Kilchoman 2008 Single Bourbon Cask #453

A highly collectible, five-year-old cask strength single malt from Islay’s farm distillery, demonstrating the intensity of first-generation stock.

Historical Context

Kilchoman, established in 2005 on the west coast of Islay, is historically significant as the first distillery built on the island in over 124 years. It proudly maintains the title of Islay’s farm distillery, performing all stages of whisky production, including growing a portion of its own barley, malting, distilling, maturing, and bottling, all on-site at the Rockside Farm.

The 2008 Single Bourbon Cask #453 is a crucial example of first-generation Kilchoman. Distilled just three years after the distillery opened, the stock represents some of the first fully matured single malt from the nascent operation. This single cask bottling was an exclusive release for the UK retailers Royal Mile Whiskies and Drinkmonger, and was bottled in 2013 at just five years of age.

Early Kilchoman releases were defined by their youth, high strength, and intense single cask focus, demonstrating the quality of the spirit and the effectiveness of the highly active wood (mostly first-fill ex-Bourbon) in rapidly extracting flavour. The small outturn of only 262 bottles makes this a highly collectible early vintage that captures the distillery's intense, peated, bourbon-driven signature before its core range expanded. The 2008 vintage date is a premium marker for collectors of modern Islay distilleries.

Technical Specification & Variant Map

This is a peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky, confirmed by the distillation at Kilchoman. The whisky is made from heavily peated malt, characteristic of Islay.

• Single Cask: Cask #453 indicates that the entire batch was drawn exclusively from one barrel, eliminating the blending process and offering a direct, unvarnished profile of the distillery's spirit and the cask's influence.
• Cask Type: Matured entirely in an Ex-Bourbon American Oak Barrel. This type of cask imparts classic vanilla, honey, and creamy notes, which act as a powerful counterpoint to Kilchoman's aggressive peat smoke.
• Presentation: Bottled at a high Cask Strength of 60.4% ABV and is confirmed to be Non-Chill-Filtered (NCF) with No colouring added, a standard for Kilchoman and independent bottlings, ensuring maximum flavour and texture integrity.
• Age: At 5 years old, it is an extremely young whisky, relying on the high phenolic content of the malt and the high ABV to deliver complexity.

2.1 Documented variants

Single cask releases like Cask #453 are unique. Variants are defined by differences in the cask (e.g., Sherry, Port), age, and the retailer they were bottled for.

• Kilchoman 2008 Single Bourbon Cask #453 (60.4% ABV): The 5-year-old exclusive under review, distilled 2008, bottled 2013.
• Kilchoman 2009 Single Sherry Cask: A comparable early vintage single cask, but with a different (Sherry) maturation profile.
• Kilchoman Machir Bay (Standard Release): The core blended single malt, bottled at 46% ABV, offering a more mellow profile.

2.2 Packaging & authenticity checklist

The packaging is designed to communicate the single cask, cask strength credentials.

• Labelling: The label must clearly identify the Distillation Year (2008), Cask Number (#453), Age (5 Year Old), ABV (60.4%), and the Total Outturn (262 bottles). It should also name the exclusive retailers: Royal Mile Whiskies & Drinkmonger.
• Closure: Standard cork and capsule.
• Fill Level: Due to the high ABV and young age, a perfect Into Neck (IN) fill level is expected.
• Common Pitfalls: The single cask and small outturn make this a target for collectors. Authenticity hinges on verifying the cask and bottling details. Buyers should be wary of any missing information on the label.

2.3 Regulatory/terminology notes

• Cask Strength: The bottling strength of 60.4% ABV confirms it was bottled directly from the cask with no water added, offering maximum flavour intensity.
• Peated Single Malt: Kilchoman’s malt is peated to a high level (typically 50ppm), placing it firmly in the heavily peated Islay style.
• Age and Vintage: The 2008 vintage and 5-year-old age statement confirm its status as one of the earliest, and youngest, official bottlings of Kilchoman.

Liquid Profile (from verifiable notes)

The profile is a powerful convergence of young, highly phenolic Islay peat and active American oak.

Nose: Powerful, pungent, and deeply rich. Immediate waves of intense phenolic peat smoke and warm oak. This is contrasted by sweet notes of caramel, vanilla, and hints of lime and pear drops, suggesting a surprisingly complex profile for its age.

Palate: Boisterous and velvety smooth, despite the high ABV. A rich, luxurious explosion of peaty smoke and a pronounced oak sweetness. Flavours include honey, lemon citrus, vanilla, and black pepper. The mouthfeel is notably oily due to the NCF status. The texture is often described as lip-smackingly rich.

Finish: Long and clean. The finish is dominated by the dry peat smoke and oak reek, with the soft citrus fruit notes arriving later and lingering with a touch of sweetness.

With water: Adding a small amount of water is highly recommended due to the high ABV. Water tames the alcoholic strength and allows the fruity, vanilla notes and delicate complexities to emerge from beneath the heavy peat and oak.

Pricing & Market Dynamics (GBP)

The market is strong, driven by collector demand for early Kilchoman vintages, single casks, and cask strength expressions. Prices trade at a significant premium over core range offerings.

Original RRP (GBP): £99.00 (Verifiable original retail price).

Current UK retail range (GBP, incl. VAT): £175.00 - £299.00 (Based on comparable early vintage single cask secondary listings).

Recent UK/EU auction range (GBP, hammer): £90.00 - £150.00 (Hammer price highly dependent on auction house and box condition).

Pricing stratification: Pricing is highly dependent on condition and outturn. The small outturn of 262 bottles ensures high demand, maintaining the high secondary market price.

FX note: No conversion used.

Liquidity & sourcing note: Liquidity is sporadic; the bottle rarely appears in retail, sourcing is almost entirely limited to specialist auctions. Demand is consistently high from Islay and Kilchoman collectors.

Distillery/Bottler Snapshot

Kilchoman is a privately-owned farm distillery on Islay, founded in 2005. It is known for its high-quality, heavily peated single malt, with an emphasis on local production (100% Islay barley is used for a specific range). The house style is intense, oily, and characterised by a youthful, active flavour profile, primarily achieved through first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels. Kilchoman has quickly established itself as a major name in modern Islay whisky, celebrated for its transparency and single cask approach.

Sourcing

Targeting this specific 2008 vintage (Cask #453) is highly desirable due to its low outturn and status as an early bottling.

Red flags to avoid include any suggestion of reduced ABV on the label or the absence of the NCF/Natural Colour claims, which would be highly unusual for Kilchoman single casks.

Fill level must be excellent (Into Neck).

Margin expectations are moderate to high, as the high collectability ensures prices hold well above the original RRP. Velocity is fast among committed collectors.