What does the term ‘vatting’ mean?
We use the term ‘vatting’ to describe the process of combining whisky from different casks to form the final product. These selected casks can be a combination of different cask types, for example our Machir Bay is a vatting of bourbon and oloroso sherry casks. They can also be of varying ages, for example in our Loch Gorm releases all the casks are oloroso sherry butts but they vary in age. Different casks impart flavours into the whisky in different ways, and so distilleries combine whisky from various casks together to find a balance of flavours to form their single malt releases.
How is vatting different from blending?
Vatting differs from the term ‘blending’ because the various casks selected for vatting are all from the same distillery whereas ‘blending’ is more commonly used to describe the combination of casks from more than one distillery.
So how does the master distiller select casks for a vatting?
Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder & MD explains the process of vatting casks for Loch Gorm, one of our annual limited-edition releases.
Every year when we select the casks for the Loch Gorm release the first thing we do is select the age profile that we want and research the casks that we have available in the warehouse. We have limited stock available, particularly from the earlier years when we were producing less spirit annually, we must be selective in the casks we choose to ensure we manage our stock profile. We need to make sure we reserve casks for older vattings or bottlings so it’s about getting that balance right between using older casks while also preserving stock for later releases. At the moment we don’t have huge stocks in the warehouse so we can’t just go in and select whatever we want, we have to be quite creative. Luckily we are very creative!
Thinking ahead to the number of bottles we want to release, we will work out how many casks are needed. One barrel equates to roughly 250 bottles. If there are 20 casks required we will go into the warehouses and sample around 50 – 60 casks. These will slowly be narrowed down to 20-25 casks, each with particular flavours that will combine to achieve the best depth and balance of flavour. We then do a ‘test vatting’. If we’re happy with how that has worked we will go ahead with combining the casks. If the test vatting isn’t quite where we want it to be then we will look at substituting or adding different casks. If we want more intense flavours we might choose fresh rather than refill casks, if we are looking for more depth then we might select some older casks. This is where the skill and experience of the master distiller comes in.
Once the final recipe of casks have been selected, they are decanted into the vatting tanks and the whisky is rummaged (mixed using jets of air) at the full strength (53-59% abv). We then take a reading to calculate how much water we need to add in order to reduce the ABV to within 1-2% abv of the bottling strength; typically 46%. The water, drawn from a spring at the base of the Cnoc Dubh hill is then added and the process is repeated for a second time to hit the exact ABV required ahead of botting.
360° Video Tour inside the warehouse
Click here to join Anthony inside one of our dunnage warehouses where he will give you his founder’s take on cask maturation and discover how he created our unique Kilchoman range of whiskies. With the moving 360° cameras you can have a look around and see what casks may be lurking in the dark corners of the warehouse!
Fèis Ìle is back! After two years of being restricted to online events, we are delighted to be gearing up to welcome you back to Kilchoman in person for Fèis Ìle 2022. We’re sure this will be our best festival day ever!
We have been busy selecting a range of special drams and cask samples for the masterclasses as well as planning various tours, activities, live music and entertainment which will take place throughout the day. And of course, there will be our Fèis Ìle 2022 release which will be available from the distillery shop only (limited to one bottle per person). £150 per bottle (70cl), approx. 900 bottles.
To celebrate welcoming visitors back to Islay for Fèis Ìle 2022 Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder, has selected some very special casks. The 2022 Fèis Ìle is a combination of 5 first fill bourbon barrels filled in 2006, making this a 16-year-old release! With just 7 casks filled in 2005, these represent some of the earliest casks ever filled at Kilchoman.
Kilchoman Fèis Ìle Day is Thursday 2nd June 2022. All the Masterclasses and a selection of events and tours can be booked in advance, click here for full details and availability.
MASTERCLASS EVENTS
- 10:30 – Founder’s Cask Tasting with Anthony Wills (Open to Club Members only, sign up here)
- 12:00 – Barley Varieties Exploration Tasting with Peter Wills & Robin Bignal
- 13:30 – Live Online Tasting with Anthony & James Wills – Tasting Packs are available to purchase from the distillery and online shop (click here)
- 13:30 – Archive Fèis Ìle Releases with Peter Wills & Antea Allegro
- 15:00 – Comraich Tasting with James Wills and Catherine MacMillan
BOOKABLE EVENTS
- Be A Bottler – 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 14:00, 15:30 (includes a personalised bottle of a Distillery Exclusive Single Cask).
- Islay’s Farm Tour – 10:00, 12:30, 15:00 – Islay Heads, General Manager, will take you on a guided tour around the farm and local area, sampling a few drams along the way!
- Range Tastings – 11:00. 12:00, 15:00 (Tickets can be purchased on the day at The Bar)
EXPLORE
All our major production areas will be open and operational throughout the day so it’s a great chance to see it all in action and chat to the experts that work at each stage, these include;
- Still House – chat with the still house team, take a look at our stills in action and try some new make which was distilled from different barley varieties.
- Malt Floor – discover the ancient art of traditional floor malting, try turning the malt yourself and enjoy a dram of 100% Islay on us.
- Warehouse – explore one of our traditional dunnage warehouses, take a picture with Cask No.1 and enjoy a nip of Machir Bay.
- Barley Fields – stop off at the Stone Cottage Field (first on your left after the Kilchoman sign at the end of the drive) where we’ve sown our two barley varieties, Sassy and Planet, side by side.
EATING, DRINKING, DANCING & SHOPPING
- The Whisky Bar will be serving endless supplies of Kilchoman limited editions, Comraich batches and cask samples.
- Cocktail Bar – our friends from The Malt Room Bar in Inverness have created a range of mixed drinks which will be available from the bar throughout the day, so fingers crossed for cocktail weather!
- There will also be two bands playing throughout the day in the Music Marquee, local meats served from the BBQ, light bites from the Salad Bar, cakes and coffees from the Café and all the branded gear you could ever want from the Gift Shop.
WHISKY SHOP
The whisky shop will be open from 10am stocking all our recent Limited Editions, the latest Distillery Shop Exclusive Single Casks and of course our very special Fèis Ìle 2022 bottling.
Great news… Machir Bay and 100% Islay have both been awarded Gold Medals in The IWSC 2022 competition!
Machir Bay, which scored 98 points and was awarded ‘Gold Outstanding’, is part of our core range and is available throughout the world. Named after the stunning beach next to the distillery, Machir Bay is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in approximately 90% bourbon barrels and 10% oloroso sherry. The high proportion of bourbon barrels creates a distinct balance of classic Islay character and fresh floral complexity.
100% Islay was also awarded a “Gold Award’ and scored 95 points. 100% Islay, our flagship release, is Islay’s only Single Farm Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It represents the revival of traditional farm distilling; growing our own barley before malting, distilling, maturing and bottling every bottle of our 100% Islay range on site.
Have you tasted these award-winning whiskies yet?
Click here for more information about our whiskies.
The Madeira Cask Matured limited edition was distilled in May 2016 and matured for 5 years and 3 months in 46 fresh Madeira hogsheads, before being bottled at 50% abv in August 2021. We had planned to release this in late 2021 however a bottle shortage meant that it was delayed. Now the wait is over and the Madeira Cask Matured is available from Kilchoman stockists around the world.
“Kilchoman really lends itself to maturation in fortified wine casks. The rich fruity character of the casks balances nicely with the creamy citrus sweetness of our new spirit. My preference when using wine casks has always been to use fresh first fill barrels with a view to bottling the whisky relatively young. This approach means the lighter clean flavours and the fresh maritime peat smoke isn’t overwhelmed by the cask influence,” Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder.
Due to Brexit and other restrictions with global shipments, the Madeira Cask Matured will not be available from our website. However, you will be able to get your hands on a bottle through our usual distribution partners around the world. For worldwide and UK distribution information please click here.
To be amongst the first to hear about future releases you can sign up for free and become a Kilchoman Club Member here
Kilchoman Sponsorship
We are delighted to be entering our sixth consecutive year of sponsoring Alan Roberts, a professional sailor who has been rising up the ranks to become one of the best short handed sailors in the world.
Sailing has always been something that both Anthony and Kathy Wills have enjoyed themselves. Did you know that Anthony has in fact sailed around the world! Anthony feels very passionate about supporting something you enjoy yourself hence his continued partnership with Alan Roberts.
Who is Alan Roberts?
Competing in the highly professional and competitive Figaro Class, Alan has gained vast amounts of experience through hard time spent on the water resulting in multiple podiums and winner of the VIVI Trophy for top International in the Figaro class, ranking amongst the best in the world.
Having sailed a variety of dinghy classes, sports boats and keelboats where he has gained a reputation for being a hard worker with a very focused, methodical mindset. This has led him to five UK National Championship titles, two Endeavour Champion of Champions wins in the UK.
Alan’s Ambition
Alan’s ambition is to compete in the 2024 Vendée Globe following in the footsteps of previous Vendée Globe Winners through the Figaro class he hopes to compete for the top step of the podium to become the first non-French winner of the event.
Sailing Background
Seven seasons in Figaro class since 2014
Over 50,000 miles Solo offshore
Top results in Figaro
- VIVI Trophy Winner ‘First International’ x 2
- Best Solitaire du Figaro leg result 3rd
- Best Championship du France en Solitaire 8th
Figaro podiums
- Solo Concarneau 2nd & 3rd
- Solo Normandie 3rd
- Solo Maître CoQ 2nd
- Solitaire du Figaro Etap 3 2021 3rd
- Tour du Bretange Etap 2 & 7 2nd
- Solitaire du Figaro prologue 1st, 2nd & 3rd
- Tour du bretange prologue 1st
- Bouée Radio France x 2
Click here to find out more about Alan and to follow his journey
Kilchoman is one of only a handful of distilleries still practicing traditional floor malting, a process that Scotland’s other distilleries have outsourced to commercial maltsters. The labour-intensive nature of floor malting is a significant factor in its demise, though it remains at the heart of our philosophy. Our 100% Islay represents the revival of traditional farm distilling, standing alone as Islay’s only Single Farm Single Malt Scotch Whisky, completing all stages of the process at Kilchoman from barley to bottle.
Steeping
Malting consists of three main functions: steeping, germinating and kilning. As the first of these steps, steeping could be said to be the most critical. The process of steeping determines final malt quality and if you don’t get this stage right, you are potentially giving yourself a greater chance of problems later in the malting stage.
At Kilchoman, the barley we harvest can be stored for up to a year before being used in the next whisky-making process, steeping. The purpose of steeping is to break dormancy in the barley and trigger germination by achieving an optimal moisture level in the grain which is normally between 43% and 45%. The main considerations at this stage are temperature, moisture content and germination and these are all carefully monitored by our team throughout.
Temperature – our steeping regimes vary at different times of the year to ensure optimal conditions are maintained. For example, in the colder winter months we often do an 8-hour steeping cycle which means the barley is steeped for 8 hours then drained and left for another 8 hours before repeating these steps for a total of three cycles. In the warmer months we do 12-hour cycles which means the barley is soaked for 12 hours then drained and left for 12 hours before repeating the soaking and dry cycle again. Both cycles take a total time of 48 hours, the significant difference is the water temperature during each steep. Ideally we want the temperature between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius. In the summer the temperature outside rises and therefore so does the water temperature which is sourced from nearby Glen Osamail. The shorter eight-hour steeping time across three steeps helps us to maintain a cooler water. Barley steeped at warmer temperatures develops less a-amylase enzymes which are critical for mashing. Another benefit of using colder steep water and a longer steep cycle is that there is a more uniform water uptake and hydration throughout the kernel.
Moisture Content – as well as ensuring the ambient temperature throughout, the correct combinations of water/air/water/etc must be given to result in the correct moisture content of the grain being raised to the required level of around 43-45%, and without ‘drowning’ it!
Typically, the first soak will bring the moisture level up to only around 37% so further steeping is required. By using multiple waters the air rest time after each steep allows the grain to accept more water in the next steep. It also avoids the risk that the grain will become saturated resulting in slower chitting if too much water is given too quickly.
It is crucial that the moisture content of the germinating barley is distributed as evenly as possible between each kernel. Air is blown through the grain suspension between the wet phases to remove carbon dioxide and toxic metabolites, to discharge excess heat and to replenish oxygen as well as helping to ensure that the grains are all consistently modifying.
During steeping, hydration stimulates the embryo into growth and respiration commences. If unchecked, the heat generated during steeping as the grain respires has a cumulative effect and forces the grain to respire more rapidly. Uncontrolled respiration causes the grain to hydrate quicker but in an irregular fashion throughout the grain population which can cause problems.
Germination – At around 35% moisture content the embryo within each kernel of barley will start to germinate, but there is insufficient moisture to allow the complete modification of the starchy endosperm that we require. Reaching the desired moisture level steeping and later at the drying stage is crucial as it determines the quality of the malt and will have an impact on the overall yield.
Malting
When the desired moisture content of between 43-45% is reached the ‘green malt’ (the term for the barley at this stage) is then spread on the malt floor by hand using traditional methods for the second phase of growth.
The thickness of how the green malt is spread on the floor is a judgement the team make in order to maintain the ambient conditions. In the colder months the room temperature will be lower so the green malt is spread in thicker piles of approximately 400-500mm in comparison to the warmer times of the year when it is spread more thinly. The reason for this is to maintain the ambient grain temperature for growing to continue.
Throughout germination it is essential that the grain bed maintains moisture otherwise the grain could become dehydrated and result in restricted modification. The moisture of the grain is monitored throughout and we maintain a moisture of above 40%.
At certain times of the year, mid-late summer especially, the air is warmer so in order to keep the grains within the desired temperature range we will open windows to help cool the room and spread the malt as thinly as possible on the floor. In contrast, at cooler times of the year, the green malt is laid on the floor in a deeper pile to help keep it warm. In particularly cold times we have occasionally kept the door from the kiln area open to gain some extra heat from the kiln fire. It is all about monitoring, assessing and responding to the environmental factors and how the grain is modifying at each stage of the malting process.
Ensuring there is a sufficient supply of oxygen to the grain whilst also maintaining an even temperature throughout all the grains is also vital. To ensure there is adequate aeration and an even temperature the floor is turned every four hours by hand using traditional tools.
Two major changes occur during the time the green malt is on the floor: Firstly enzymes are developed which break down the cell walls, the `action of these enzymes gives us freely available starch. Secondly, other enzymes are produced which break down proteins. Further enzymes are developed which will convert the starch into fermentable sugars in the mash tun during the mashing stage. These changes are known as “modification”. When the acrospyre is visibly around three quarters the length of the grain this indicates that we’ve reached the required point and the time has come to stop the germination process and conserve the enzymes required for mashing. It takes around five days to get to this stage.
Kilning
If germination continued a plant would grow and all the starches that convert to alcohol during fermentation would be used by the plant. The kilning stage terminates germination and prevents this from happening by reducing the moisture content of the green malt.
From the malt floor, the green malt is moved by hand to a conveyor which transfers it to the kiln. To obtain that famous Islay peat smoke character in our whisky, peat is cut from a local peat bank and burns under controlled conditions for 10-15 hours approximately. During this time the peat smoke rises up through the mesh kiln floor and penetrates the green malt. This time of peating gives us a phenolic level of approximately 20ppm.
The three main variables that affect the kilning process include: temperature, airflow and time.
Temperature – A combination of high moisture and high temperature would destroy the enzymes developed during germination therefore we maintain a low temperature to avoid this. Rather than a roaring kiln fire we control it so that it smoulders as we are looking to produce as much smoke from the peat as possible but keep the temperature inside the kiln from getting too hot.
Airflow – Similarly to when the green malt is on the floor, maintaining an appropriate and even temperature as well as good aeration is vital so turning by hand will continue every few hours and the temperature inside the kiln is monitored and adapted as required.
Time – Following on from the 10 -15 hours of peating we continue to reduce the moisture content for a further 20 hours approximately by forcing air through the green malt until it reaches a moisture content of between 4.7 – 5%. The kilned product is now called malt and is in a stable form. The grain is dormant and can now be transferred to rest in the silos for a minimum of six weeks before being milled for mashing.
For a full ‘360 Experience’ of the traditional floor malting process join James and Derek here
Click here for more information about our whisky
The 2021 Club Release is here! Available exclusively to Club Members from 2pm (UK time) on Wednesday 8th December. If you aren’t a member already, click here to register.
The 10th Edition of the Kilchoman Club bottling is a vatting of three 2008 oloroso sherry casks selected by Kilchoman Founder, Anthony Wills. The three hogsheads were vatted together and bottled at natural cask strength, 52.6%, producing a total of 807 bottles.
“These are some pretty special casks with quite a unique story. Originally the whisky was filled into oloroso sherry butts however I wasn’t satisfied with their development so in 2016 I decided to decant the whisky into refill oloroso hogsheads.
Since being decanted, the whisky has come on beautifully and in my opinion these casks are at their absolute peak in terms of depth of flavour. The influence of the sherry oak is certainly present however it is subtle and rounded, the character coming through on the palate is fruity and layered, offset perfectly by typical Kilchoman freshness and citrus sweetness”
Anthony Wills, Kilchoman Founder
Bottles will be limited to one per person, priced at £114.90 per bottle (Inc Vat, 70cl, 52.6% abv). To purchase a bottle on Wednesday 8th December, follow the link in your Club email or sign in to your Club page. If you have any questions then please email info@kilchomandistillery.com, call (+44) 01496 850011 or contact us via our social media channels.
On the 9th of November, Gleneagles Hotel hosted a Cocktail Competition in which their talented team of mixologists had the opportunity to create, name and present a Kilchoman Whisky based cocktail to a panel of guest judges. With a VIP trip to Islay to visit the distillery as the prize for the highest scoring cocktail, the team pulled out all the stops to impress!
Behind closed doors at in-house American Bar, Gleneagles-inspired speakeasy bar, the judges sat down while the team got ready with their ingredients and the glassware. First up was Andrei with his cocktail named, ‘Ballinaby.’ The inspiration for the name came from the spectacular 5 metre high standing stones at Ballinaby which is located on the north side of Loch Gorm.
Andrei presented a layered cocktail to represent the magnificent standing stone, the vegetation and views around the area.
Ballinaby
– 50ml Machir bay
– A bar spoon of honey, lemon and
nutmeg syrup
– 10ml yellow chartreuse
– Stirred and poured over a block of ice
– Served with sherry flavoured soda
– Garnish with maraschino cherries covered in honey crumbles
Second up was Emilio with ‘Machir Oyster.’ He told us the story of the encounter of two talking oysters on the shore of Islay and the drink he was offered while listening to their travel stories and samples of the souvenirs from the distant seas they visited.
Machir Oyster
– 50ml of Machir Bay
– A bar spoon of sugar
– 25ml of fino sherry
– Pinch of salt
– 25ml of plum sake
– Stirred in a coupette over ice, and finely paired with a coconut jelly and chilli slice
Gordon was our third competitor, and he was inspired by Masataka Taketsuru’s journey to Scotland and the series of events that brought him back home after three years with Rita, the love of his life. He talked about the path that led Masataka Taketsuru, as well as the influence of his Scottish wife, into the creation of one of the most famous distilleries in Japan.
Beating It
– 45ml Kilchoman Port Cask Matured
– 10ml Tonic Wine
– 25ml homemade beetroot sherbet
– 20ml lemon juice
– 25ml egg white
– Double stirred in a coupette and served with a dry beetroot slice
Our fourth drink was made by Giorgio, the head of coffee at Gleneagles. This time we travelled with our palate as the idea behind this pairing was to create a perfectly balanced cocktail with coffee without overshadowing Machir Bay’s fruity and floral aromas.
Expresso Scottini
– 50ml Machir Bay
– 50ml cold brew coffee from Kenya
– 25 ml homemade syrup from
Cascara (coffee husk), rose petals,
and sugar
– 55 ml lemon juice
– 30 ml clarified milk
– Stirred in a goblet, served with a sugar and
rose petal rim.
And to finish off our samplings, Theresa brought us right into the Christmas spirit with her reinterpretation of a white Russian on apple strudel. This was another story lead by flavours as Machir Bay was the inspiration for this drink and the idea of the Strudel was to enhance the notes of apples and the creaminess of the single malt.
Strudel
– 50ml Machir Bay
– 25ml Roots Mountain honey
– Homemade gala apple and
cinnamon syrup
– Topped with double cream
– Garnished with a slice of dried gala apple
seasoned with cinnamon, served over ice in a tumbler.
Lots of laughter was had and everyone enjoyed the chance to sample all these phenomenal drinks. Eventually, it was time to review the scores and name the winners, only two of them could win a VIP trip to the distillery! After much debating, as second and third place were extremely close in score, the hosts were thanked, and the winners were named.
Andrei and Emilio, who created the first and second drinks, were placed first and second! They couldn’t have been happier and kindly posed for a picture with their new Kilchoman hats.
Their drinks will be available at the American Bar and the Century Bar from 2022, but if you are visiting before then, you might be able to request them in advance.
A special thanks to all the people involved in this event, especially Michele Mariotti and his wonderful team at Gleneagles, and also to our secret judges for taking the time to be involved in the event. A great day was had by all.
Join us online for our ‘Christmas Live Tasting’ on Tuesday 28th December at 7pm Islay time.
Taste along with your Kilchoman Tasting Glass as Anthony and George talk you through a range of our whiskies, explaining how we make each whisky and what unique character and flavours can be found in each dram. This Christmas edition of the tasting pack contains two of our Core Range whiskies, Machir Bay and Sanaig, as well as two special limited bottlings, the 2021 Club Release and the Madeira Cask Matured. Tasting Packs can now be purchased from our online shop.
Machir Bay – 46% (20ml) – Our signature peated single malt is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in a high proportion of bourbon casks with a small sherry cask influence.
Sanaig – 46% (20ml) – Although also matured in both sherry and bourbon casks, Sanaig has a high proportion of oloroso influence, giving a vastly different character to the whisky.
2021 Club Release, Tenth Edition – 52.6% (20ml) – Official release date 7th of December.
Madeira Cask Matured– 50% (20ml) – The Madeira Cask Matured limited edition was distilled in May 2015 and matured for 5 years and 3 months in 46 fresh madeira hogsheads before being bottled at 50% abv. This will be released worldwide in Spring 2022.
Kilchoman Tasting Glass
As it’s Christmas we have also added some gifts to the packs, ranging from t-shirts to a bottle of our Distillery Exclusive Single Cask. Check inside your tasting pack to see if you are one of the lucky winners!
Why not pair your drams with some delicious chocolate? Two COCO chocolate bars that pair perfectly with our whiskies are now available from our online shop.
We are delighted to take part in the Distillers One of One auction with an American Oak Cask of Kilchoman New Make Spirit distilled in 2021. This is a rare opportunity to purchase a barrel of our 100% Islay new make spirit produced from barley grown in the fields surrounding the distillery and malted on our traditional floor maltings. Once distilled and filled into an American oak barrel, this spirit will be left to mature and bottled when the auction winner sees fit.
Launched in 2021, the Distillers’ One of One is a biennial series of auctions of Scottish whisky in aid of disadvantaged young people in Scotland. With over 37 donors and 42 unique lots, the aim is to be the first spirits charity auction to raise in excess of 1.2 million, improving the life chances of 1500 of Scotland’s disadvantaged young people over the next 5-6 years.
In order to help transform the life chances of young people in Scotland post pandemic, The Distillers’ Charity has created The One of One Youth Action Fund. The proceeds from the Distillers’ One of One Auction will be disbursed from the fund to a number of charities that focus on empowering Scotland’s young adults to create positive change in their lives and communities. Sotheby’s will also donate a portion of their buyer’s premium from the Auction to The Distillers’ Charity.
The auction will take place 3rd December 2021 at 13:00 GMT in Edinburgh.
Click here for more information
For assistance with bidding and registration, please contact:
+44 207 293 5283
