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Rockside Farm
Bruichladdich, Isle of Islay
In the spring of 2012 we were on Islay and were looking forward very much to the visit to Kilchoman Distillery. This is a very new distillery, founded in 2005, and the first to be founded in 124 years on Islay.
Located on a beautiful spot near Machir Bay, on the Rockside Farm, between the green hills on Islay. One of their expressions is named after Machir Bay, a beautiful bay, with kilometers of beautiful sandy beaches. A place where you think you have arrived at a tropical location on a sunny day, and not Scotland.
We went to Machir Bay for a stroll on the beach, and it was windy but sunny, it was just a bliss to be out there. We could imagine our selfs sitting there in the dunes enjoying a lovely dram of the Kilchoman Machir Bay expression, with the sounds of the ocean in front, and the green hills and sounds of sheep in the back.
Kilchoman is a farm distillery, and you see that they use everything again on the farm or in the distillery. About 30% of the barley used is from their own grown barley, the rest is bought in from Port Ellen Maltings. They have their own malting floor, and process about 2 tons per batch for 4 days, so 100 tons in total there.
Arriving at the farm, you see clearly the combination of the two. The cows on one side and the distillery on the other. It is a lovely place, not so big, but very nice, sure something you should visit when on Islay.
After looking around in the visitor centre with a shop of expressions of Kilchoman and local products, we had a bit to eat in the cafe. Then it was time for the tour to start, and with a little group we walked around the distillery. A lovely place and nice tour.
In 2011 they started with bottling them selfs at the distillery, and have a capacity of 100 cases per day. Founded in 2005, and released the first expression in september 2009, a 3 year old 1st single malt release. I understood that they do 6 mashes, 12 distillation runs, and 22 cask fills per week.
They use first fill bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace (Kentucky, USA) and first fill olorosso sherry buts & hogsheads from Miquel Martin (Jerez, Spain)
- Machir Bay releases
- 100% Islay releases
- New Spirit Bramble Liqueur
- Single sherry cask releases
- Single bourbon cask releases
- And some special releases....