Kilchoman 100% Islay – Inaugural Release

16 June 2011 marked a new milestone in the still young history of the Kilchoman distillery: the “100% Islay Inaugural Release” was released. Almost two years after the first Kilchoman whisky was presented with the Inaugural Release, made from barley malt from the Port Ellen Maltings, the first bottling of a 100% Islay whisky was finally released, the whisky that defines Kilchoman’s self-image as Islay’s only farm distillery.

A whisky made from barley from the surrounding Rockside Farm, in which all production steps from growing the barley, malting, kilning, mashing, fermenting, distilling, maturation to bottling were carried out on site. “From barley to bottle” as the distillery’s slogan says. The spirit distilled in this way is stored separately from the conventional Kilchoman whisky and, unlike the Kilchoman whisky bottled to date, is only slightly peated at around 20ppm.

As is well known, the rather long time gap between the two Inaugural Releases was due to the Kiln fire in February 2006. As a result, Kilchoman was only able to start 100% Islay production at the end of 2007.

Kilchoman once again organised a launch party to introduce the new release. The event was celebrated with family, friends, many whisky celebrities and numerous whisky bloggers. The well-known whisky author Charles MacLean took the opportunity to present the first 100% Islay whisky to the guests..

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Kilchoman’s 100% Islay Inaugural Release was matured for three years in fresh and refill ex-bourbon barrels. It was reduced to 50% alcohol content with Islay spring water and then bottled using the recently installed manual bottling line. A total of 11,300 bottles have been bottled and will be exported to 21 countries.

Simultaneously with the launch of the “100% Islay Inaugural Release”, Kilchoman also released a 100% Islay Small Batch Edition at cask strength, packaged in an attractive, handcrafted American white oak box and sold exclusively in the Distillery Shop for £149.

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Cask type: Fresh and Refill Bourbon Barrels

Vintage: 2008

Bottled: 2011

Age: 3 yo

Strength: 50,0 % abv

Level of phenols in malted barley: approx. 20 ppm

Number of bottles: 11.300

Bottle volume: 0,05 l / 0,7 l / 0,75 l

Distribution: worldwide (export to 21 countries)

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Colour: light gold

Nose: first impression: fruity in a combination of citrus (much), yellow fruits (medium) and apricot compote (little) but still very reminiscent of new make (rough, feints, light mash notes), hardly any smoke, slightly pungent, also some nuts, honey and vanilla

Taste: slightly oily mouthfeel, alcohol quite dominant, still hardly integrated, also here a lot of yellow fruits and some vanilla

Finish: medium length, dry-smoky, slightly bitter at the end

Conclusion: absolutely amazing for a 3 year old, but still clear new make notes and somewhat unbalanced, alcohol not yet well integrated (HPN 16.6.2016)

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