Looking for durrty whisky, episode 4: a double bill from Kilkerran

Did I save the best for last in this series? I’m sure more than a few would argue I did, as Kilkerran has very quickly gained high acclaim and is held in high regard by many enthusiasts. Very much like its sister distillery Springbank, new releases, core and limited alike, tend to get snatched up faster than it takes the Tory government to come up with an excuse for its latest cock up.

Campbeltown is of course renowned for the ‘Campbeltown funk’ - a flavour characteristic that is perhaps not always easy to pin down, but is generally described as a mixture of farmyard notes, something grassy-hay and leaves, cheese, a meatiness and a hint of peat. While you could argue that such things are indeed an acquired taste, given the fact that you’ll need a well-trained army of Speedy Gonzales-like mice to get your hands on some (most) of Campbeltown whiskies these days, it seems many have indeed acquired a taste for it (flippers – may they forever grow a nasty itch just out of arm’s each – left out of the equation here, obviously).

So doing a series on dirty whisky without adding in a Campbeltown whisky, was pretty much out of the question. Now obviously some are dirtier than others (the heavily peated Longrow might have been an obvious option), but as I currently have no Longrow in the cabinet (*insert shame meme here) I opted for not one, but two expressions from Kilkerran to put this series to bed. One from the always in high demand and hyped limited 8 year old releases, the other from their latest addition to the core range: the 16 year old, a whisky that gets perhaps a bit less attention compared to some of the other releases, but is nonetheless sometimes equally hard to find. So, given that we’ve got two whiskies to cover this week, I won’t waste any more of your time and get right to it.

Kilkerran 8 yo (2021 release), 56.9% ABV, natural colour, UCF, 1st fill oloroso sherry casks. RRP around €70, but already about double that on secondary.

Nose

A bag of red fruits, cooked and stewed alike. Marmalade of apricot, strawberry and raspberry. A faint funky-yeasty note and a whiff of sulphur, which, luckily, adds extra character rather than ruining things. Oily, viscous and rich and after a drop of water both the funk and berry notes really jump out of the glass.

Palate

Rich, full-on arrival. The ABV is noticeable. Again big on all those fruit notes, transforming into notes of pastry even, while sitting on a dry and woody texture. Big and viscous and here that dirty oiliness shines through, as well as a meaty, gentle sulphur note – yet everything remains in check. With the added water that sulphury note is tamed and makes way for a leather and tobacco element.

Finish

Initially drying before turning again into a sappy wood note with echoes of tobacco.

Kilkerran 16 yo, 46% ABV, natural colour, UCF, 75% bourbon casks, 25% sherry casks, 2021 release. RRP €80-€90 (if you’re lucky)

Nose

Soft citrus, mushrooms and gentle lactic notes. Herbal-leafy with hints of hay and dried grass. A very soft note of wet clay and perhaps a whiff of peat. This doesn’t nose like a 16 yo whisky as it comes across a bit spirit driven (for the record, that’s an observation, not a criticism). A drop of water has quite a dramatic effect as it literally brings out a now very distinctive note of an autumn forest, accentuated further by notes of wet leaves and hay.

Palate

Leafy and farmy (yet without the yeasty note), oily and again that autumn forest. Woody and polish notes reveal that there are some cask influences to be found after all. A few drops of water again have a big impact on the flavours here, as things turn towards umami notes now, with an oily and funky vibe.

Finish

Long, funky and drying with hints of wood and leaves.

Final thoughts

Two whiskies from the same distillery, but while there is common ground to be found here, they are in a way also very different. The 16 year old is subtle, but with a twist as it has its own distinctive character. The nose didn’t give away an awful lot initially, but it really shines on the palate and even in the ever lingering finish. This is a beautifully balanced whisky, while it still has that dirty side to it that I was looking for in this series. This is a bit like finding out that the Cheerleader who is dead certain to become homecoming queen also happens to play the bass in an underground punk band.

The 8 year old, in turn, is big, bold and gets its dirty touch from both the spirit character and the sulphury element from those Oloroso casks. It’s a big hitter of a whisky and more than dirty enough to leave Malty satisfied.

Mission accomplished, me thinks! Next month brings another series, and I’ll probably be doing something with the 5 regions of Scotland as March has 5 Thursdays to cover, so tune in again next week, why don’t you?! Until then: Slainte Mhath!