Kilchoman Fèis Ìle 2025 Release

Cask Nos.: 760/2015 & 766/2015

Cask type: Refill Madeira Hogsheads

Date Filled: 7.10.2015

Date Bottled: 21.4.2025

Age: 9 yo

Strength: 57,5 % abv

Level of phenols in malted barley: approx. 20 ppm

Number of bottles: 615

Bottle volume: 0,7 l

Bottle code: FEIS 25 21/04/25

Distribution: Distillery Shop Exclusive

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The 2025 Fèis Ìle special edition was a vatting of two refill Madeira casks from 2015. The whisky was distilled and produced from barley grown on Kilchoman’s own fields and then produced entirely at Kilchoman, ‘from barley to bottle’, making it a 100% Islay single farm single malt. As Anthony Wills himself pointed out, Kilchoman rarely filled its less peaty 100% Islay distillate into casks other than ex-bourbon and sherry. However, this was not Kilchoman’s first 100% Islay Madeira cask release. In addition to two bottlings for Taiwan and Japan, it can be compared in particular to the sister cask 765/2015 for the Brühler Whiskyhaus, which was released at the end of 2024.

Anthony Wills wrote: “As usual, our Fèis Ìle release is only available to those who make the journey over to Islay, sold exclusively through the distillery shop. While searching for something a bit unusual to bottle, I came across several Madeira hogsheads that were filled with our 100% Islay spirit back in 2015.

We very rarely mature our 100% Islay spirit for its full maturation in anything other than ex-bourbon or sherry casks, so I was thrilled to find these unusual casks coming along so well. The lighter peating level allows for the bold Madeira notes to come through into the whisky.”  

Limited to one bottle per person, the bottles were sold at the Kilchoman Open Day on 29 May 2025 for £97.50 at the distillery’s Visitor Centre.

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