Kilchoman Distillery began production in December 2005, and was the first to be built on Islay in 124 years. Kilchoman founder Anthony Wills, set out to revive the lost art of farm distilling once widespread before the commercialisation of the distilleries in the late 1800s. True to his vision, the distillery uses barley grown on site at Rockside Farm and malted at the distillery, as well as malt from the Port Ellen maltings and releases separate bottlings depending on the source of the grain. It is one of six Scottish distilleries still working with traditional floor-maltings, and is unique in completing all parts of the whisky making process on Islay.
The first Kilchoman, the "Inaugural release" was released in 2009 and the first 100% Islay whisky released in 2011.
