Down the Farm: Kilchoman Distillery

“A lot of people thought it was a very stupid decision essentially,” Peter Wills recalls the reaction to his dad Anthony’s plan to start a new distillery on Islay.With seven distilleries already on the island, he says the feeling was “there’s no room for another one.”Besides he continues: “All these others had this long heritage.”But Anthony and wife Kathy pressed ahead. And in December 2005 Kilchoman Distillery began production – the first new distillery on “Whisky Isle” in 125 years.Today there are nine distilleries on Islay and four more on the way.But Kilchoman stands out because they grow their own barley; malt it themselves; dig their own peat; and when the whisky’s ready, bottle it too… some 600,000 litres a year now. And all on Islay.In this episode Peter joins John to talk about his family’s distillery; traditional farm distilling; the influence of sea air and peat and yeast; how Sauternes casks produce different flavours from traditional bourbon and sherry barrels; the visitor from Myanmar who knew more about Islay whisky than they did; and much, much more.Slàinte!-------Socials:@C2GWhisky@JohnRossBeattie Creator & producer: David HolmesArt work & design: Jess Robertson Music: Water of Life (Never Going Home)Vocals: Andrea CunninghamGuitars: John BeattieBass: Alasdair VannDrums: Alan HamiltonBagpipes: Calum McCollAccordion: Gary InnesMusic & Lyrics: Andrea Cunningham & John BeattieRecorded & mixed by Murray Collier at La Chunky Studios, Glasgow, ScotlandSpecial thanks: The Piper Whisky Bar, 57 Cochrane Street, Glasgow, ScotlandFollow The Piper on Facebook to keep up to date about tastings and other events Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.