Kilkerran 17 Year Old Single Cask (2024)

Kilkerran 17 Year Old Single Cask (2024)

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 57.3%

Price: £115.00

This Kilkerran bottling was specifically selected and bottled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of Glengyle Distillery in 2004. Distilled in May 2007 and bottled in June 2024, this whisky matured for 17 years in a refill sherry hogshead. A total of 312 bottles were produced for the United Kingdom.

Nose

The nose opens with some damp leather, raspberry jelly.. the type you'd find in your grandmothers trifle, some trodden, muddy earth, crushed coriander seeds, a little fresh lime juice, jelly babies and a fair amount of vanilla too. It's not overly sherried, there's gentle hints of the sherry cask but they accentuate rather than overpower. It's fairly peat-forward too, very earthy smoke and we're finding some crushed hazelnuts, espresso and toffee brittle as we sit with the dram.

Palate

The palate opens with a runny honey/toffee sauce like consistency, and backs it up with similar flavours, vanilla wafers, bourbon biscuits and a fair hit of earthy peat smoke that develops on the latter part of the palate. There's also dark chocolate and raspberry jaffa cakes, fudge brownies, red grape juice and a little bit of black pepper. The finish is reasonably long, mostly spent coffee grounds and a little bit of dry oak. Time and air brings out more sweetness up front, but the backbone of richer chocolate and peat flavours still remain.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose bursts open with fresher fruits, that raspberry is quite prominent, alongside sweeter roasted nuts, vanilla cream and a few pencil shavings. The peat feels slightly softer, not as punchy as before, but definitely still there. The nose feels slightly less interesting with water, we don't think it really needs it.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate maintains the honeyed mouthfeel, and we're finding more sherry influence making itself known. Blackcurrants, dark chocolate and some Kirsch too. The finish is a little drier and nuttier, a little cask char too. Overall the water brings a little more balance to the dram, but we don't think it's too necessary.

Conclusion

This is quite an interesting whisky, very multifaceted, we're getting something new every time we nose it. The palate is a bit simpler, cherries, chocolate and peat, and very pleasant. All in all, it's a harmonious dram that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Score: 8/10

Value

Sold out instantly and most will never get near one at RRP.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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