First Bottle of Kilchoman Whisky from Cask No.1 Auctions for over £5000
Islay distillery receives international bids
News & Image Release 28.05.09
A limited edition bottle of Kilchoman Distillery’s first ever single malt from cask number one, filled in December 2005, was sold at auction for a staggering £5,400. The winning bid was made by Niels Ladefoged, originally from Denmark and who lives in the UK. The bottle of the three year old single malt has a unique design and is the only one of its kind. All proceeds of the auction will go to Islay charities.
The bottle and its presentation was exclusively designed for the distillery. The bottle is contained in an attractive box that was handmade by Howard Proctor, who is also a member of Kilchoman's production team, and features a watercolour on the label, painted by Nicola Wilks, an artist from Otter Ferry Argyll with three generations of family connections with Islay.
The auction took place at Kilchoman Distillery’s Open Day on Thursday 28th May at 12.30pm, during Feis Ile, the Islay Festival of Malt & Music. The week long island festival has helped raise further awareness of Kilchoman’s very first single malt that will be launched on 9th September this year.
Anthony Wills, Founder & Managing Director of Kilchoman Distillery said: “We are delighted with the winning bid and a huge congratulations to Niels Ladefoged. Our thanks go to all those, both local and international, who made their bids for such a wonderful piece of whisky history. The money raised from the auction will go to Islay charities. The response from our auction has been encouraging and we look forward to an exciting year ahead and the launch of our very first single malt.”
Niels Ladefoged said:”I am delighted to have secured the very first bottle of Kilchoman Whisky and even more so that the proceeds are going to local charities. I have been fortunate enough to come to the island for many years, and I think it is one of the most welcoming places in the world. I know how hard people work with the charities and it is an absolute honour to be able to help in a small way. I feel the first bottle exemplifies the enterpreneurial spirit of the island in general, and Anthony Wills and the Kilchoman project in particular.”
The much anticipated single malt has been getting seals of approval from a very young age. The one month old Kilchoman spirit has received a remarkable score of 94 out of 100 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2008, rating it as a “superstar whisky that gives us all a reason to live!” In April 2009, the two year old spirit sold out on the first day of the Limburg Whisky Fair in Germany.
Kilchoman Distillery prides itself in taking whisky back to its roots and is the first distillery to be built on Islay for 124 years. A visit to Kilchoman Distillery gives everyone the opportunity to see all that is best in the grass-roots traditions of malt whisky distilling – from barley to bottle. The distillery location, Rockside Farm is said to grow the best malting barley on the island.
For more information on Kilchoman Distillery, announcements and events please telephone 01496 850011 or visit www.kilchomandistillery.com.
…ends…
For more information please contact:
Pauline Foster
Pure Shores PR
01631 569 651
0779157 3247
Note to Picture Editors:
- Image to be credited to Mark Unsworth, Islay Studios.
- (Image attached) Image caption: “Anthony Wills, Founder & Managing Director of Kilchoman (left) toasts a dram with the highest bidder for the first bottle of Kilchoman Single Malt, Niels Ladefoged (right) at Kilchoman Distillery.”
- More images are available on request.
Note to Editors:
- Kilchoman Distillery at Rockside Farm is situated near the hamlet of Kilchoman on the west coast of Islay.
- The Visitor Centre has an attractive shop and cosy café. Distillery tours can be arranged for groups of 8 or more. The centre is open Monday to Saturday (April to October) from 10.00am to 5.00pm.
Kilchoman Facts:
- Kilchoman’s first single malt will be released on 9th September 2009.
- Kilchoman is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland with an annual production of 90,000 litres of alcohol.
- Kilchoman is one of only six distilleries to carry out traditional floor maltings, but the key difference at Kilchoman is that the barley is grown on the farm at the distillery, whereas other distilleries purchase barley from around the country.
- 100 tonnes of malting barley is grown and malted at the distillery representing 30% of their annual production. The balance of malt is purchased from the Port Ellen Maltings on the island.
- 80% of Kilchoman’s annual production is filled into a combination of fresh bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky and refill casks and 20% into fresh oloroso sherry butts.
Homecoming Scotland 2009 Whisky Month
- Feis Ile runs from 23rd to 31st May and is part of Homecoming Scotland 2009’s Whisky Month.
- Presented by Homecoming Scotland, Whisky Month is a month long festival of whisky taking place in distilleries and venues across Scotland in May 2009. For more information please visit www.homecomingscotland2009.com/whiskymonth.
- For more information on Homecoming Scotland please visit: www.homecomingscotland2009.com.