Timeline 2013

  • The average cask filling rate is now about 21 casks per week, mostly fresh ex-bourbon barrels from the Buffalo Trace Distillery, but still sherry butts, too.
  • February: Robin Bignal, who had already worked part time at Kilchoman from August 2010 to January 2013, becomes a full time member of the production team after Gavin Douglas had left Kilchoman.
The later Production Manager Robin Bignal spreading malt on Kiln floor.
  • First week of April: A heat exchanger for the wash still is installed. Previously, the wash still was charged with 3,000 litres of fresh wash at a temperature of 20 degrees C, and after the first distillation, 2,000 litres of hot effluents (pot ale) at a temperature of about 99 degrees C were discharged. With the new heat exchanger, the heat from the effluents is now transferred to the fresh wash, preheating it to around 70 degrees C. This shortens the boiling time from 55 to 25 minutes, which results in a significant saving of steam energy.
The new heat exchanger and wash charger.
  • April 8: “Loch Gorm” is released. Named after the famous lake near the distillery, Kilchoman now gives its annual Sherry Cask release its own name. Aged for 5 years in Oloroso Sherry Butts and finished for 6 weeks in Oloroso hogsheads. Later it wins a gold medal at the IWSC Awards (International Wine and Spirits Competition).

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  • April: with the recruitment of Michael Barford the production team increases from 2 to 3 people.
Michael Barford

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  • April: at the 6th Vienna Whisky Fair, James Wills conducts a master class introducing the distillery and tasting 4 bottlings: “100% Islay”, “Machir Bay 2012” and “Machir Bay 2013” and the first “Loch Gorm” edition
  • 20 to 21 April 2013: For the second Tokyo International Bar Show, an exclusive Kilchoman single cask bottling was presented again, after the four-and-a-half year old bourbon barrel of the previous year, this time it was a four year (and not five year as incorrectly stated) Oloroso Sherry cask maturation.

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  • May 30: for the Kilchoman Open Day at the annual Fèis Ìle, a vatting of two 5 year old bourbon barrels (# 246 and # 247) from 2008 will be released, bottled in just over 500 bottles with an alcohol content of 60.1%.
    During the Open Day there will again be a variety of programme items such as barrel tastings, special guided tours, master classes, live music from the Islay Pipe Band. Those who were lucky enough to get a place at the so-called “Club-Tasting” even had the opportunity to taste a sip of the legendary cask No. 1 (2005).

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  • July 15: the 3rd release of “100% Islay” is released. It is a vatting of four and five year old 1st fill ex-Bourbon barrels. The circulation is 10.000 bottles.

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  • End of September: the newly built warehouse in Conisby is completed. This will enable Kilchoman to stop storing casks in foreign warehouses. The storage capacity of the new warehouse is 10,000 casks on 2,400 m2: twice the amount of casks Kilchoman has filled to date. Unlike traditional Dunnage warehouses, the decision was made to concrete the entire floor and not just the paths between the rows of casks. At the end of the year, all Kilchoman casks are stored there.
Conisby Warehouse.

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  • 5 – 7 October 2013: the de luxe trade fair The Whisky Show, organised by the renowned British whisky shop The Whisky Exchange, takes place for the fifth time in London’s Vinopolis. With over 2000 paying guests, a new record number of visitors is achieved. Kilchoman is not only represented at the fair with a stand mainly run by Anthony and Peter Wills, but as in 2010, they are again presenting an exclusive Kilchoman fair bottling. This time, not a three-year-old but a fresh ex-bourbon barrel that is almost five years old.

  • October 7: official presentation of the “Vintage 2007”. This bottling, limited to 10,000 bottles, marks the first time a 6-year-old Kilchoman is launched on the market. The bottling is a vatting of fresh and refill ex-Bourbon barrels filled in 2007.
  • 12 and 13 October: Aquavitae fair in Mülheim: Peter Wills, Sales Manager of Kilchoman and son of Anthony Wills presents among other releases the new “Vintage 2007”.
  • 21-25 October 2013: German Tasting Tour: Kilchoman manager John MacLellan presents the latest Kilchoman bottlings at tastings in five German whisky stores (Wein und Whisky Reifferscheid, Bonn-Mehlem; Friedrich Bremer Weinhandlung, Göttingen; Whiskyland Oranienburg, Flickenschild Whisky & Cigars, Itzehoe and Scoma, Jever). Exclusively for the Tasting Tour, the German importer Alba Import launched a “Kilchoman Small Batch for Germany”. Three five-year-old fresh bourbon barrels were selected by John MacLellan and finished for three months in Oloroso sherry casks.
  • 1 and 2 November 2013: The biggest Norwegian whisky fair Oslo Whiskyfestival celebrates its 10th anniversary. For this occasion, an exclusive Kilchoman Single Cask Release was bottled. The whisky was matured for exactly 5 years in a fresh ex-bourbon barrel (No. 476/2008).
  • November 4: the 2nd Kilchoman Club Bottling is released. Eight 1st fill ex Bourbon barrels filled in October 2008 were selected by Anthony Wills and John MacLellan and finished in Oloroso Sherry Butts. Bottled at cask strength, these casks will make about 2000 bottles. The selling price is £ 75.00. Curiosity on the side: At the end of 2013 there will still be a few bottles available in the distillery shop (!!).

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  • 9 to 10 November 2013: The 8th Milano Whisky Festival took place at Milan’s Marriott Hotel. Kilchoman released two exclusive single cask bottlings for this occasion. In addition to the “normal” festival bottling of a Kilchoman matured for five and a half years in a fresh ex-bourbon barrel, a five-year-old bourbon cask bottling for the Milano Whisky Festival 2013 and the Laida Weg Experience Hotel (Cask 126/2008) was released in July.

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  • 30 November to 8 December: Artigiano in Fiera (Artisans at the Fair), organised by Gestione Fiere S.p.A. (Ge.Fi.), is the world’s largest fair for handicrafts. Since 1996, it has provided an annual platform for traditional Milanese crafts from the fields of art & leisure, jewellery, delicatessen, fashion, home decor and cosmetics & care for handmade consumer goods. For the 2013 edition of the fair, an exclusive Kilchoman single cask bottling of a whisky matured for a good 5 years in a fresh ex-bourbon barrel was also released.

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  • December: at the end of the year Kilchoman reports a new production record: just over 130,000 litres of pure alcohol have been produced.
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