New Travel Retail Exclusive Release: Kilchoman Ballinaby

In 2013, Kilchoman released Coull Point, its first bottling for duty free, more specifically for the British travel retail chain ‘World of Whiskies.’ This was followed in 2014 by Saligo Bay, a bottling for the international travel retail sector.

For over 10 years, these two bottlings remained the only ones available, but now Kilchoman has released another bottling for British travel retail: Ballinaby – Sherry Casks. Ballinaby is a farm on the north side of Loch Gorm with one of Islay’s most impressive standing stones.

Bottled at 46% and non-chill filtered, the whisky has no age statement. All the buyer knows is that it was mainly matured in sherry casks.

Peter Wills told me that the new bottling is a vatting very similar to Sanaig, but with a stronger bourbon influence – around 40% bourbon and 60% Oloroso sherry. The duty free shop had asked Kilchoman for something similar in style.

The duty free range now reflects Kilchoman’s core range (Machir Bay – Coull Point, Sanaig – Ballinaby) with a few minor adjustments. In order to comply with the margins necessary in the duty free sector, Coull Point is essentially a younger version of Machir Bay with a very similar cask composition.

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Cask types: Oloroso Sherry Casks & Ex-Bourbon Barrels – Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish

Bottled: seit März 2025

Age: NAS (approx. 5 yo)

Strength: 46,0 % abv

Level of phenols in malted barley: 50 ppm

Bottle volume: 0,7 l

Bottle code: BAL 19/03/25 25/24

Barcode: 5 060210 707798

Distribution: Travel Retail Exclusive

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