some dark chocolate and blackcurrants as well.

Finish: Growing smokiness with salt and increasing spicy pepper. Slightly medicinal at the end.

Overall: A classy dram with rich flavours of tropical fruits, chocolate and smokiness!
Available to buy from these Merchants:-

Tasting Notes – Bowmore 27 Years Old (52.7%)

Bowmore Timeless Series 27 Year Old: Limited to 3,000 bottles – Now available from specialist retailers, with a RRP of £1,500.00.

Initially matured in a combination of Sherry casks and Bourbon barrels for 15 years, before being matured for a further 12 years in first-fill Oloroso butts.

Bottled at natural Cask Strength of 52.7%, non-chill filtered and natural colour.

Shaped by centuries of skill and tradition, it’s single malt harnesses the power of it’s history in every single drop.

The Timeless Series reflects this legacy, celebrating the timeless creation, as patience and dedication combine with an unwavering attention to detail.

Bowmore are continually seeking different ways to bring their story to life and drive intrigue, as well as desirability. The Timeless Series supports this approach but also offers the consumer a limited edition proposition with the most exceptional single malt.

Nose: Rich, cane sweetness married with tropical fruits and loads of toffee! Heavy, stewed fruits, a little blackcurrant & loads of love! It’s woody, dusty, rich, creamy, chocolatey and timeless!

Palate: Rich, satisfying, mouthfeel with Chocolate, heavily stewed fruits & more chocolate! Blackcurrant, sweet vanilla toffee & tobacco.

Finish: Spicy pepper leads us out accompanied by that glorious stewed fruit sweetness.

Overall: A Very different dram, to me, than the 31 year old. A Fantastic flavour extravaganza though and an experience to be cherished!

Tasting Notes – Bowmore 31 Years Old (45.4%)

Limited to 3,000 bottles and available exclusively through Global Travel Retail for a RRP of £1,725.00

Initially matured in Bourbon barrels for 28 years, before being matured for a further 3 years in Spanish Oak Matusalem Sherry seasoned butts.

Inspired by the classic hourglass shape, each Timeless Series edition is housed in a distinctive black box.

Inside the bottle sits alongside an hourglass, designed to encourage the drinker to turn it and allow nature’s gravity to release the grains of sand into the base of the hourglass.

This gives three precious minutes to enjoy the nose of this beautifully balanced masterpiece that has taken decades to perfect.

Nose: Creamy, sweet vanilla with hints of background smoke. Dusky, oaky, old leather, tropical fruits including pineapple – WoW!

Palate: Very floral (rosewater) and amazingly so! Distinctive parma violets, pineapple & other lovely tropicalness.

Finish: Much the same with just a hint of pepper to increase the joy!

Overall: The 27 and 31 are heady drams and I defy anyone to say they don’t like them! They are an amazing taste bud experience and I wish the samples allowed me to spend more time with them. As ever, they ran out all too soon but I certainly won’t forget them!

My Favourite On The Night

Out of the 5, I think it’s got to be the Bowmore 27 Years Old – just stunning!.

Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) and Bowmore (@bowmore) for providing such glorious, special drams!

Many thanks to Bowmore for providing such glorious, special drams!

My fellow Tweet Tasters on the night were:-


@TheWhiskyWire @thedramble @TheWhiskyphiles @ocdwhisky @MaltMusings @rodbodtoo @WhiskyWings @Whiskylassie @MarkBylok @GreatDrams @joewb69 @KristianeSherry @cowfish @Whiskyexperts @PosDrinking @MoodieDavitt @MashtunandMeow @MrEdwardMilner @LaCaveDeCobalt @ChrisMCoates @ShayWaterworth @char_mcmanus @EdinburghWhisky @TheTRBusiness @T_M_Insider

Bowmore is available to buy from these Merchants:-

Elixir Distillers’ Gets The Go Ahead For It’s New Islay Distillery!

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Elixir Distillers’ new Islay distillery gets the green light!

The Argyll & Bute council planning committee has granted planning permission to Elixir Distillers to build its much anticipated new distillery in Islay, Scotland!

Born from a love of Islay and its whiskies, co-founders of Elixir Distillers Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh have taken a big leap forward in their dream to build an Islay distillery. The plans combine the best elements of tradition and modernity in both design and production.

Elixir Distillers is a creator, blender and bottler of fine spirits

The news that our planning application has been accepted is fantastic. We’ve worked closely with the Argyll & Bute planning committee to create plans for a distillery that fits into the landscape and supports the community.

We want to create whiskies that inspire both the people of Islay and Islay whisky fans world-wide, enhancing the already glowing reputation of Islay whiskies, while also becoming an integral part of the community.
– Sukhinder Singh: co-founder of Elixir Distillers

The design of the distillery features an exterior that keeps with the traditional look of the other south coast distilleries on Islay, alongside some modern touches that reflect the individual landscape of the site on which it will be built. The interior will include floor maltings capable of supplying over 50% of the full one million LA capacity of the distillery.

Elixir Distillers’ plans include housing on-site, a visitor’s centre and a multi-purpose educational facility. They also intend to create an apprentice programme to train the next generation of distillers, and hope to work with the local community and Scotch Whisky industry to create other initiatives to support the environment and people of Islay.

The next steps for the Elixir Distillers team will be to finalise details of their plans, with the objective of breaking ground in 2021. The name of the distillery will be announced at a later date.

We take great pride in being able to learn, as whisky enthusiasts and use that knowledge as a guide to find and bottle great whisky including our Independent bottlings brands Port Askaig and Elements of Islay.

Having our own distillery will be a fantastic opportunity to apply the same methodology and passion for flavour in a drive to make truly great spirit to enhance the incredible reputation that Islay single malt already has.
– Oliver Chilton: Head Blender at Elixir Distillers


About Elixir Distillers
Elixir Distillers is a creator, blender and bottler of fine spirits, seeking to combine aesthetically beautiful design with delicious, characterful spirits.

Their expertise is primarily Scotch whisky, together with rum, Irish, Japanese and American whiskies and tequila.

Their core brands include Port Askaig, Elements of Islay, Single Malts of Scotland and Black Tot which they export to more than 20 international markets.

Every member of the Elixir Distillers team is a spirits enthusiast with immense product knowledge, looking to produce the world’s next great drink.

Celebrating 15 Years Of Kilchoman – The Journey Of Exploration Continues!

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Kilchoman was the first distillery to be built on Islay in over 124 years!

The first Kilchoman cask was filled at the distillery on 14th December 2005. Fifteen years on, they are delighted to be celebrating the many achievements they’ve made so far and are looking forward to many more successful years to come!

Kilchoman was the first distillery to be built on Islay in over 124 years! The distillery was founded in 2005 by Anthony Wills and is Islay’s only farm distillery, producing Single Farm Single Malt. Kilchoman is one of the few whisky distilleries in Scotland to remain independent.

Spirit Run – Comparing Sassy and Concerto Barley

Comparing barley varieties and how they influence the character of the spirit is something Kilchoman Distillery often talk about. Anthony Wills, Founder & Managing Director, is a great believer that barley variety and yeast type plays a huge part in the overall characteristics of the spirit and it is something which he enjoys experimenting with.

Comparing barley varieties …

The different barley varieties are now kept completely separate throughout the whole production process and in cask.

Kilchoman have grown ‘concerto’ as their consistent choice of barley variety for the last five or six years and have found it performs very well. For the last three years they’ve experimented with growing a different variety of barley alongside the concerto. In 2019 they grew ‘sassy’ for the first time on the farm and are now running it through the production process.

Immediately differences in the character at the mashing and fermentation stages were noticed. On the nose, the characteristics are different. Sassy has a lemon and citrus note, it is very clean and fresh whereas concerto, although also very clean and fresh, it has more creaminess about it, richer and perhaps more depth.

Although there are very clear differences in the character of the spirit at this stage, Anthony still believes that the cask plays the biggest part in terms of the overall character of the single malt that you will enjoy.

It will be interesting to continue making these comparisons between the spirit from concerto and sassy throughout the maturation stage.

The Journey Of Exploration Continues!

Kilchoman is available to buy from these Merchants:-

Angels’ Nectar ‘Islay’ Edition Awarded Two Stars In The Great Taste Awards!

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Angels awarded Great Taste stars!

Great Taste (greattasteawards.co.uk), the stamp of excellence for food and drink in the UK, has announced its stars of 2020.

Out of over 12000 entries from more than 100 different countries, Grantown-on-Spey based Highfern Ltd has been awarded a 2-star Great Taste award, for their Angels’ Nectar Islay Edition, the criteria for which is ‘above and beyond delicious’.

Launched last year the Angels’ Nectar Islay Edition is an Islay Single Malt bottled at 47% and at natural colour by Highfern Ltd and retails for around £49.50.

Launched last year the Angels’ Nectar Islay Edition is an Islay Single Malt bottled at 47% and at natural colour by Highfern Ltd.

We love the very pale, lemon-gold colour. Fantastic smokey-bacon, dry woodsmoke, subtle caramel aroma, with pine and leather notes. The palate is bright and energetic, the nose follows well – that woodsmoke lingers long. Subtly medicinal finish, all brilliantly in balance with a malty, cereal note. Citrus peel on the finish. There is a level of complexity and balance here that deserves an award.
– The Great Taste judges

Judged by 144 of the most discerning palates, belonging to food critics, chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, buyers, retailers and producers, as well as food writers and journalists, Great Taste is the most coveted of awards for the speciality food and drink sector.

As well as a badge of honour, the unmistakeable black and gold Great Taste label is a signpost to an outstanding product, which has been discovered through hours and hours of blind tasting.

Our intention with Angels’ Nectar is to showcase different styles of Scotch Whisky, with a series of small batch releases. It’s wonderful that our Islay Edition has received this recognition, based on taste alone, from the most important awards scheme for the speciality food and drink sector.

– Robert Ransom: Angels’ Nectar founder

Great Taste values taste above all else, with no regard for branding and packaging

Great Taste values taste above all else, with no regard for branding and packaging. Whether it is waffles, whitebait or whisky being judged, all are removed from their packaging before being tasted blind.

The judges then savour, confer and re-taste to decide which products are worthy of a 1-, 2- or 3-Star Great Taste award. Despite the additional logistical challenges imposed this year due to lockdown, Great Taste adapted their processes to remote and socially distanced judging sessions, whilst ensuring that their robust judging standards were maintained.

There were 12,777 entries into Great Taste this year and of those products, 205 have been awarded a 3-star, 1,294 received a 2-star and 3,818 were awarded a 1-star accolade.

The panel of judges this year included; cook, writer and champion of sustainable food, Melissa Hemsley, cook, writer, stylist and voice of modern vegetarian cooking, Anna Jones, celebrated Spanish chef, José Pizarro, Kavi Thakrar from Dishoom, food writer and cook, Xanthe Clay, and baker and author, Martha Collison, as well as food buyers from Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose.

Angels’ Nectar is available to buy from these Merchants:-


· Highfern Ltd are the proprietors of Angels’ Nectar Whisky and importers of Langatun Whisky, Seven Seals Whisky, Smögen Whisky, Strane Gin & Kinghaven Rum. Alongside the Cairngorms Edition, Angels’ Nectar also offer Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – Original 40%, Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – Rich Peat Edition 46%, Angels’ Nectar Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Islay Edition 47% and Angels’ Nectar Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Cairngorms Edition 46%.

· In 2018 the Angels’ Nectar Rich Peat Edition was also awarded two Great Taste stars.

· For more information about Angels’ Nectar, please see: angelsnectar.co.uk (@angelsnectar)

Kilchoman Distillery & ImpEx Beverages Team Up To Spare Consumers From Paying Tariffs On Their Whisky.

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“The tariffs are a big blow as in the last few years we have seen steady growth in sales”

A message from Anthony Wills & Sam Filmus: Kilchoman Distillery, ImpEx Beverages, Inc.

Last month, the Trump administration announced damaging tariffs on all Single Malt Scotch Whisky, leaving members of our industry wondering how this will impact their supply chain and their customers along the three-tier system. There is no doubt that Americans will purchase less Scotch due to the hefty 25% tariff, but Kilchoman and ImpEx knew that we could not just leave it at that.

“If and when they are finally lifted, well… we know how to celebrate!”

The tariffs are a big blow as in the last few years we have seen steady growth in sales. It is hoped they aren’t in place for too long so the impact doesn’t do long term damage.
– Sam Filmus

Recently quoted in Whisky Advocate magazine (and parent company publication, Shanken News), Sam Filmus, President and Co-Founder of ImpEx Beverages, explained that he “airfreighted 19 additional pallets of Single Malt to last through the holiday selling season.”

As a boutique importer, he is “extremely concerned about how the tariffs will impact us, our suppliers, our prices, and, at the end of the day, the consumer that enjoys our whisky.”

Moving forward, Filmus and Wills agreed to swallow the cost of the tariffs, at least through next March, splitting it fifty-fifty to spare consumers from higher prices.

I think in the long run, it is going to be beneficial for the brand.
[It will allow] more people to get a hold of the bottles they’re shopping for.
– Sam Filmus

Needless to say, a 25% increase is substantial for both companies’ profit margins, but Anthony and Sam– who will celebrate the 10 year Anniversary of Kilchoman’s launch in the US in 2020 along with 10 years of partnership– are focused on continuing the long term success of Kilchoman in the United States. There was no hesitation that stepping up for their customers at this time is the right call. These tariffs are the most recent reminder that the whisky industry is not immune to global political and economic forces, and the most recent opportunity for two leaders in our industry to come together and demonstrate their commitment to putting consumers first.

Please feel free to reach out to us with questions on these tariffs or anything else Scotch-related. We will continue to keep you, our Kilchoman community, abreast of any changes to the state of these tariffs. If and when they are finally lifted, well… we know how to celebrate.

– Anthony Wills & Sam Filmus: Kilchoman Distillery, ImpEx Beverages, Inc.

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