Kilchoman Distillery information
Kilchoman is one of only a handful of Islay distilleries built in the modern era, established at Rockside Farm in 2005. It sticks to a traditional farm-distilling model rarely seen in Scotland today: barley grown on site, floor-malted, distilled, matured and bottled entirely at the farm, which is why Kilchoman markets its flagship release as “100% Islay.” Around 30% of the barley used is grown on Rockside Farm itself, with the remainder bought in from Port Ellen Maltings.
The distillery is run by Kilchoman Distillery Co. Ltd under founder and managing director Anthony Wills, who had previously worked in the whisky trade as an independent bottler. A major stillhouse expansion, completed in 2019–2020, doubled production capacity, adding a second mash tun, six extra washbacks and two more stills.
Kilchoman Whiskies
Kilchoman’s core range centres on peated, coastal Islay character with a fruitier, farm-driven edge than its island neighbours:
- Machir Bay – the distillery’s signature bottling, matured mainly in ex-bourbon casks with a smaller share of Oloroso sherry, giving citrus, vanilla and maritime smoke.
- Sanaig – a sherry-forward sibling to Machir Bay, built on the same recipe but with a higher proportion of Oloroso casks, bringing darker fruit and cocoa notes.
- 100% Islay – an annual release made entirely from barley grown and malted at Rockside Farm, lighter in peat with cereal and vanilla notes.
- Loch Gorm – an annual, fully Oloroso sherry-matured release, named after the loch near the distillery.
- Batch Strength – introduced in 2024 as a cask-strength bottling of the house style.
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Kilchoman |
| Region | Islay |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Water source | Allt Gleann Osamail Burn |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Kilchoman Distillery Co. Ltd |
| Address | Rockside Farm, Bruichladdich, Isle of Islay, Argyll, PA49 7UT |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.kilchomandistillery.com/ |
| https://www.twitter.com/Kilchomanwhisky | |
| https://www.facebook.com/kilchoman.distillery/ | |
| Community | The Kilchoman Club |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 1.2 tonnes | 2 |
| Washback | 6,000 litres | 14 (Stainless steel) |
| Wash still | 3,230 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 2,070 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 480,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Kilchoman was established at Rockside Farm in 2005, one of only a handful of Islay distilleries built in the modern era. Kilchoman held the title of Scotland’s most westerly distillery until Abhainn Dearg took it over in 2007.
Kilchoman follows a traditional farm-distilling model rarely seen in Scotland today: barley grown on site, floor-malted, distilled, matured and bottled entirely at the farm. Around 30% of the barley used is grown on Rockside Farm itself, with the rest bought in from Port Ellen Maltings. This is why Kilchoman markets its flagship release as “100% Islay”.
Kilchoman is run by Kilchoman Distillery Co. Ltd under founder and managing director Anthony Wills, who had previously worked in the whisky trade as an independent bottler.
A major stillhouse expansion, completed between 2019 and 2020, doubled Kilchoman’s production capacity, adding a second mash tun, six extra washbacks and two more stills.
The core range includes Machir Bay, the signature bottling matured mainly in ex-bourbon casks with a smaller share of Oloroso sherry, giving citrus, vanilla and maritime smoke; Sanaig, a sherry-forward sibling built on the same recipe but with more Oloroso casks, bringing darker fruit and cocoa notes; 100% Islay, an annual release made entirely from barley grown and malted at Rockside Farm, lighter in peat with cereal and vanilla notes; Loch Gorm, an annual, fully Oloroso sherry-matured release named after the loch near the distillery; and Batch Strength, a cask-strength bottling of the house style introduced in 2024.
Yes, Kilchoman has a visitor centre.