Kilchoman Distillery,

Fèis Ìle Release 2023,

55.3% ABV

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The Fèis Ìle celebrations from 2023 have come and gone but the whisky remains!

This year, Anthony Wills (Kilchoman Founder & Managing Director) has hand-selected 3 casks for the Fèis Ìle release; a combination of one 11-year-old oloroso sherry butt and two 10-year-old bourbon barrels.

The chosen casks were filled with spirit created from Publican barley grown in our own fields in 2011 and 2012, of which, the barley was then malted, distilled, matured, and bottled on-site at the distillery, resulting in a 100% Islay release.

The beautifully balanced Single Farm Single Malt has been bottled at cask strength (55.3% ABV). 

TASTING NOTES

NOSE: Soft, warm and creamy, salty caramel, fruity peat smoke, dried apricot slices, banana mousse. The bourbon barrels come through very well.

PALATE: Very pleasant attack, soft and creamy as in the nose, dried apricots, banana puree, sometimes some mango. Mild and warm peat smoke.

FINISH: Long, soft and with lots of salty caramel and a very tasty, subtle peat smoke note.

“Selecting casks for our annual Fèis Ìle release is the highlight of my year.  I’ve always enjoyed the balance of character achieved by combining both bourbon and sherry casks, the bourbon barrels enhance and exhibit the character of the Kilchoman spirit whilst the sherry butt adds layers of richness and complexity.  The result is a beautifully balanced example of Kilchoman Single Farm Single Malt, a credit to the hard work of all the team, both on the farm and in the distillery,”   

— Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder & MD

About the Distillery

The grounds of Kilchoman are home to some of Islay’s most fertile ground. It is here, in the fields surrounding the distillery, where 200 tons of barley is grown each year. Planting in Spring once Islay’s 50,000 geese have migrated. With their 100% Islay malt and using some of the smallest stills in Scotland Kilchoman produces a spirit of unmatched purity. It is then matured in a combination of casks predominantly sourced directly from the world-renowned Buffalo Trace distillery in the USA and Bodega Miguel Martin in Spain. As well as bourbon and sherry casks Kilchoman also fill a number of speciality casks including Sauternes, Red Wine, Rum, Port, Madeira and Cognac casks as well as various secretive experimental casks.