Kilkerran 8 Year Cask Strength Sherry Cask (2019)

The overrated whisky of the year? I had this when it first came out over in the UK and felt it was young and off, but I had to buy my own bottle to explore. So is it better now? Nose - oak, a lot of oak actually. Then I get this under ripe banana that signals YOUNG whisky. A lot of alcohol. I get some chalk and perhaps some brown sugar. I'm oddly not getting much sherry but we'll come back with water. Water might have made it more dusty. A lot of alcohol and maybe some cherry now which I get in the taste so maybe that's influencing me. Taste - There's some dirty notes, clay, oak, I get corn oddly enough like a bloody butcher corn, cereal notes, and then some chocolate and some of those alcohol soaked cherries. Water opens this up into a more sherry driven sweeter dram. Still young, alcohol bite and yes some unique and interesting flavors. You know what cinnamon a lot of it, more than I've gotten on anything scotch. This is balcones malt levels of cinnamon or some versions of bookers. It's getting into red hot levels. I truly am not enjoying this. Everything about this is "craft" and unique which I want to be favorable for. It's just not enjoyable to drink. That said good abv and they clearly used an active cask. I'm scoring this a 1.75 but I really want to give it a 1.0 based on my enjoyment. I'm sorry I just don't get it. I don't like it.

Well its now 4 months after being open and well bellow a kneck pour and its one of the most dissapointing whiskies I ever purchased with all the hype and high scores. Lots of alchohol burn of a very young whisky and unimpressive taste profile. With all the great scores possibly there is a large variance of quality with Kilkerran. I have the 12 year as well and not very impressed . No more Kilkerran for me..........no thanks!

Complex and funky. On nose: beautiful, complex. Very strong sherry notes, rubbery, plum, warming spices, hint of smoke. Caramel(?) swetness. All in perfect harmony. Despite the high ABV no any alcohol. Palate: for me too alcohol intensive without water, even after several sips. With some water, banana, dark fruits, creamy and warming spices with some funky note and subtle dryness during the finish. Very interesting dram.

Great sherry peat campbeltown earthy funkiness combination. Nose: Strawberries, Raspberries, Flowers, Apricot, Chocolate, Toffee, Peat, Diesel, Pepper, Vanilla, Citrus, Raisins, Mango, Cherries, Dates, Bananas, Almonds Palate: Peat, Diesel, Smoke, Raisins, Dark. chocolate, pepper, oak, orange peel Finish: Salt, chocolate, pepper, tar, raisins Preferred the 15 year Oloroso Wood a bit more.

On the nose is the Funky cheese smell, combined with the darker sherry sweetness for a super interesting whiff. Similar nose to an Octomore in some ways, but super funky! Wow the taste is strange, the abv does make it evaporate almost on the tounge but the funky nose does translates to the pallate. Its a dark sherry not a sweet fruity one and crazy flavours i maybe can’t fully appreciate…

Well a little disappointing so far. My bottle has now been opened for 10 weeks now, 1 inch below neck pour, and tasting again as I write this review. Nice sherry nose but a bit harsh alcohol burn with some funky flavors. Altogether my feeling = Just OK! I'll check in another month to see if things have toned down and mellowed out from oxidation.