Kilkerran Work in Progress #7 Sherry Wood

Another sample to try from our SDT tour provided by one of the originators, Ryan (I am so far behind in my samples). The Kilkerran 12 was just fantastic. Now, I am curious about it's roots, given this Work In Progress and opportunity to taste for myself. Sherry is recognizable immediately on the nose, but not over the top. Dark fruits: figs, dates, raisins. A touch of dried apricots and black cherries are also in the mix. A very fruity nose. Then add in a toffee and caramel sticky sweetness with a mineral earthiness bring the nose all together. No one aroma overpowering the others. A great nose. Take a sip and brown sugar sweetness arrives encasing vanilla and black pepper. A walnut and almond nuttiness with bitter chocolate come through as well in the medium bodied liquid. As time progress during the (soaking it all in) sipping, the sweetness too increases. Gets better in time and patience. A slightly spicy finish of cinnamon, Sriracha, oak and orange bitters with a touch of white pepper coming through on the final fade. More of a flavorful spiciness than that of a Ghost Pepper hot kind-of spice. For a work in progress, it's better than most finally progressed whiskies. The sweetness, spiciness is nicely balanced. Warming through and through. A good sipper on a cold night. Care and quality are discernible and, skipping forward, the producers have produced a great 12 year old through the learning and understanding of what works. [88/100][Tasted: 12/18/17]

This sherry-wood-aged whisky is one of the last of Kilkerran's "Work in Progress" lineup. The WIP line was a series of annual releases from Mitchell's Glengyle distillery, before they finally had enough mature stock on hand to debut Kilkerran 12 last year. Compared to the flagship, this early sneak peek into their lineup was matured entirely in sherry wood and is a year or two younger. It's also better. Its aromas feature a noticeably more intense, earthier peat, almost mezcal-like on some passes, along with caramel. Its well-balanced palate combines heather and cherries with smoke, sherry, spice, and syrup. That smoke stars in the finish, like a bonefire of pine smoke and meaty flavors. This isn't easy to find nowadays, but it was reasonably priced when it debuted.

Glengyle rocks it, man. I thought the 12 was absolutely a must have, and this should be right along side of it. The nose is sherry forward, balanced with the wood. Cherries, fresh cut lawn, and more floral properties with a couple drops of water. The palate is great with a heavy mouth coat of oil, cinnamon, spices, caramel and dark fruit. The finish is good too! Thankfully not a dry one, and brings out a woody toffee flavor met with even more spice and sugar. 4.0. Excellent dram and the theme should be "Sherry" by the Four Seasons.

The arrival of some WIP 6 samples reminded me that I never posted a review of this one when I tasted it last year. My scattershot notes reference a beautiful nose, Christmas pudding, rum and raisin, brûlée and a dry finish. That sounds like four stars in my book, though I did note that the mouthfeel was a little watery. Looking forward to going back in time to number 6.

Nose: malty grain/cereals, vanilla, sweet orange and grape. Smells like Cream Soda. Taste: harsh, apple, honey, spice and light peat Finish: medium sweet finish with some burnt ash at the end The nose is amazing and the taste lets it down a bit. Young and a little harsh, love the Sherry influence. Need to try the 8 yr Sherry Cask Strength.

7ende året på vei til 12 i sherry- fat. work in progress fra Glengyle. utrolig sammensatt og lang med en myk men distinkt profil. Chewy men med sterk profil. superlett røyk. Tørket sitrus, markjordbær og sødmefull sitrus. frisk, tilgjengelig og fyldig. klart råvarepreg og chewy struktur. Ren og frisk