WHY: If you've never tasted single malt whisky from Islay's small farm distillery Kilchoman, then you're truly missing out. While younger than some of its counterparts, the whisky from Kilchoman is often more concentrated and intensely flavored at a younger age due to the hands-on distillation process. The Sanaig uses more Sherry maturation to add richness and weight, giving "sweet and peat" fans a reason to get excited!

HOW: Kilchoman makes up for its lack of maturity by taking smaller heart cuts during distillation, which means they only mature and bottle a very concentrated portion of the whisky that comes off the still. Doing so means the whisky costs more to produce, but the proof is in the pudding in terms of justification. The whisky simply tastes amazing. Like the Machir Bay, the Sanaig uses a combination of Sherry and Bourbon casks in its marriage, but the proportion of Sherry casks is much higher in the Sanaig. The result is a chewy and mouth-coating malt, loaded with toffee and caramel, but with salt, peat, and smoke as a ballast.

WHAT: Kilchoman was founded in 2005 by Anthony Willis and is one of only two independently-owned distilleries on Islay. As a true farm distillery, Kilchoman grows, malts, and mills a portion of its own barley, releasing a number of whiskies each year that are 100% Islay from grain to glass. Known for an intensely peaty profile, Kilchoman's whiskies are as elegant as they are potent, giving it grace that few single malts possess in today's corporate landscape.