Review #501 - Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 8

Glengyle distillery's Kilkerran brand releases batches of their heavily peated single malt around twice per year, using barley smoked to roughly 45 ppm; originally, the branding displayed the phrase 'Peat in Progress' near the bottom of the front label, as we see here on our bottle of Batch 8. The more recent version, which started with Batch 9, now shows the text 'Small Batch.'

The cask makeup for these batches is mostly ex-bourbon, though there is some variation; this Batch 8 also saw some use of ex-sherry casks, though we don't have an exact breakdown of the proportions. After maturation, the spirit is bottled at cask strength - our batch here came out at a spicy 58.4% ABV, and it was bottled in early 2023.

Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 8

Scotland/Campbeltown - Single Malt

Price: USD 89 (2025)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 58.4% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks

Details: Batch 8; not chill filtered, no color added; bottled March 9, 2023

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 14 months; bottles at 90%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Buttery and creamy - croissants and custard. Peat smoke starts softly but builds in intensity; there's also a light fruit side, bringing orange, guava, and lime. The spirit has a mineral scent - slate, and then some 'farmyard' funk arrives. Vanilla and stronger malt can be found, too.

Palate: A thick mouthfeel, full of fruit, effervescence, and spirity notes. The peat smoke builds to a medium level, but the focus is on other flavors: strong lime and sweet stone fruit of nectarine and peach, some tropical sweetness from tangy mango and guava; it's fizzy, a mix of sweet and sour. Creamy custard, honey, and butter linger in the spirit in the background.

Finish: Lime sherbet, creamy guava - the sharp tropical theme continues. The peat begins to trail off, leaving hay, charcoal, and charred oak lingering... it's a medium-long finish.

Final Note: This is a very good batch of Kilkerran Heavily Peated. The peat smoke is present throughout the whole experience, but it never dominates the flavor profile, instead allowing for a great combination of fruit and spirity flavors. That spirity side shows a little bit of youth, but this isn't raw or too hot - it's nicely integrated, with great balance.

Value is decent. This isn't a cheap bottle by any means, as it's close to $90 here in the US, but the flavors are very good, so the bottle is worth the purchase.

Our Average Rating: 7.8 / 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: 7.07

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.