Timeline 2025

Founded at the Fèis Ìle in 2005, the Kilchoman Distillery celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025. And so the year 2025 was entirely dedicated to this special anniversary. A series of special events, such as the Kilchoman Days and a gala dinner on Islay, were accompanied by special anniversary releases such as the 20th Anniversary Cask Series. In addition, in 2025 Kilchoman also released other limited editions, such as Loch Gorm, 100% Islay and so on, with an age statement, in order to show whisky enthusiasts worldwide – even through figures that had previously been regarded as of little importance – what Kilchoman had achieved in 20 years.

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February 2025: Kilchoman 13 yo Release

The first limited release of the year to feature an age statement was announced on 19 February 2025: a 13-year-old bottling, which hit the shops shortly afterwards.

According to Kilchoman, this was a vatting comprising 70 per cent bourbon barrels, 20 per cent bourbon ‘octave’ casks and 10 per cent Calvados casks.

However, the Octave and Calvados casks mentioned require some explanation regarding their age and designation. The well-informed whisky lover is likely to be puzzled when reading the text on the packaging – which is very general by Kilchoman’s standards – given that the use of Calvados casks has only been permitted since 2019, and 13 years’ maturation in an Octave cask would suggest extreme woody flavours rather than a balanced whisky. But both questions can be explained: as with earlier Kilchoman bottlings, the ‘Octave Casks’ are in fact Quarter Casks, i.e. casks with a volume of approximately 100 litres, which were made for Kilchoman by a cooperage from Bourbon cask staves. As is well known, an Octave cask has a capacity of 50–60 litres; for a cask with a capacity of 100 litres, the term quarter cask (usually with a capacity of around 125 litres) is much more appropriate. Furthermore, the whisky was not matured in these casks for 13 years; rather, these are the casks not used for Kilchoman’s Quarter Cask Release in 2016, most of which were subsequently decanted into refill bourbon barrels to prevent the whisky from becoming too woody. With the 13-year-old release, Kilchoman found a way, years later, to make use of these casks after all, and it really had to be acknowledged that this was not simply a case of ‘getting rid of leftover casks’, but that the Quarter Casks imparted an additional lovely spiciness to the whisky.

Although Kilchoman, like some other distilleries, had filled its first Calvados Casks before 2019, these are of course not 13 years old; rather, these are Calvados finishes of just a few years’ age, matured in ex-bourbon barrels.

To summarise: all the whiskies used for the bottling are, of course, 13 years old, but the maturation or finishing period in the Quarter Casks and Calvados Casks was only around 5 years.

Kilchoman Founder & Managing Director Anthony Wills wrote: “After the overwhelming response to our 16 Year Old, I’m excited to announce the release of another age statement Kilchoman – The 13 Years Old. The ex-bourbon casks make up the large part of the vatting, lending that unmistakable Kilchoman character, while the addition of calvados casks, which may surprise a few people, infuses vibrant green apple and fresh fruit notes into the mix.”
“Although our older stocks remain limited, we’re excited to share a variety of aged Kilchoman expressions with you over the next few years.”

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25 March: Loch Gorm 2025 Edition – 10 years old – released

The 2025 edition of Loch Gorm, Kilchoman’s annual limited Oloroso sherry cask bottling, was released at the end of March 2025. As is well known, the bottling is named after Islay’s largest freshwater lake, situated near the distillery, whose dark, murky waters are said to be reflected in the rich copper tones of the sherry-matured Loch Gorm.

The annual Loch Gorm editions vary slightly from year to year in the composition of the casks used. With two exceptions in the early days of the range, when hogsheads were also used, the casks are always Oloroso sherry butts, though of varying ages and with different proportions of first-fill and refill casks.

As in 2024, Kilchoman’s founder Anthony Wills and Production Director Robin Bignal once again selected 23 Oloroso sherry butts, this time comprising 20 first-fill casks with robust sherry notes and three refill casks, intended to add depth and complexity. As is always the case with Kilchoman, the 500-litre sherry butts came from the Bodega José y Miguel Martín and were filled in 2013 and 2014 with spirit distilled from barley malt with a phenol content of 50 ppm. The approximately 18,000 bottles were bottled at an alcohol strength of 46 % ABV.

The trend in the anniversary year 2025 of providing all Kilchoman bottlings with an age statement was also followed for the Loch Gorm, and so the advertising featured much mention of the very first Loch Gorm, aged 10 years. For those who expected this whisky to be significantly older than the previous year’s releases, it should be noted that the youngest cask in the 2024 Loch Gorm vatting was 9 years and 11 months old…

Anthony Wills wrote: “Loch Gorm, in my opinion, is reaching it’s perfect age, balancing those rich sherry notes with our classic Islay spirit. 10 years maturation in sherry casks has added an abundance of rich spices, dark fruit and barbecue sweetness to the light citrus and peaty character of Kilchoman.”

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April 2025: New Travel Retail Release: Kilchoman Ballinaby

In 2013, Kilchoman released its first duty-free bottling, Coull Point, 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 were the only two releases; in the spring of 2025, Kilchoman reorganised its duty-free portfolio and launched a new release, which was initially available in the UK travel retail sector and later worldwide: Ballinaby – Sherry Casks. Ballinaby is a farm on the northern shore of Loch Gorm, home to one of Islay’s most impressive standing stones.

Bottled at 46 % and non-chill-filtered, the whisky bears no age statement. The buyer is told only that it was matured predominantly in sherry casks. The new release is an approximately 5-year-old vatting very similar to the Sanaig, though with a stronger bourbon cask influence – roughly 40% bourbon / 60% Oloroso sherry. The duty-free sector had asked Kilchoman for something similar.

At the same time, Kilchoman revamped its range for the duty-free sector: Saligo Bay was discontinued, and Coull Point and Ballinaby were to be available in future in both the UK and international travel retail sectors. Consequently, the duty-free range now mirrored Kilchoman’s core range (Machir Bay – Coull Point, Sanaig – Ballinaby) with a few minor adjustments. In order to achieve the margins required for the duty-free sector, Coull Point is essentially a younger version of Machir Bay with a very similar blend of casks.

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May 2025: 20th Anniversary Cask Series

Kilchoman celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the distillery’s founding not only with a series of events but also with special bottlings. The centrepiece of these anniversary releases – the 20th Anniversary Cask Series – was launched in early May 2025. It consisted of four Small Batch bottlings – two 14-year-olds, one 15-year-old and one 18-year-old single malt Scotch whisky, the oldest Kilchoman to date. For each of the four releases, Anthony Wills selected five casks and blended them together – 20 casks to mark Kilchoman’s 20th anniversary; 20 casks that embodied Kilchoman’s unique flavour profile and bore witness to two decades of craftsmanship, dedication and perseverance on the part of the team.

“It has been a journey, not always smooth, but immensely fulfilling.” – Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.

In terms of colour, the Kilchoman 15 Years Old Ex-Sherry Butts really stood out; it had taken on an intensely dark colour due to the extreme sherry influence and was bottled at an alcohol content of 52.7 % vol. The Kilchoman 14 Years Old 100% Islay was also matured in Oloroso sherry butts, producing intense notes of dates, spices and chocolate. The other two whiskies – Kilchoman 14 Years Old and Kilchoman 18 Years Old – were matured in ex-bourbon barrels, which contributed rich notes of vanilla and toffee.

Special new decorative packaging was created for the bottles with great attention to detail, and it is truly a joy to behold.

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29 May: Kilchoman Open Day at Fèis Ìle 2025

This year’s Kilchoman Open Day at the Islay Festival Fèis Ìle 2025 raised particularly high expectations amongst fans, as the distillery had been founded exactly 20 years earlier at Fèis Ìle 2005. And visitors’ expectations were not disappointed.

The varied programme once again offered a mix of special distillery and farm tours, masterclass tastings and numerous other events.

Here an overview:

MASTERCLASS TASTINGS

• 11:00 – 20th Anniversary Cask Series Masterclass with Anthony Wills – Tasting of the 20th anniversary series of four limited releases, which sold out quickly.
• 14:30 – Founder’s Cask Exploration with Anthony Wills –  tasting of six specially selected cask samples straight from the warehouse, including the 7th cask ever filled (Exclusive to Kilchoman Club members)

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BOOKABLE EVENTS

• Be A Bottler – 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00 (includes a personalised bottle of a Distillery Exclusive Single Cask).

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• Islay’s Farm Tour – 10:30, 12:30, 14:30 – Islay Heads, General Manager, took the participants on a tour of Rockside Farm and the surrounding area, sampling a few drams of Kilchoman whisky along the way!

• Open Tastings – these short tastings of four Kilchoman whiskies took place several times a day (tickets could be purchased at the bar).

EXPLORE THE DISTILLERY

Entry to the distillery on Fèis Day was free! Production areas were open and operational, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how Kilchoman craft it´s whisky. The team were on hand to share insights and answered all questions.

• Still House – here, visitors could not only see the stills in action but also enjoy a dram of Machir Bay. There was an opportunity to ask the team any questions about the stages of mashing, fermentation and distillation.
• Malt Floor – here, visitors could learn all about the art of traditional floor malting and have a go at turning the malt themselves. In addition, they could sample a dram of 100% Islay whisky, made from barley that had been malted on this very floor.
• Warehouse No. 3 – one of the traditional dunnage warehouses, where you could take a photo with Cask No. 1 and enjoy a small sip of Sanaig.
• Barley Fields – even on the way to the distillery, you could see the barley being grown on Rockside Farm to the right and left.

EATING, DRINKING, MUSIC & SHOPPING

• The Whisky Bar offered a selection of past and current bottlings from Kilchoman Limited Editions, Comraich Batches and Single Casks. Sample bottles were also available for drivers.
• Cocktail Bar – a range of different whisky cocktails were served at the bar throughout the day.
• Live music – there was live music throughout the day from Rhuval, Ceol an Aire and the Kilchoman Distillery Isle of Islay Pipe Band.
• Food Offerings – BBQ featuring local meats, light bites from the Salad Bar, as well as teas, coffees, and home baking from the Café left nothing to be desired in terms of food. Vegetarian and vegan dishes were also on offer.
• Gift shop – a wide range of branded merchandise was on sale.
• Games & Activities – with plenty of prizes to be won, were, as always, very popular.

WHISKY SHOP
The whisky shop opened from 10am, and offered the latest Limited Editions, the newest Distillery Shop Exclusive Single Casks, and, of course, the highly anticipated Fèis Ìle 2025 bottling.

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The Fèis Ìle Special Edition was a vatting of two refill Madeira casks from 2015. The 100% Islay whisky was distilled and produced from barley grown on Kilchoman’s own fields and then produced entirely at Kilchoman, ‘from barley to bottle’.

Anthony Wills wrote about it: “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.”  .

For Kilchoman fans who were unable to attend the festival in person, the distillery once again organised two different online tastings. The “Limited Release Line-Up” tasting with James & George Wills took place on Wednesday 28 May from 7.00 pm Islay time and focused on this year’s limited-edition Kilchoman whiskies. The ‘Founder’s Cask Exploration’ online tasting with Anthony and James Wills took place on Thursday from 2.30 pm Islay time. Here, four different cask samples – two bourbon barrels and two Oloroso sherry butts – were tasted, each in both the 100% Islay 20ppm version and the ‘standard’ 50ppm version. As always, the tasting packs for this event could be purchased in advance from the distillery’s online shop.

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2 July: Kilchoman Days announced

The year 2025 marked a special milestone in Kilchoman’s history. Opened in 2005 as the first new distillery on Islay in 124 years, two decades later Kilchoman has established itself as a highly successful Islay whisky distillery and takes particular pride in being independent and family-run, whilst upholding the traditional production methods of a farm distillery ‘from barley to bottle’.

To celebrate the anniversary in style, on 2 July Kilchoman announced a series of special events, the Kilchoman Days, which then took place throughout the year in a number of European countries.

The series kicked off in Germany, which is a key market for Kilchoman, and thanks to the initiative of the German importer HAWE, no fewer than three Kilchoman Days were held: on 26 July in Berlin at Whisky & Cigars, on 2 August in Nuremberg at Gradls Whiskyfässla and on 26 September at Weinhaus Hilgering in Dortmund.

Participants had plenty to look forward to:

• a guided tasting of the four-part 20th Anniversary Cask Series – this anniversary edition impressively showcased what Kilchoman has achieved over the past 20 years through a selection of outstanding whiskies, including an 18-year-old
• tastings of numerous other Kilchoman whiskies, ranging from the core range to single cask bottlings
• exclusive Kilchoman single cask bottlings available to taste and purchase at each of the Kilchoman Days. In Berlin, a Marsala wine cask finish was available, whilst in Nuremberg and Dortmund, a Ruby Port quarter cask bottling was on offer
• Kilchoman cocktails, including the winning cocktail from the 2025 ‘Shake the Farm Cocktail Competition’
• Kilchoman goodie bag with little surprises
• Prize draw with numerous prizes
• Exhibition of historic Kilchoman bottlings (Berlin only)
• Food and drink– from the famous “Whisky & Cigars Stullen” and free beer in Berlin to a five-course dinner in Nuremberg

Furthermore, the Kilchoman Days provided plenty of opportunities to exchange views with members of the Kilchoman team – and, in Berlin, even with Kilchoman’s founder Anthony Wills, the German importer and the whisky enthusiasts in attendance.

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The Italian Kilchoman Day took place on 4 October from 1.00 pm to 8.00 pm in Milan, in the heart of Piazza dei Mercanti, in the shadow of the cathedral. The programme was similar to that described in detail above for the German Kilchoman Days, featuring tastings, cocktails and a convivial get-together. An exclusively bottled Kilchoman Single Cask Release was also available to purchase at this event: a 9-year-old 100% Islay expression matured in a bourbon barrel.

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To mark the UK Kilchoman Day, the distillery hosted an event at the Edinburgh Academy Senior School on Saturday 15 November 2025. From 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm, visitors were able to sample not only the Kilchoman Core Range and the 20th Anniversary Cask Releases, but also New Make. And, of course, the day offered plenty of opportunities to chat with the Kilchoman team. As an exclusive release, the co-organiser, the whisky shop Royal Mile Whiskies, had selected another Ruby Port Quarter Cask bottling.

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18 August: Prize draw for a bottle from cask No. 01 has begun

To mark Kilchoman’s 20th anniversary, the distillery organised a number of anniversary events, such as the Kilchoman Days and the gala dinner on 6 September on Islay, and released a number of special bottlings, including the 20th Anniversary Cask Series. Shortly before another historic milestone – the 20th anniversary of the filling of the first cask on 14 December 2005 – Kilchoman also launched a competition in August 2025, giving whisky lovers the once-in-a-lifetime chance to win the very first bottle of a 20-year-old Kilchoman, drawn directly from Cask No. 1.

Kilchoman Founder Anthony Wills wrote:
“Over the years, we’ve released three individual bottles from Cask No.1, at 3, 10, and 17 years of age, raising over £20,000 for Scottish charities. As we considered how to mark this 20-year milestone, it became clear that selling it outright would put it out of reach for many of the people who have supported Kilchoman from the beginning. Instead, we have decided to offer the bottle as part of a prize draw. While only one person will ultimately win, this approach gives everyone an equal chance, not just collectors or investors with deep pockets, and hopefully, the winner will open and enjoy it as it was meant to be.” 

The bottle’s casing pays homage to the craft of traditional whisky making. Every material has been carefully selected to create both a tactile and visual experience for the owner. The lid, composed of layered textures, symbolises the distillery’s organic growth over the years. The box was crafted using five different production techniques, with paper sourced from another family company, G.F Smith.

Engraved on Islay, the glass bottle sits inside, depicting the distillery skyline. The owner will also find a hand-written note inside from Kilchoman founder Anthony Wills.

The prize draw ran from 12:00 on 18 August 2025 until 23:59 on 14 December 2025. Those interested could either purchase any number of tickets on the Kilchoman website (15 tickets cost £9) or request one free ticket by postcard.

In keeping with Kilchoman’s deep rooted connection to Islay, a portion of the proceeds was donated to local charities, including RNLI and Islay & Jura Sick Children’s Fund, who play a vital role in our community.

In January 2026, Kilchoman announced the winner, who had been selected at random from thousands of tickets sold: it was Henrik Mork from Oslo, Norway.

“I can’t quite believe I have won such a historic bottle of Kilchoman. It was only by chance that I ended up visiting the distillery when I was on Islay. I just couldn’t resist entering the prize draw after learning the story behind Kilchoman’s unique farm distillery and seeing the stunning bottle and box on display.” Henrik Mork

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3 September 2025: 15th 100% Islay Edition released

The 100% Islay Edition for 2025, released once again on schedule in September and already the 15th release in the popular series, was a vatting of 54 ex-bourbon barrels that had been filled in 2015 and 2016. This means that the whisky, which, as in 2024, was nine years old, was made from barley harvested at Rockside Farm in 2014 and 2015. As is customary with the 100% Islay range, the whisky was bottled at an alcohol content of 50.0%.

In 2025, Anthony Wills and Robin Bignal once again opted for maturation exclusively in bourbon casks, rather than adding Oloroso sherry casks to the vatting, and shortly afterwards released a 100% Islay Limited Release matured exclusively in Sherry casks, which we very much welcomed.

As is well known, the barley varieties grown at Rockside Farm had changed over the years. Following the Optic variety, grown until 2010, which shaped the character of the first ten 100% Islay releases, from the eleventh 100% Islay Edition onwards we were able to sample whiskies produced from malt made from the Publican variety, grown between 2011 and 2014. For the 2025 release, the Concerto variety – which has been grown since 2015 – has now been used for the first time alongside Publican.

In the past, it had become apparent that, particularly in the case of the slightly less peated 100% Islay distillate, the varieties of barley used do indeed result in a noticeably different flavour profile. As we have described here on several occasions, the strawberry-like fruitiness of the early Optic 100% Islay releases in particular shifted towards more tropical fruit notes (‘pineapple notes’) in the whiskies produced from Publican barley. The Concerto variety, on the other hand, brings a quite distinct note of hay and grass. In this new release, this blends very pleasantly with the hint of pineapple from the Publican barley.

Anthony Will wrote: “Fresh vanilla gives way to tropical fruit, toasted oak, and salted butter, with layers of candied citrus fruits, ripe pear, white pepper and waves of peat smoke.” 

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6 September 2025: 20th Anniversary Party on Islay

The highlight of the numerous celebrations marking Kilchoman’s 20th anniversary in 2025 was undoubtedly the gala party held on 6 September on Islay.

Kilchoman had invited 230 guests to the event – people who had been associated with the distillery over the past 20 years. Among them were importers from 35 countries worldwide, all shareholders, representatives from the firms José y Miguel Martín and Forsyths, many staff members – ranging from Kilchoman’s first manager, Malcolm Rennie, to the youngest stillman – representatives from other Islay distilleries and the island’s hotels and whisky bars, as well as a select few members of the writing profession, including Dave Broom, Graham Ward and yours truly.

The celebrations began with a champagne reception, accompanied by a performance from the Islay Pipe Band. In his speech that followed, Anthony Wills looked back over the distillery’s eventful history and, in moving terms, thanked the guests present for what they had each achieved for Kilchoman in their respective fields.

The guest speech was then given by Michael Fraser Milne, the owner of Whisky Galore and a close friend of the Wills family, who had the audience in stitches time and again with his many amusing anecdotes.

After a delicious meal, which included, amongst other things, a whisky from the last remaining Oloroso sherry cask from 2006, music was played in the marquee in front of the Visitor Centre for dancing.

A truly magnificent and perfectly organised party!

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16 September 2025: New Private Cask sale for Kilchoman Club members

On 16 September 2025, Kilchoman announced that it would once again be selling a limited number of private casks exclusively to Kilchoman Club members.

In the distillery’s early years, Kilchoman had sold numerous freshly filled casks to private individuals in order to raise much-needed capital to run the distillery. This Private Cask Programme was discontinued in 2007; indeed, in the years that followed, Kilchoman even endeavoured to buy back as many of these casks as possible in order to replenish its meagre stock of casks from the early years.

With the exception of 15 casks, which were auctioned off in 2020 to mark the distillery’s 15th anniversary, no further casks were sold to private individuals for many years. However, the significant increase in production capacity following the distillery’s expansion in 2019, combined with the financial challenges posed by the ailing whisky market, led to the decision in 2024 to offer club members the opportunity to purchase their own Kilchoman cask.

In September 2025, Kilchoman once again offered this opportunity to its club members, particularly those who had missed out in 2024. Once again, there were 150 casks, which had been filled with the heavily peated 50 ppm spirit. Whilst only bourbon barrels were offered in 2024, it was now possible to purchase not only first-fill bourbon barrels at a price of £5,250 per cask but also Oloroso sherry hogsheads at a price of £6,950.

Unlike in 2024, when the casks were allocated amongst registered interested parties via a lottery, this time the 150 casks were sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

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October 2025: 11 yo 100% Islay Sherry Cask Matured Limited Edition

Since 2011, Kilchoman has released an annual 100% Islay Limited Release, presenting its flagship product line, which is slightly less peated and produced entirely on site (‘from barley to bottle’) from the farm’s own barley. These ‘single farm single malts’ are Kilchoman’s raison d’être, as they fulfil the distillery’s aspiration and pride in being a farm distillery. Since 2018, Kilchoman had moved the release date of the bottling to autumn, linking it to the end of the barley harvest for marketing purposes.

In 2025 Kilchoman released two different 100% Islay Limited Editions for the first time. In addition to the ‘normal’ bottling released in September, which was matured entirely in bourbon casks, there was an 11-year-old bottling from Oloroso sherry casks.

Whilst the early 100% Islay Limited Releases from 2011 to 2017 had always been matured exclusively in bourbon casks, since 2018 there have been occasional releases to which a certain proportion of Oloroso sherry casks has also been added. This did not meet with unanimous approval amongst Kilchoman fans, as Kilchoman remains the only distillery where one can taste the subtle, yet perceptible, differences between individual barley varieties. However, this only works with the less heavily peated 100% Islay bottlings that have been matured in bourbon casks. With very heavily peated whiskies or the use of casks with more dominant flavours, such as sherry, this is hardly possible. Incidentally, other distilleries that have boldly committed themselves to the influence of terroir and barley varieties on the flavour of whisky have, in the past, rendered this claim absurd by using a motley mix of the most diverse cask types in their bottlings.

We had therefore repeatedly expressed our wish, both on Kilchomania and in personal conversations with Anthony Wills, for the annual release to be matured exclusively in bourbon casks, and had suggested an additional pure sherry bottling instead of a bourbon/sherry blend. In 2025, Kilchoman had implemented exactly that, which we naturally welcomed very much. Fans of sherry cask whisky now had the opportunity to discover how Kilchoman’s Single Farm Single Malt harmonises with with these casks, while this year’s 15th edition of the ‘normal’ 100% Islay release introduced us to a new barley variety for the first time with Concerto.

For the Sherry Cask Matured Release, Anthony Wills and Robin Bignal selected 16 Oloroso sherry butts from the years 2012, 2013 and 2014. As always, Kilchoman sourced the casks from the Jerez-based bodega José y Miguel Martín, which produces them at its cooperage near Huelva.

Kilchoman Founder & Managing Director Anthony Wills wrote: “I’ve had my eye on these casks for a while, waiting for the perfect time to bottle them.” 

Bottled at 50 per cent ABV and, as is always the case with Kilchoman, uncoloured and non-chill-filtered, these casks yielded 12,000 bottles.

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October 2025: First Kilchoman Single Cask Bottlings for Travel Retail released

As we reported, Kilchoman had reorganised its duty-free portfolio in early 2025 after more than 10 years without any changes. A new expression, Ballinaby – Sherry Casks, was launched, whilst Saligo Bay was discontinued. The Coull Point expression remains available and, like Ballinaby, is set to be available in both the UK and international travel retail sectors in future.

In October 2025, Kilchoman then released single cask bottlings for the travel retail sector for the first time in its history. These consist of one Marsala Single Cask Finish each for the three major Scottish airports: Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. All three bottlings are 8 years old and were finished for 2 years in Marsala wine casks.

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5 November 2025: Official launch of the Machir Bay Cask Strength 2025 Edition

By the end of 2020 and the end of 2022, Kilchoman had already released two limited-edition cask-strength bottlings of Machir Bay.

These two releases proved hugely popular amongst whisky enthusiasts, as they showcased a significantly fruitier side to the Kilchoman Standard Release and were fine examples of how a higher alcohol content can enhance a whisky’s flavour.

At the end of 2024, in response to numerous requests from Kilchoman fans, Kilchoman then released the second Kilchoman Standard Release, Sanaig, at cask strength. This release, too, met with an overwhelmingly positive response.

In 2025, Kilchoman once again delighted whisky fans with a Machir Bay Cask Strength Release. Kilchoman had, in fact, slightly altered the composition of the release at the end of 2024 under the internal designation Machir Bay Evolution. Whilst the proportion of bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks remained the same at 90 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, the influence of the sherry casks had been increased through the use of more active sherry casks, which also resulted in a slightly darker colour. Since then, the bottling has also featured a slightly modified design.

Now, for the first time, the MachirBay Evolution could also be tasted at cask strength. 15,000 bottles were bottled at 58.1 per cent, with the design of the bottles and packaging closely modelled on that of the 2024 Sanaig Cask Strength Release.

Kilchoman Founder & Managing Director Anthony Wills wrote: “One of my favourite whiskies we have released, it has everything I love about Kilchoman spirit, with a little extra punch. There will be a lot of happy Kilchoman fans seeing the Machir Bay Cask Strength back on shelves.” 

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3 December 2025: Kilchoman Club Release 14th Edition

Kilchoman Club members were able to purchase the 14th Club Release online via the Kilchoman website on Wednesday 3 December 2025 from 12.00 noon Islay time.

Following the nine-year-old single cask release from an Oloroso sherry butt in 2024, Anthony Wills and Robin Bignal once again selected an Oloroso sherry butt in 2025, only this time it was significantly older at 16 years and filled with whisky produced from barley grown on the farm. To be more precise, it is the Optic variety of barley harvested at Rockside Farm in 2008, which was processed in 2009.

Anthony Wills wrote: “We are now in position to release a variety of age statement bottlings, showcasing how our spirit evolves over longer periods in cask. This fantastic dram has a more subtle peat smoke character than our typical releases, bringing through the rich sherry notes of this 500 litre cask.”

In 2025, the bottles in the well-known Kilchoman gift box featured a specially designed label for the first time, depicting a stylised mash tun.

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The bottles, which for the first time were not limited to one per person, were priced at £139 (including UK taxes) + shipping.

Buyers of the bottle were also automatically entered into a prize draw for a three-day stay at the Kilchoman Long Field Cottage, including a VIP distillery day experience. The four-bedroom cottage is situated just 200 metres from the distillery, overlooking the barley fields at Rockside Farm and Loch Gorm, with sweeping views back toward Kilchoman.

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Kilchoman bottlings of the slightly less peated 100% Islay distillate, matured in sherry casks, are generally quite rare. On the other hand, they were clearly one of the highlights of the 2025 anniversary year. As is well known, in the autumn Kilchoman released not only a ‘standard’ 100% Islay Limited Release, created from ex-bourbon barrels, but also an 11-year-old 100% Oloroso sherry cask release. However, as early as the start of the year, a 14-year-old 100% Islay Oloroso Sherry bottling was included amongst the four 20th Anniversary Cask Releases. These three releases allowed for a fascinating comparison of maturation periods of 11, 14 and 16 years in Oloroso sherry butts.

It is also essential to mention here the 100% Islay Oloroso single cask bottling in the Awakening Series, which was launched on 11 October 2025 at the first German Whisky Live fair held in Hamburg. This whisky was matured for over 8 years in an Oloroso sherry hogshead and, in our opinion, is one of the finest Kilchoman bottlings from this type of cask.

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