Review #472 - Kilkerran 8 Year Cask Strength - Sherry Cask Matured (2024)

Batch 10 of Kilkerran 8 Year Cask Strength, from the Glengyle distillery, arrived in early 2024. This was another sherry matured batch - it doesn't state specifics on the label, but we know that Oloroso sherry casks were used.

The strength for this batch ends up at 57.4% ABV - that's comparable to other recent batches, such as the sherry-matured batch from 2023, which had a nearly identical strength of 57.5% ABV.

Kilkerran 8 Year Cask Strength - Sherry Cask Matured (2024)

Scotland/Campbeltown - Single Malt

Price Paid: USD 115 (2024)

Current Locally Available Price: USD 115 (2025)

Age Statement: 8 Years

Strength: 57.4% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex Oloroso-sherry casks

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; batch #10, bottled January 2024

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 5 times over 4 months; bottles at 100% (blind tasting), 90% (blind tasting), 80% (blind tasting), 70% (blind tasting), and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Funky and malty - dirt or mud, dank basement, gourds, a bit vegetal. There's a floral side, too, which pairs nicely with the peat smoke - that part is more mild. Fruits bring some sweetness: strawberry jam, grapefruit, raspberries, and a sharper stone fruit like nectarine. Copper, honey, and salty mushrooms are accent notes.

Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel - several different flavor directions. There are juicy red fruits, mango, and orange; moderate peat smoke, jalapenos, and vegetal notes add a spirity side. Caramelized sugar, chili spice, and cinnamon add a baking note element; with time, raisins arrive, and we get some oak tannins.

Finish: Earthy woody, with some spice from black pepper and red hot cinnamon candies. Quite warming from the strength, too, and we get tart fruits like nectarine, grapefruit, and fig; the peat starts to wane, and there's a soft fizz in the aftertaste, as well as some youth showing in the spirit. It's a medium-long finish.

Final Note: In our experience, this is a very funky batch of Kilkerran 8, with a heavier emphasis on the spirit side compared to some others. There's still a decent amount of cask influence from that Oloroso - red fruits, especially some tart fruits this time. A surplus of earthy, vegetal, floral notes came from the distillate, and while the peat had a decent impact on the palate, it was much more subtle on the nose and finish. A good batch of Kilkerran 8 overall, but not necessarily a standout for us.

Value is okay - around the suggested retail price, value would be very good. Here in the States, it's hard to find these products for a reasonable price - we had to pay a bit over $100 for our bottle, and we've seen it listed even higher than that in other shops.

Our Average Rating: 7.1 / 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: 5.84

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.