Sanaig Cask Strength 2026 Edition announced

In October 2024, Kilchoman released its first limited edition cask strength bottling of Sanaig. This was in response to the increasingly calls from Kilchoman fans, following several highly popular cask strength releases of Machir Bay, for the second General Release of Sanaig to also be bottled at cask strength.

This 2024 Sanaig Cask Strength release was a huge success and has undoubtedly become the epitome of a powerful Islay single malt matured in sherry casks.

After Kilchoman released another Machir Bay cask strength in autumn 2025, the distillery has now announced the second Sanaig Cask Strength Limited Edition this year.

This ‘Dark Batch’ release has an alcohol content of 57.5 %. It promises, once again, rich peaty smoke with distinct sherry notes.

Kilchoman Founder Anthony Wills wrote: “Cask strength whiskies have a magic about them. They have an ability to surprise you, to deliver flavour in a way which is entirely unexpected.”

The release is due to be available from retailers across Europe from this week; it can already be purchased online via the Kilchoman website.

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In 2016, Kilchoman had made its sherry cask-influenced NAS malt Sanaig, named after an inlet north west of the distillery, which had already appeared in a few selected countries in 2015, its second ‘General Release’ bottling (after Machir Bay).

Sanaig is approximately 5 years old, the same age as Machir Bay, but contains a significantly higher proportion of sherry casks. To achieve this, the whisky is matured entirely in Oloroso sherry casks – predominantly the smaller sherry hogsheads – as well as in bourbon casks that have been finished in Oloroso sherry hogsheads. Kilchoman illustrates the sherry-bourbon cask influence graphically on the packaging of its two core products in the form of a “cask influence bar”, specifying it as 90% bourbon / 10% sherry cask influence for Machir Bay and 30% / 70% sherry cask influence for Sanaig.

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Cask types: Oloroso Sherry Casks / Ex-Bourbon Barrels – Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish (“Cask influence”: 70% Oloroso Sherry / 30% Bourbon)

Date Bottled: 08-10/2026

Age: NAS

Strength: 57,5 % abv

Level of phenols in malted barley: 50 ppm

Bottle volume: 0,7 l

Distribution: worldwide

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