Ep. 187: Kilchoman Distillery with James Wills

Geese, Barley, and Peat At The First New Islay Distillery in 124 Years

In this brand new episode of the Whiskey Ring Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with James Wills, son of founder Anthony Wills and a worldwide face of Kilchoman Distillery on Islay. This episode marks a significant milestone as it is my first interview with an Islay distillery (I was surprised too!), and I was excited to delve into the unique aspects of Kilchoman and the challenges of distilling on this iconic island.

We start off where any good whisky podcast starts: with geese. Yes, geese. They're kind of a big deal there. I'm not known for going with the grain (yeah I said it) so why not there. Kilchoman has a lot more going for it, though, as it enters its 20th year in 2025. As the first new Islay distillery in 124 years, Kilchoman needed to be different. They couldn't just be peaty, they had to be unique - and thus they became the first farm-to-glass distillery on the island.

We chat about all the nerdy stuff you'd expect, like barley experimentation and yeast and fermentation, plus a dive into how their bourbon barrel sourcing and full-term maturation (note: not finishing!) work. There's also plenty to explore about the "whys" and inflection points in the distillery's two-decade evolution.

I've been wanting to have Kilchoman on for two years, and I'm thrilled to finally make that happen for the podcast and for you, the listeners and supporters.

Thank you to James for entering the Whiskey Ring!

Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, BAXUS

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Kilchoman Distillery

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