The Scottish distillery Kilchoman is introducing a new permanent age-statement expression. Kilchoman Rockside is an 11-year-old single malt whisky. The whisky succeeds the 100% Islay series and is the first in the cor e range with an age statement.
The new Rockside 11 Years Old becomes the latest permanent expression in Kilchoman’s core range. This Islay single malt follows the popular 100% Islay series and is crafted entirely from barley grown on Kilchoman’s own Rockside Farm on Islay. In that sense, it carries forward the spirit of the now-concluded series from the distillery.
Kilchoman has been cultivating barley on Rockside Farm, right next to the distillery, for over 20 years. This locally grown barley formed the backbone of the renowned 100% Islay whiskies for many years and now returns in the Rockside 11 Years Old—though the whisky does chart a fresh course.
Islay whisky aged 11 years in bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks
Rockside is lightly peated. At 20 ppm, the single malt isn’t intensely smoky and remains approachable for a wide audience. That PPM still delivers a distinctly Islay character.
For maturation, a mix of bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks was selected. Over time in these casks, the whisky has developed a balanced flavor profile with fruity, sweet, and spicy notes layered with gentle peat smoke.
What are the tasting notes for Kilchoman Rockside 11?
Kilchoman has shared detailed tasting notes for this whisky. You’ll find them below:
- Nose: Fresh aromas of orange and lemon zest, complemented by elderflower, honeyed sweetness, and a subtle maritime smoke.
- Palate: Citrus and tropical fruits mingle with malty sweetness, joined by notes of toffee apple, salted caramel, and a light, elegant peat smoke.
- Finish: Long and silky with butterscotch, walnuts, juicy citrus, and ripe stone fruit.
Where can you buy Kilchoman Rockside?
As the first age-statement whisky in the permanent Core Range, this release stands out. The new single malt will be available via the distillery’s website. Whether it will also appear on shelves at local retailers is unclear, and the same goes for the price of the 11-year-old whisky.
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LATEST COMMENTS
- There is no distillery equipment there and also no licences to produce or sell alcohol.TRC19-12-2025
- Hi Yvonne, Thank you for your response and for sharing the video. Unfortunately, the evidence you referred to consists only of two people talking about the whisky, without any explanation or identification. We have not spoken to the individuals in the video ourselves, nor can we verify who they are. We describe it as a Chinese whisky because it is released by a Chinese distillery. As you mentioned, the distillery has chosen to label the product as “pure malt” instead of “Chinese whisky.” Based on that, we do not believe they are doing anything illegal.M0nkey16-11-2025
- So - you have the proof......where's your write up?Yvonne16-11-2025
- You are absolutely right. Luckily that doesn't matter for the taste of the whisky. Have you tried it yet?M0nkey05-11-2025
- Guess what? Finland is not part of Scandinavia.Gray105-11-2025
- Throw in the towel? You mean restructure to compete and win in a challenging industry environment.WestwardFounder21-10-2025
- There is nothing legally to prevent the English whisky GI from coming into force, it complies with all the relevant laws and the single malt definition follows the precedent of Welsh whisky and US whiskyChefBear15-10-2025
- Three emails sent (two with videos, linked to a Google Drive Share). 1. The original video. 2. The video with subtitles as it was shared on YouTube 3. Screen grab of the YouTube channel where the video was blocked due to Pernod Ricard lobbying. The story was covered on Drinks Intel at the time - link here - https://drinks-intel.com/subscriber-news/pernod-ricards-the-chuan-pure-malt-whisky-not-sourced-solely-from-china-global-drinks-intel-exclusive/Yvonne10-10-2025
- Hi Yvonne, Thank you for your interesting comment. Could you share your copy with us, so we can adjust our item accordingly? Mail us at [email protected]. Thank you in advance.M0nkey09-10-2025
- Let's keep this factually correct. Pernod Ricard DID NOT release a Chinese whisky. Their first output from The Chuan (the name of the distillery in Sichuan, China) wasn't fit for bottling. What they actually bottled was imported Scotch whisky. This is why the product is called "PURE MALT" and not "Chinese Whisky" - because Pure Malt is not a regulated term - this is not a secret. This was exposed about a week after they released it. There were even videos about their own staff on site admitting it was made from imported whisky - which Pernod Ricard got the lawyers onto to get the video pulled. I've got a copy if you want it.Yvonne09-10-2025
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