About Kilchoman Distillery
Kilchoman is a family-run farm distillery at Rockside on Islay's west coast. Anthony and Kathy Wills established it in 2005, making it Islay's first new distillery for more than a century. Its distinguishing idea is to reconnect whisky with farm-scale production, including growing barley, floor malting part of the crop, distilling, maturing and bottling on Islay.
That description requires precision. The 100% Islay releases follow the complete farm-to-bottle route using island barley, while other Kilchoman whiskies also use heavily peated malt supplied from Islay's larger maltings. Both streams belong to the distillery, but they create different levels of smoke and should not be conflated.
History
Planning for the new distillery began in 2002 when Anthony Wills sought a small, independently controlled operation. A redundant steading at Rockside Farm provided buildings and surrounding barley fields. Production started in 2005, restoring the farm-distillery model to Islay rather than attempting to recreate one of the island's lost nineteenth-century plants.
A kiln fire in 2006 interrupted production and closed the maltings for several months, an early test for the new enterprise. Warehousing and washback capacity grew soon afterwards. Kilchoman released its first three-year-old single malt in 2009 and launched 100% Islay in 2011, demonstrating the difference between simply distilling on the island and controlling the full local production chain.
A second malting floor and kiln opened in 2017. In 2019 a new stillhouse with another wash and spirit still, a mash tun and six washbacks doubled capacity while copying the original still shapes to preserve spirit character. The Wills family has remained central to ownership and management as production and international distribution have expanded.
What makes it distinctive
Barley grown around the distillery is floor malted and dried over Islay peat to a medium phenol level. Heavily peated malt from the Port Ellen maltings supplies other recipes. Surface water is collected near the distillery. Long fermentation, normally extending well beyond the minimum needed for alcohol yield, develops fruit that balances the maritime and smoky character.
Four small copper stills now operate in matched pairs. Their compact scale and deliberate spirit cut create an oily but bright new make with citrus and coastal peat. First-fill bourbon barrels and oloroso sherry casks are especially important, with other wine and fortified-wine casks used selectively. Much maturation takes place in Islay warehouses, and bottling on the island completes the locally controlled process.
Whisky character and significance
Kilchoman commonly combines lemon, pear or tropical fruit with vanilla, malt and clean peat smoke; sherry casks add dried fruit and spice. The own-farm malt is generally less heavily peated than the malted barley used for releases such as Machir Bay, so 100% Islay and the core range express related but distinct versions of the house style.
Visiting Kilchoman Distillery
The visitor centre can connect fields, malt floor, kiln, stillhouse, warehouses and bottling within one working site. Tours, tastings, shop and café arrangements should be checked directly rather than described through changeable timetables. Agricultural and production operations may affect which areas can be entered on a particular day.
Location and surrounding area
Rockside lies close to Machir Bay and the west-coast settlements around Bruichladdich, away from Islay's southern distillery cluster. The open farmland, Atlantic weather and nearby peat ground make the production setting easy to read. Driving distances on single-track island roads should still be allowed for generously.
- Whisky region
- Islay
- Location
- Rockside Farm, Bruichladdich, Isle of Islay, PA49 7UT
- Visitor information
- Check the official website for current tours, tastings, access and booking arrangements.
Further information
Visit the official Kilchoman Distillery website
Kilchoman: official distillery story
Kilchoman: official farm and production information