🥃 Kilchoman Sanaig
A permanent Kilchoman release since 2014: a peated Islay whisky at 46% ABV, with no age statement and a focus on oloroso sherry casks.
Sanaig is a permanent peated single malt from Kilchoman, an Islay distillery, which the distillery added to its core range in 2014. The strength is 46% ABV and there is no age statement. Compared with Machir Bay, its much greater sherry cask influence makes it softer and sweeter in taste than the brand's base expression.
Production. According to the distillery, Sanaig is a blend of roughly 70% whisky from oloroso sherry casks and 30% from bourbon casks. Sources differ on the exact ratio, and it may change between batches. The barley is peated, so the smoky character of Islay is combined with the dried fruit and spice of sherry. Oak plays a bigger role here than in Machir Bay.
Why it matters to you. Sanaig is easy to place next to Machir Bay: the same peat and the same strength, but a different cask balance. Check the batch and the strength on the label. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 46% ABV |
|---|---|
| Cask type | about 70% oloroso, 30% ex-bourbon (according to the distillery; depends on the batch) |
| Minimum maturation | no age statement; at least 3 years in oak by law |
| Year founded | in the core range since 2014 according to the distillery (sources differ) |
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Kilchoman Sanaig → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Sherry, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Kilchoman, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🥃 Islay whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Caol Ila 12 Year Old, 🥃 Kilchoman Machir Bay, 🥃 Kilchoman Machir Bay
Frequently asked questions
Is Sanaig stronger than Machir Bay?
No. Both have 46% ABV; the difference is in the casks, not the strength.
When did Sanaig become a permanent release?
According to the distillery, it was added to the core range in 2014; other sources mention 2016, so the date is disputed.
What casks is Sanaig matured in?
Oloroso sherry casks (about 70%) and ex-bourbon casks (about 30%); the ratio depends on the batch.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Peated whisky — Whisky with a smoky aroma from malt dried over a peat fire; it is a style, not a separate legal category.
- 🥃 Islay whisky — Protected locality of Scotch whisky: the name Islay may appear only on Scotch distilled on the island of Islay, which has 10 distilleries.
Similar
🥃 Kilchoman Machir Bay · 🥃 Scapa Glansa · 🥃 Caol Ila 18 Year Old · 🥃 Caol Ila Moch · 🥃 Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old · 🥃 Ardmore Port Wood Finish
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Kilchoman Distillery (official site): news page with Machir Bay (core range 2012, 46 %, 90 % bourbon / 10 % oloroso, 50 ppm) and Sanaig (core range, 2014, 70 % oloroso / 30 % bourbon)
- Whisky Advocate: Kilchoman Sanaig 46 — permanent member of the core Kilchoman range, 46 %
- VinePair: Kilchoman Sanaig review — 46 %, ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, peated Islay single malt
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)