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Kilchoman 10yo raises £7k at auction
Privately owned Islay whisky distillery Kilchoman has auctioned one bottle of its first-ever 10-year-old whisky, raising funds for The Beatson Cancer Charity.
One bottle of whisky from the first-ever Kilchoman cask has been auctioned for charity
The auction closed at noon on 14 December 2015, exactly 10 years after Cask No.1 was filled at the farm distillery.
Managing director Anthony Wills confirmed that the bottle sold for £7,000, describing the sale as a “hugely proud moment”.
The recent illness of John MacLellan, Kilchoman distillery manager, and a desire to celebrate the milestone prompted Wills to create the bottling.
In a statement Wills said: “While our neighbouring distilleries have been celebrating far longer periods in the industry, we wanted to acknowledge 10 years of Kilchoman and also raise some money for a very worthy cause which has become close to the whole Kilchoman team.”
MacLellan added: “The work carried out by The Beatson Cancer Charity is exemplary in all aspects of research, treatment and after care.”
Speaking at a dinner to celebrate the 10th anniversary of filling the first cask, Wills said he was “thrilled” by the progress of the distillery over the past 10 years.
The family behind the distillery also confirmed that contracts have been exchanged in the purchase of the farm surrounding the production site.
Wills’ son and Kilchoman UK sales and marketing manager George Wills explained that the purchase would enable the team to expand the distillery. Production is set to increase from 150,000 litres per year to around 200,000 litres.
The addition of a bigger kiln and larger malting capabilities would enable Kilchoman to increase the output of its 100% Islay expressions from around 20% of total production to 30%, he added.
Every stage in the production of 100% Islay is carried out on-site, from the barley grown on the farm through to hand bottling.
Kilchoman Distillery was founded by Anthony Wills, backed by a small team of investors, and started distilling in June 2015.