It’ s of course preaching to the choir when I sing praise to Glengyle. ‘Springbank’s little sister’ has all grown up, in fact she just turned 20, and it seems everything we’ve seen from Kilkerran so far has earned a firm nod of approval by many – the 12 and 16 yo, the 8 yo cask strength and the Heavily Peated: all of these have become if not staples, than definitely often revisited bottlings by many in the whisky community. So dedicating this week’s post to two very recent releases seems like picking low hanging fruit, really. But then again, I try to just go where the whisky takes me – be it household names like Glengyle/Kilkerran, or, say, tiny distilleries off the coast of Norway probably no-one outside of Norway is quite familiar with. Balance is key, be it when tasting whisky, or when rambling on about it…
So today’s post focusses on 2 very recent / imminent releases from Kilkerran. One has just been released (the Heavily Peated Batch 11), the other (the annual release of their 8 yo) is due for early 2025. Both of these I was able to taste during a masterclass at this year’s Spirits In The Sky festival in Brussels back in November. Hosted by their regional sales manager Fiona Mcfadyen who also handled the Kilkerran stand during the day, the masterclass was held as a closure of day 1 of the festival. Being ‘a few’ drams in already, I figured my palate might not be in the best possible condition to fully assess and appreciate another 6 cask strength whiskies from Kilkerran and wouldn’t do them (and my liver) much justice at that point. That’s why I came prepared and brought some empty sample bottles along so I could skip a few drams during the tasting and enjoy them later in the comfort, peace and quiet of my own home and as a consequence of this brilliant idea, you can read all about them now. No need to thank me, really…
So before we dive in, I’ll run a few facts and figures with you on all things Glengyle and Kilkerran.
Glengyle, as you well know, is Springbank’s sister distillery – brought back to life after some 90 years of being dormant, partly because it would make sure Campbeltown could maintain its status as an official Scotch whisky region. Seeing how you need a minimum of 3 operating distilleries to be considered a region in its own right and at the turn of the millennium there were only two (Springbank and Glen Scotia), Springbank owners J & A Mitchell decided to invest in a third distillery in their region.
The people who run Springbank, also run Glengyle – and you can take very literally. When all activities seize at Spirngbank around September, Kilkerran springs into life as they rely on the same staff for operating both distilleries. This means that Glengyle is only active for about 12 weeks a year, from late September to late December. During that time, the vast majority of what comes out of Glengyle will be their typically lightly peated new make (10-15 ppm), made with barley from Springbank’s floor maltings. 1 week is dedicated to produce triple distilled new make, 1 week is used to produce unpeated spirit and for 2 weeks, they produce heavily peated spirit (app. 45 ppm) which is used to make the ‘peat in progress’ / ‘Heavily Peated’ releases. This is the only whisky from Glengyle relying on barley that hasn’t been malted inhouse.
Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 11. 57.9% ABV, 90% bourbon, 10% sherry casks; app. €60-€70 (£50-£60) and just out
The Heavily Peated releases tend to be roughly 6 years old, but as this is the average age, they don’t really bother with an age statement. I really connected with their earlier batches (particularly batches 3 and 4), and while I still really enjoyed later batches, they didn’t ‘wow’ me as much as those earlier ones. With their more recent release (9 and 10) I felt they were back on track, though, so I was quite curious to see what this one would offer.
Nose
Funky and peaty – not necessarily smoky. The ABV show a bit, but what I get aside from the peat is mostly tons and tons of fruit. Some citrus, sure, but also banana, mango, green apples, and pomegranate, with possibly just a whiff of rhubarb (is it a fruit, is it a vegetable, is it both?). A fair dose of umami notes seal the deal, as I’m picking up a mixture of forest fungi and hard cheese – a perfect counter balance to all those fruity delights. Add a drop of water and I find everything becomes brighter, livelier and funkier.
Palate
Hot and funky on the arrival. Less fruit but more of those savoury notes. Hint of wood as well, making for a bit of a dry mouthfeel. Despite the respectable ABV, quite drinkable and quaffable neat, but I do suggest you add a drop of water, as it really opens things up. A lot more peat now, and, yes, sharper, brighter and more pronounced. The mouthfeel becomes less dry / more ‘wet’ – not necessarily viscous but it carries the whisky further as it helps spread the flavours more , if that makes sense. What the added water does most of all, is crank up the volume, making everything more outspoken and louder.
Finish
Long, peaty and hints of spices (wood, ginger, pepper).
Kilkerran 8 yo 2025 release. 56.7% ABV. Bourbon cask matured. No info on RRP and availability yet (consider this a sneak preview).
I am a big fan of Kilkerran’s 8 year old releases. Then again: who isn’t? I didn’t catch all of the previous releases, but the ones I did bag, were all very, very enjoyable, and this years’ sherry cask matured expression was such an absolute delight, I bought 2 back up bottles. So jammy, fresh and lively while also bringing depth and weight: it was in fact my nomination for ‘whisky of the year’ in the OSWA’s. So needless to say I was all but yapping like an excited puppy when I learned this would be in the line-up at the tasting. Especially because the previous bourbon cask matured 8 yo eluded me.
Nose
Oh, yes! Again that ‘jammy’, fruity element I adored in the 2024 release. Obviously less red fruit as this is bourbon cask matured, so what it brings to the table is notes of apricot and pears. Mix those in with a generous dash of that subtle, soft hay-like funkiness we’ve come to know and love from the 12 year old and it’s fair to say that this works a treat. Pleasantly light and easy going, but at the same time there’s depth and weight to it. Lovely!
Palate
Again, that jammy, chewy thick and dense character. Viscous, fruity, banana foam mixed in with a touch of pepper. Lovely balance between the characteristic funk and the bourbon sweetness in the form of vanilla and possibly some honey too.
Finish
Long, spices (curry and black pepper).
Final thoughts
The heavily Peated is a no-nonsense, decently balanced and fairly priced, absolutely enjoyable whisky to help keep you warm. While (in my opinion) still not quite where those earlier batches were as I felt they were a near perfect combo of funky savoury and peaty notes, I feel this one is another step in the right direction. For the price, I definitely see myself buying a bottle. The one I’d be actively chasing, though, is the 8 year old. I know a lot of people associate the 8 year old with almost decadent richness from active sherry casks, but this one I feel combines the best of two worlds: it’s ‘lighter’ in the way that it doesn’t completely overrun you with flavour, but it’s equally fruity and viscous, putting a bit more emphasis on nuances. In any case: it’s a cracker! Next week, if all goes well: is there such a thing as an ‘overlooked’ Campbeltown whisky?
I just finished my samples from that tasting and was hoping you´d write about them. I thought the 8 a highlight too. Numbers 2 and 3 were spectacular as well though 😄
As quasi-contrarian I tend to prefer Kilkerran releases over Springbank bottles. They've consistently done better in blind tastings and are easier to get my hands on. Enjoyed reading the article, thanks.