Kilchoman – Fèis Ìle 2021 Release (70cl, 56.3%)

Kilchoman – Fèis Ìle 2021 Release is a single malt whisky from Kilchoman (Islay). Bottled at 56.3% ABV, 70cl. Matured in bourbon barrels & oloroso sherry butts. This was the 2021 Fèis Ìle release from the distillery. As with the previous year, all of the festivities took place online due to the ongoing restrictions in place for the COVID-19 pandemic. A single farm single malt, these casks are referred to by the distillery as their 100% Islay. All areas of the production process for them take place at the distillery – from barley to bottle. The barley is grown, malted, distilled, matured and bottled at Kilchoman. Those used here were distilled using Optic and Publican barely, and the whisky is a vatting of two 2011 vintage oloroso sherry butts and six 2012 vintage bourbon barrels. An Islay malt distillery that was the first new distillery on the island for 124 years when it opened in 2005. Founded by the Wills family, the distillery saw a return of the practice of “farm distilling” to Islay as it used its own barely fields, malt floors and kilns.