Kilchoman Sanaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Situated along a rugged farm on the western coast of Islay, Kilochman Distillery was founded in 2005 and is the first new distillery on Islay in over 125 years. "When we first started work on Kilchoman in 2003," says Anthony Wills, the distillerys founder, "the ambition was to build a distillery that was true to the traditions of distilling on Islay small farm distillers where every part of the whisky making process was done on site and I think we have managed to do just that."Kilchoman Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky is made from Publican barley grown directly on the distillerys grounds. (Publican barley is more resilient to Islays harsh weather than traditional strains of barley.) Once the barley has been harvested, it is malted at the distillerys malthouse Kilchoman is one of just six distilleries in Scotland that continues to malt its own barley before being dried over a peat flame for ten hours. After the barley has been peated to approximately 20 phenol parts per million, the grains are fermented for three to four days in stainless steel washbacks before being twice distilled through Kilchomans copper-pot stills.Named after a small, rocky inlet located near the north of the distillery, Kilchoman Sanaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky is only the second continuous bottling from Kilchoman Distillery, and, together with Kilchoman Machir Bay Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, will form the distillerys first-ever permanent range.Kilchoman Sanaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky has predominantly an Oloroso Sherry influence, with a small percentage of the whisky aged in ex-bourbon casks. According to John MacLellan, Kilchomans Distillery Manager, Sanaig is "a beautiful marriage of bourbon and sherry maturation balanced with classic Islay peat smoke and light citrus sweetness."As a result of the extraordinary strain of barley used to craft the whisky, along with the significant time it spent in Oloroso Sherry hogsheads, Kilchoman Sanaig has a sweet, peaty aroma complete with notes of apple cinnamon and caramel. The palate is filled with even more peat smoke, toffee, butterscotch and raisins, and leads to a bold finish marked not only by fruit and pie crust, but also pepper and star anise.Pick up a bottle today!