Timeline 2007

  • January: Two further stainless steel washbacks were installed. . This brings the total number of washbacks to four, which should enable a further increase in the production of Kilchoman whisky. The washbacks have a maximum filling volume of 6,000 litres and are charged with 5,400 litres of worts each.
Tun Room with 4 washbacks.
  • March: Laura McAffer joined the company as a trainee visitor centre manager. She works alongside Kathy Wills looking after the many visitors to the distillery and visitor centre.
  • May 31: The highlight of the Kilchoman Open Day at Fèis Ìle 2007 is a lecture by Dr. James Swan on whisky maturation at Warehouse No. 1. Also at Fèis Ile, Kilchoman presents the first bottling from its “MacBeatha” series: a 15-year-old Bowmore whisky with a rum finish (110 bottles, 54.3% abv). Until Kilchoman will be able to launch its own whiskies on the market, the company continues to operate as an independent bottler on a small scale. In addition to cask sales to private individuals, this is another way of financing the distillery’s ongoing operations in the early years.
  • August: 5 Year Old Futures. Following the end of the Private Cask Programme, Kilchoman offers its customers a new opportunity to secure whisky from the distillery at an early stage. With the purchase of Futures, one can secure the purchase of the first 5-year Kilchoman bottling. This will be released in 2011. (The futures were actually redeemed at the end of 2011 with the Vintage 2006 release).

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  • October 8: The Kilchoman distillery reported on its website that it had recently installed a new 3-phase generator, which has slightly more power than the original generator. Sudden power cuts when all the machines are switched on should now be a thing of the past.

  • October 29: Kilchoman announces an increase in production. From this week until the end of the year, the company will moving up to six mashes of 1 tonne per week. It will mean a shift system from 6.00am to 10.00pm on mondays and tuesdays to fit in the extra mash.
  • October 31: A first delivery of 210 fresh bourbon barrels from the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, USA arrives at Kilchoman. This will cover the demand for barrels for around 12 weeks.
    Having previously sourced bourbon barrels and hogsheads from Speyside cooperage, Kilchoman has now succeeded in securing the renowned Buffalo Trace Distillery from Kentucky as a Bourbon barrel supplier through the mediation of the very well-connected Dr James Swan. In future, the aim is to use only bourbon barrels from this distillery, which will be filled a maximum of twice. This should not only ensure the high quality of the barrels used, but also maximise the consistency of the cask material. The sherry casks (butts and hogsheads) are also sourced exclusively from Bodega Miguel Martin, Jerez in Spain.

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  • End of November: The malting floor and the rebuilt kiln, now equipped with an indirect, oil-fired drying system, are back in operation. Due to the destruction of the kiln in a fire in February 2006, the production of whisky from the company’s own barley – the credo of a farm distillery – could never really begin. Kilchoman is therefore all the happier that this frustrating time is now coming to an end.

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Timeline