Kilkerran 12 Year

KILKERRAN 12-YEAR (Last reviewed 7/26/22) If I’m seriously tasting a whisk(e)y—which is more often than not—I’ll do it over the course of two or more days, since taste can be impacted by a variety of factors over time, including food, drink, gum, smoke, or anything else that can go in the mouth or nose, in addition to physical changes such as nasal congestion. I typically note off-the-cuff adjectives related to the color, aroma, and taste that I experience on the first day, and then return to see if these are confirmed or augmented, and then flesh out the details. With Kilkerran 12, I’m not straying far from my initial review; even if the words are different, many of my impressions are the same as they were a couple years ago. Kilkerran 12 shows a beautiful golden amber hue, like an aged Chardonnay, right around Pantone 123. When first nosed, I’m reminded of Teddy Roosevelt’s foreign policy: “speak softly, but carry a big stick.” This whisky commands your attention with sensations of both lightness and power. Fruits galore with notes of apple crumble, candied lemon, pears, honey, banana chips, saline, light smoky peat, dried apricot, guava, hay, and a touch of vanilla extract. (The pears reminded me of Oban 14, so I poured a splash for comparison.; the Oban transmogrified the smoky peat to a more meaty element somewhere between bacon and smoked ham. Taste context redux). The attack on the palate is like the hearty handshake of a friend not seen in years: gregarious, unencumbered, and energetic. It’s also somewhat viscous—not what you want in a handshake—and I’ll spare any additional similes. There’s some sweet wood on the palate, with a flavor reminiscent of hoarhound candy or a Ricola cough drop. There’s a little nutmeg going on and a gentle white pepper kick. Finishes long: the gentle smoky peat reemerges, as do the salt and banana chips. Online prices for Kilkerran 12 range from $60 to $110. I myself don’t see it often, and I don’t recall what I paid for it. Taking the average of those two amounts, would I buy it again? Yes sir. Not only because Campbeltown whisky is today quite small in terms of production, but because it, like Springbank, offers flavor profiles not quite captured in other areas. 4.25 on the Distiller scale—a little less than my 2022 review. 46% ABV. Non chill-filtered. No e150 coloring. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Smell: Straight out of the bat, candied ginger, fresh pale sultana raisins and vanilla stands out first. It appears quite sweet from there. But, as you keep smelling, there is a roasted green pepper note coming out. A little black pepper and brine. The peat is light but it's there. Sweet, savory and a little vegetal. WITH WATER: Less sweet than at first and more in line with the taste with water. Taste: Less sweet than the smell, but the notes are relatively the same except it's the savory notes that come first. The roasted green pepper comes out first with the pepper and salinity/brine. There is an added slight rubber/soot note in there that I didn't find in the taste. Then, candied ginger come in strong with the pale sultana raisins bringing a touch of acidity. Vanilla is ever present throughout the taste. WITH WATER: The balance is quite a bit better. There is a malt/granola note that comes up that I didn't notice before. Maybe the peat is a little bit more on the soot side than rubber too. Finish: The finish is mainly the candied ginger, pepper, brine and rubber/soot notes. Last quite a while. There seems to a solid amount of oil content in there. Mouthfeel: Decently thick and viscous for only 46% ABV. It won't compare to cask strength bottlings I had but it's much better than the average 46% bottle. Overall: This is a bottle that from the very first sip I knew I loved it and it was something special. It's very very good and complex. For the original price I paid (74.50 CAD, now 88.50 CAD), it was an incredible steal. It is by far the best whisky under 100$ I've had in my life so far, no contest.

Noise: On the nose you initially get a malt and vanilla hit which is a bit reminiscent of a highland but as it opens up you start to pick up a subtle smoke coming through, which totally hits what you expect of a classic Campbeltown single malt. This one takes some time to open up but is well worth the wait. Pallet: A fruit sweetness of pears and green apple with some barley sugar sweets, as it developed I started to get some baking spice with some pepper heat coming through with underlying smoke, which is well balanced not overwhelming but definitely a part of the taste. Nicely done, for me a little thin on the mouth feel, but I like a full cask strength whisky, this is a really nice whisky at 46 ABV. Finish: Medium length with a nice spice, smoke finishing with a slight candy sweetness to it. Overall I really enjoyed this bottle and I spent serval enjoyable weeks with it, would I by another……. Yes absolutely, but for me and my taste I think I will be either giving the 16 YO a go or seeking out a cask strength version. A really good whisky, at not an unreasonable price and I would recommend it to anyone.

Nose: Orchard fruit jams, toasted marshmallows, chocolate s’mores, apricot nectar, white pepper, peppermint/menthol, perfumey red apples, a hint of peat, a herbaceous note (basil), apple juice, oatmeal biscuits, a touch of spicy oak, dry straw, fresh barley grains, hoppy must, unripe Anjou pear, a hint of lemon drops, blood orange peel, grapefruit peel, string beans, tamarind with chilli pepper, cardamom, a touch of sweet earthy tobacco, chocolate biscuits, butter biscuits, shortbread, violets and honeysuckle, slight note of stewed meat, pool chlorine, chilli pepper flakes sweet blueberries and blackberries, sherried citrus peels Palate: Malt sweetness, apple cider, ashy smoke, a chalky minerality, a burst of honeyed malt sweetness, creamy/chewy malt, some medicinal peatiness (plastic bandaids), smoky agave, a touch of toffee, earthy peat, sea salt, pool chlorine, funky honeydew, dark cocoa, sweet blueberry, bittersweet torched plastic, chocolate biscuits Finish: Apple tarts, bonfire smoke, bittersweet note (like wormwood or Campari), tart barley/barley sugar, Smoky green apples

Nose: Bitter Lemon Peel, Honey, White Pepper, Caramel, Apricots, Baked Blackberries Taste: Spicy ginger component and a large amount of maltiness on the arrival. There are faint notes of apricots and plums hiding behind a salty and grassy mid-palate. The whisky closes with moderate rubbery peat. The finish fades out over the course of a minute. The mouthfeel is perfect for this style of whisky. Taste with 2ml of water and 12 minutes: The plum and apricot notes come out more prominently and round out the fast evolution of flavors. A sea salt dark chocolate comes into play on the mid-palate. The finish has become more like ashy smoke than rubbery peat. Very complex and well rounded at the same time. This reminds me of components of Deanston 12 combined with a young sherried Islay. This bottle is also non-chill filtered and natural color at 46% ABV. As the whisky sits in the glass, it transitions from an ex-bourbon profile to an ex-sherry profile. It almost feels like I get to experience two bottles for the price of one. Fantastic.

One of Campbeltown's distilleries that i haven't had too many expressions to form an overall opinion of their whiskies, is this Glengyle Distillery, home of the Kilkerran Single Malt. The name Kilkerran, comes from the gaelic "Cean loch cillie kiaran" which kind of translates to "Home of Saint Kieran", who is one of the Irish Apostles, who is widely accepted to have been a prior top saint to Saint Patrick. This is a 12yo expression, bottled at 46%abv. On the nose, very tropical. Pineapple, vainilla, peach halves and dates. Definitively notes of figs, pastry cream and a mild peat, that shows itself as a pond / swamp. On tne palate, it starts with a lovely Capn' Crunch cereal, maize. Raw rice and the glue you lick to close paper envelopes. Aftertaste has a nice punch to it. A ghostly cereal note, honey and ginger. Overall, my second Kilkerran ever has not dissapointed me. This is a solid good dram for a 12yo core expression. Maybe not too complex, but the notes it has, are very well delivered. My score for it is 88 over 100.