The team behind Kilchoman distillery will be trading the West of Scotland for slightly warmer climes following their recently announced plans to construct a rum distillery in the Caribbean.
Authorities in Barbados have granted Kilchoman permission to build their distillery at Bentley Mansion in the parish of Saint Philip. The derelict building and its nine acre plot of land were purchased in August 2021 and will be home to a distillery, mill, and cask warehouse. Construction will begin later this year with the aim to be producing rum by late 2024.
Frank Ward will be acting as a consultant for Kilchoman’s project. He brings with him an abundance of experience in rum production, particularly Barbados rum, having previously worked as Managing Director for Mount Gay rum and was also responsible for the Mount Gilboa brand.
The as yet unnamed distillery will feature two copper pot stills and current plans indicate that all spirit will be matured and bottled onsite. Sugarcane from local producers will be used to produce their potstill rum.
Rum and whisky have a long standing connection, with many notable whiskies being matured in ex-rum casks. Kilchoman’s venture into rum is the latest example of a whisky producer trying their hand at rum, following Mark Reynier of Waterford Distillery launching Renegade Rum Distillery in 2022.
Kilchoman’s whisky has quickly gained fame the world over and has its fair share of fervent fans who consider it among their favourites. No mean feat for a distillery less than 20 years old, especially when you consider the impressive legacies and reputations of their more established neighbours on Islay.
Hopefully this popularity translates into similar success for their rum brand. Kilchoman’s reputation and pre-existing distribution networks will certainly give them a small head start over other upstart rum distilleries.
At the very least, I’m sure we can expect some unique and exciting rum cask finishes to come from Kilchoman in the future.