Review #212 - Kilkerran 12 Year
Glengyle, a relatively young distillery which began operations in 2004, produces lightly-peated spirit (for the most part), which they release as an 8 year old (at cask strength), a 12 year old, and a 16 year old. In addition to the age-stated releases, there are also batches of heavily peated single malt coming out regularly.
Actually, the history of the distillery goes back further than that: the original Glengyle was built in Campbeltown in 1872, and it operated until it 1925, when it was closed down. Glengyle brands their single malt range as Kilkerran, as the naming rights for the Glengyle brands are not actually held by the current distillery and its owners.
This sister distillery of Springbank is quite small, with a theoretical capacity of 750,000 lpa, but they only produce around 100,000 lpa in actuality. The distillery is only operated for about three months at the end of the year; it shares much of its production team with Springbank, which is operated roughly from January through September.
Concerning the maturation on this 12 year old bottle - it's generally a mixture of ex-bourbon casks and ex-sherry casks. We're not sure of the exact ratio on our batch, but generally, it will lean a bit more toward the ex-bourbon side - that was in line with our experience.
Kilkerran 12 Year
Scotland/Campbeltown - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 82 (2022)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 86 (2024)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; June 2021 batch
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 5 times over 12 months; bottles at 100%, 80%, 70% (blind tasting), 60% (blind tasting), and 40% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Some classic ex-bourbon notes like vanilla, soft oak, cinnamon, and honeydew melon; behind that, there's a slightly vegetal backbone, with soft smoke, moss, oil, and a musty smell. It's somewhat soft overall, though; with more time, peppercorns, hints of perfume and flowers, hay, and a hint of salt appear.
Palate: Solid spirt, with some malt and sweet grain flavors, and the peat smoke grows from soft to almost a medium level. Little hints of funk, musty cellar, and perfume can be found, but the focus is light fruits and baking spice: green apple, lemon drop candy, vanilla, cream, and brown sugar. The mouthfeel has a medium thickness.
Finish: Medium length, with hints of smoke and funky malt. Soft flavors of lime, green apples, honey, and flowers are the focus now, with an aftertaste including pear, lemon zest, buttery oak, and custard.
Final Note: A bit subtle and delicate, especially soft on the nose - there are nice flavors here, but the whole experienced was just a bit muted and plain in its delivery. The base spirit seemed to be strong, and the addition of a soft peat influence and subtle funky flavors was nice; the custard and malt notes were a treat, but it all just needed a bit more strength.
Unfortunately for us in the US, at least in some regions, the pricing for Campbeltown whiskies has been driven up due to high demand and the reputation of these distilleries. While it's still a bit cheaper and easier to find than Springbank, these Kilkerran whiskies are known as high quality single malts, so they aren't cheap; value, then is just average.
Our Average Rating: 6.7 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.99
