Kilchoman Batch Strength

It’s been almost two decades now since independently-owned farm distillery Kilchoman became the first new distillery on Islay in over 120 years. No longer the newest, nor a newcomer, Kilchoman is a beloved and long since established part of the Islay whisky landscape.

Although still traditional and small scale compared to their neighbours, the Wills family have nonetheless managed to expand multiple times, doubling capacity between 2018-2019 not just of their distilling operation, but also their in-house floor maltings, with further plans afoot right now. That’s alongside growing around 350 tonnes of different barley varieties themselves each year on their 230 acres of good barley growing ground. Batch Strength is a new release matured in a combination of re-charred red wine casks, oloroso sherry butts, and bourbon barrels. It’s bottled at 57% ABV for a “colossal” single malt with all the rugged power of the farm’s bull Rory.