First Bottle of Kilchoman Single Malt Whisky auctioned
A limited edition bottle of Kilchoman Distillery’s first ever single malt from cask number one, filled in December 2005, was auctioned for charity by Anthony Wills on May 28 during the Kilchoman Open Day at the Islay Whisky Festival for a whopping £5,400.
The winning bid was made by Niels Ladefoged, originally from Denmark and who lives in the UK. The bottle of the three year old single malt has a unique design and is the only one of its kind. All proceeds of the auction will go to Islay charities.
The bottle and its presentation was exclusively designed for the distillery. The bottle is contained in an attractive box that was hand made by Howard Proctor, who is also a member of Kilchoman’s production team, and features a watercolour on the label, painted by Nicola Wilks, an artist from Otter Ferry Argyll with three generations of family connections with Islay.
The auction, which took place at Kilchoman Distillery’s Open Day on Thursday 28th May at 12.30pm, during Fèis Ìle, the Islay Festival of Malt & Music, has certainly helped to raise awareness of Kilchoman’s first single malt, which is due to be launched on September 9 this year.
Niels Ladefoged said: “I am delighted to have secured the very first bottle of Kilchoman Whisky and even more so that the proceeds are going to local charities. I have been fortunate enough to come to the island for many years, and I think it is one of the most welcoming places in the world. I know how hard people work with the charities and it is an absolute honour to be able to help in a small way. I feel the first bottle exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit of the island in general, and Anthony Wills and the Kilchoman project in particular.”
Anthony Wills, Founder & Managing Director of Kilchoman Distillery said: “We are delighted with the winning bid and a huge congratulations to Niels Ladefoged. Our thanks go to all those, both local and international, who made their bids for such a wonderful piece of whisky history. The money raised from the auction will go to Islay charities. The response from our auction has been encouraging and we look forward to an exciting year ahead and the launch of our very first single malt.”
.
