Kilchoman Rockside 11 y.o. - Ex-Bourbon & ex-Sherry Casks

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Rockside 11 is Kilchoman’s first age-stated Single Farm Single Malt in its core range. Its development began with the first sowing of barley at Rockside Farm in 2004. Kilchoman subsequently followed the whisky’s evolution through fifteen 100% Islay releases.

The barley is grown at Rockside Farm and traditionally floor-malted there. The malt is peated to 20 ppm, making it less heavily peated than the 50 ppm malt used for Machir Bay and Sanaig. This approach brings the barley character to the fore while keeping the peat smoke delicate.

The whisky matures for eleven years in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. Its profile combines light smoke with tropical fruit, citrus sweetness and mixed spices. Rockside 11 is bottled at 46% in 0.7-litre bottles; it is non-chill-filtered and contains no added colouring.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose combines orange, lemon peel, fragrant elderflower and honey with maritime smoke.
• Palate: On the palate, citrus and tropical fruit, barley sugar and toffee apple meet salted caramel and delicate peat smoke.
• Finish: Juicy citrus and stone fruit linger in the finish, accompanied by butterscotch and walnut.

Distillery/Bottler:

Kilchoman Distillery produces and bottles Rockside 11 itself. Anthony and Kathy Wills founded the family-run distillery in 2005 at Rockside Farm on Islay’s north-west coast. Kilchoman grows barley there and also carries out the malting, distillation, maturation and bottling at the same site. Its continued use of floor malting and its complete process from barley to bottle reflect the island’s historic farm-distilling tradition.

Facts: