Two Kilkerran from Glengyle


September 3, 2025

Two Kilkerran from Glengyle

It takes quite a bit of effort to keep up with what these admirable people are doing, generally speaking, because nothing seems to happen normally in Campbeltown. But that’s precisely what appeals to my French side, we, too, never really do anything like anyone else. In fact, we often get frustrated with ourselves and consume unbelievable amounts of tranquillisers. Or wine. Or whisky… Indeed just like in Campbeltown.

Kilkerran ‘Heavily Peated Batch 12’ (58.4%, OB, 2025)

Batch 11 from 2024 had been superb (WF 87) and in any case, we've resolved to follow these batches through thick and thin. Colour: straw. Nose: we're immediately very close to smoked barley, citron peel, bread dough, iodine tincture, oysters and massage balm, something in the vein of Voltarol. One can only think of Lagavulin 12 SR. With water: zero development, everything was already present from the start. Perhaps a few touches of soaked plaster. Mouth (neat): it's terrific how simple and how excellent this is. Warm, packed with barley, grist, husks, anything you might wish for post-processing, all of it smoked over beechwood and salted with Himalayan salt (alright, that's a bit much). With water: the citrus surges forth but coastal salinity keeps everything under control. Finish: long, tense, more fermentary. The apparent youth is making itself known. Comments: I get the feeling these versions are becoming peatier and peatier, though I could be wrong.
SGP:456 - 87 points.

Kilkerran 17 yo 2007/2024 (54.8%, OB, 20th anniversary opening of Glengyle Distillery, refill sherry hogshead, 244 bottles)

It took us ages to get through the 15th Anniversary releases (USA, Japan...) so you can imagine, we're practically ahead of schedule here. Colour: gold. Nose: smoky oils at first, mostly sesame, then a rounder profile leaning more towards the nutty side of the heavily peated range. Behind that, quite a bit of sea water but also a curious waxed cardboard and burnt paper note that feels slightly out of place in this context. Curious indeed. With water: ah no, water flattens it quite a bit, and the burnt cardboard pushes to the fore. Mouth (neat): we're not miles away from the HPB12, but the salted citrus is far more prominent. There’s a rather sharp edge, in fact, but also a slightly tannic, drying side. Walnut skins. With water: we lose our way a bit, gives the impression it might be best to avoid water altogether. Finish: long, heading towards salted ham, but also a hint of paint. I get the feeling it likes water even less than the five cats we have at Château WF. Comments: it’s very good but I struggled slightly with this baby. That must be me. Batch 12 any time.
SGP:465 - 84 points.

Check the index of all Kilkerran we've tasted