The Cellars by the Mansion recently welcomed James Willis of Kilchoman Distillery, Islay, for a one-of-a-kind Scotch tasting experience on October 25th.
Kilchoman is renowned as Islay’s only “Farm to Bottle” distillery, growing 440 tonnes of barley annually on their farm, which produces approximately 1,400 barrels of exceptional Scotch whisky. This unique approach gives Kilchoman complete control over every step of the process, from growing and malting barley to distilling, aging, and bottling.
James Willis, the son of founder Anthony Willis, has been part of this hands-on process since the beginning. As a member of Kilchoman’s marketing and sales team alongside his three brothers, James has worked in every facet of the distillery. His expertise spans planting and harvesting barley, malting, distilling, aging, and blending some of Islay’s finest Scotch whiskies.
James guided us through an exclusive tasting of six Kilchoman single malts:
- Sanaig – A balanced marriage of bourbon and sherry cask maturation.
- Machir Bay – The flagship expression with layers of peat, citrus, and vanilla.
- PX Sherry Cask – Rich, sweet peat smoke intertwined with sherry sweetness.
- Loch Gorm Sherry Cask – Deep, intense sherry maturation balanced with Islay peat.
- Batch Strength – An uncut, cask-strength expression that showcases the distillery’s raw power.
- Machir Bay Cask Strength (2021 release) – A limited, high-strength version of their popular Machir Bay.
It was a completely sold-out event and one that was surely an unforgettable experience for those lucky enough to attend. If you want to experience tasting events like this, be sure to sign up for our email list or check our Tastings page on the Mansion website.
