Kilchoman adds Rockside 11YO to core range
Lightly peated 11-year-old Rockside single malt is the first age statement core expression from Islay-based Kilchoman Distillery.
Unlike core expressions like Machir Bay and Sanaig, which are peated to 50 phenol parts per million (ppm), Rockside carries a phenol level of 20 ppm.
The lower ppm level is said to allow ‘the more subtle characteristics of the Kilchoman spirit to shine’.
It also claims to be the island’s only single farm single malt: grown, malted, peated, distilled, matured, and bottled at the distillery’s own 2,300-acre Rockside Farm on the north-west coast of Islay.
Anthony Wills, founder of Kilchoman Distillery, said: “More than 20 years in the making, Rockside 11 is the culmination of a journey that began with our first crop of Rockside barley in 2004. Across 15 100% Islay releases, we watched the spirit develop, waiting for the right moment to introduce Rockside as a core range expression.
“Our work in the stillhouse and warehouse play an equally important role in shaping the spirit, but those processes can be replicated; Rockside Farm and Rockside barley cannot. They are uniquely ours, and at the heart of what makes Rockside 11 distinctive.”
He added: “Bright, fragrant and threaded with sweet peat, Rockside’s character begins with the barley. Grown here on the farm, it endures harsh conditions, yet those challenges produce a barley, and ultimately a whisky, unlike any other.”
Aged in ex-Bourbon and Sherry casks and bottled at 46% ABV, the 11-year-old whisky offers notes of light smoke, tropical fruit, toffee apple, salted caramel, sweet citrus, walnuts, and mixed spices on the palate.
Kilchoman Rockside 11-year-old will be rolled out first in the UK and across Europe, with international markets to follow.
It has a recommended retail price of £55 (US$73).
Earlier this year, the distillery released a limited edition single malt aged in ex-Maury sweet fortified wine casks sourced from Roussillon, France.
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