A Trio of Kilkerran full of Port and Sherry


July 11, 2024

A Trio of Kilkerran full of Port and Sherry

Among the three distilleries in Campbeltown, and while waiting for the new distilleries that are in the pipeline and will finally grant the small region its own appellation of origin or GI (the day it happens), here is the one that is still the least known, Glengyle, which perhaps suffers a bit from the duality of names in terms of reputation (Glengyle = Kilkerran). Of course, it is Springbank that is in charge. By the way, soon there will be another nice batch of excellent independent Springbanks on WF... For now, here are these Glengyle releases, which are arriving a bit (a bit?) late on WF.

(Glengyle)

Kilkerran 13 yo 2004/2017 (54%, Cadenhead, Warehouse tasting)

Colour: onion peel, let’s say. Nose: strawberries, cherries, and blackcurrants, nicely melded together with cake notes that might be from the bourbon cask. I suppose that was the idea. A few touches of leather and used matchsticks complete the picture, without overwhelming. The red wine + malt whisky equation seems to work here. With water: hints of black truffle, potting soil, maraschino, cigars, a slight barnyard note, even a bit of compost... I find that quite pleasant. Mouth (neat): very fruity, quite sweet. The classic duo of overripe strawberries and black pepper takes the lead, before orange marmalade and a hint of sangria, in the same vein, join in to round things out. This time, we're not running in the opposite direction, even though it's not entirely our preferred style. With water: ginger and Campari come forward, adding a spicy kick. Ginger ale. It's rather unusual, actually, likely the influence of the port cask, but not quite of port itself. Finish: medium length, lovely sweetness, figs and strawberry jam, plus green pepper and still a bit of ginger. Comments: actually, it's not totally our thing, but it's nice in a "variant" kind of way. I didn’t really find any very obvious peat.
SGP: 661 - 83 points.

Kilkerran 15 yo 2004/2019 (51.5%, OB, 15th Anniversary, oloroso wood, US release, 280 bottles)

We know that this series was met with a bit of circumspection, but that’s all we know. Colour: red amber. Nose: quite close to the Warehouse Tasting, but drier, more earthy, and definitely heavier on the green nuts, cigar box, crushed pepper, and glutamate. Let’s see if a bit of water can coax out some fruits… Ah, there's the fruitcake starting to peek through. With water: touches of old camphor syrup, or aged yellow Chartreuse, and even some old Heering Cherry. How about that! Mouth (neat): a kind of mix of Coca-Cola, liquorice, vegetal tar (pine), and Corinth raisins. It finishes rather sweet and almost light. With water: a hint of anise and mint this time, mint sauce (English, of course), and still those raisins. Touches of caramelised onions. Finish: medium length, sweetness, chocolate, walnut wine, liquorice, and salted mint. Earthier aftertaste again. Comments: not at all a classic malt, it goes off in all directions but also brings a charming and very unusual character. Reminds me a bit of the Springbank and Longrow releases from the early 2000s.
SGP: 661 - 84 points.

Kilkerran 15 yo 2004/2019 (52%, OB, 15th Anniversary, oloroso wood, Japanese release, 276 bottles)

Again, a double maturation with Oloroso and bourbon, it seems. Colour: dark amber. Nose: so far yet so close to its sister cask, more classic, undoubtedly better balanced, more akin to Springbank (there, I've said it), with pecan pie and just roasted almonds. Nothing beats roasted almonds, right? With water: fresh praline and dark nougat, with just a hint of soot and cigar ashes in the background, and a tiny touch of cured ham. Mouth (neat): very good, rich, leaning more towards orange zest, dark honey, cedarwood (those pencils we used to chew at school), and tobacco. Oranges then dominate, and we’re certainly not complaining. With water: indeed, very good. Roasted nuts of all sorts, with caramel and a slight salty note. Impeccable. Finish: not immensely long but sweet, balanced, and firm at the same time. Returning to tobacco, ham (a thin sliver of Parma ham) and oranges. The aftertaste is drier, with a hint of clove and that slight 'dirty' side we love so much. Comments: very beautiful cask.
SGP:661 - 89 points.

That's good, we've caught up on a (very small) part of our delay.

(Merci Andy, Merci Tim)