Editor’s Note: The party behind this whisky gave us a review sample. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review. It should also be noted that clicking the buy link in this review earns our site a small referral payment, which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
Scotland’s Kilchoman distillery, founded in 2005, was, at the time it began production, the first new distillery to open its doors on Islay in many, many years. Distilling from grains grown on its island farm, the distillery team has churned out many fascinating releases as they showcase how a farm distillery can stand independently amongst its much larger and more well-known whisky neighbors.
One recent example of Kilchoman’s continued growth was the release late last year of its first 16-year-old to be bottled for global distribution. This means that the distillery now has enough older stock on hand to provide a bottling of this age statement on a worldwide level.
The Kilchoman 16 Years Old, which is what I’m reviewing today, is a combination of 21 casks maturing over 16 years. The cask mix is mostly ex-bourbon barrels, with a smaller number of ex-oloroso casks added in. It is peated at 50 ppm and bottled at 50% ABV, being non-chill filtered and of natural color. Pricing is set at $300.
“This is a landmark release for the distillery,” said Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder, at the time of its release, “the oldest global bottling we have done to date at 16 years of age. I look forward to Kilchoman fans around the world tasting this outstanding whisky and experience the evolving character of our single malt.”