Kilkerran 12

As part of the Toronto Whisky Society end of year celebration, we ended up with a few whiskies to share. 2017 was a great year for us.

Thus I don’t actually remember who brought this or the next couple reviews, but thank you! And feel free to add a username for me to thank below!

For the past 12 years we, the whisky drinking public, have been waiting for the Glengyle distillery to release a whisky that didn’t have the name “Work in Progress” on it. Some had a lot of fun buying up each of these releases, comparing the sherry versions to the ex-bourbon, and waiting to see when it was ready.

And luckily, after 12 years, the first core release of single malt scotch was released: Kilkerran 12. It is lightly peated, non-chill filtered, and uses 70% ex-bourbon casks and 30% Sherry casks. Turns out trying those difference really paid off.

Take a bow Kilkerran collectors. And more so reviewers. And probably more so Frank McHurdy and his team, who run production at Glengyle.

Why not name the whisky Glengyle? Because that’s the name of a Highland blend.

But what does it taste like? Let’s see, shall we?

Price: $87.95 CAD at the LCBO

Region: Campbeltown

Abv: 46%

Colour: 7.5Y 8/10

Nose: Cereal, grassy, sultanas, chamomile, apple

Lots of grassy notes on the nose. Any peat has gone to more of a tannic influence. Unique among Campbeltown. Reminds me more of Glen Scotia than the Springbank whiskies.

Taste: Honey, malt, pepper, sultanas, peach funk

Now we have more of the funk. A deep, rich sultana flavour continues from the nose. And the cereal aspect has gone to a malty honey flavour.

I assume that’s my contribution as someone who reviewed these late. Totally. I’m super humble about it.

Finish: Gravel, cereal, heather, ginger, smoke

Finish has some youth to it at first. Gone is the rich sultana flavour, and instead there’s a rough earth aspect.

More cereal again, and the honey is lighter, in a heather sort of way.

Conclusion: An interesting dram. It’s very cereal heavy. Lots of malt, cereal, light fruit. It makes for a unique dram. Anyone who isn’t a peat head would really, really enjoy it, even though it’s lightly peated.

The finish is the sore point, with a rough earth note at the very start. I’ll be interested to see what extra years do to curb that, and what else comes out of this new distillery.

78/100

Scotch review #779, Campbeltown review #40, Whisky Network review #1280