Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 13 & Hazelburn 10 Year Old (2025 Release)

Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 13

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 58.6%

Price: £49.95

Bottled in 2025 at cask strength, this release was matured in a mix of 90 percent bourbon casks and 10 percent sherry casks. It forms part of Glengyle’s Heavily Peated series and was produced from spirit peated to around 45 ppm.

Nose

The nose opens with butter, Cadbury Caramel sweets, bisque, dried earth, sea salt, and light smoke. Returning to it, we find strawberry sauce, Butterscotch Angel Delight, moss, a touch of Campbeltown funk, and vanilla extract. There is minimal alcohol spice for the ABV, but there’s a touch of yeast here given away its age.

Palate

The palate opens with ground ginger, damp earth, dried hay, Manuka honey, mandarins, and smoked ham. The finish is a touch too spicy for us, with that ginger heat intensifying and dominating the sweeter notes on the medium length finish. The mouthfeel is a little disappointing and, as we sip, it becomes quite mouth drying.

Nose (with water)

Water hasn’t changed the nose dramatically, but we are getting more dried earth now, and petrol and cornbread have joined the pre-dilution notes. As it sits in the glass, the alcohol spice becomes more apparent.

Palate (with water)

While water hasn’t drastically changed the flavours on the palate it has brought the spice into better balance. There’s now an ashy smoke on the mid palate, which is nicely countered by those sweeter pre-dilution notes. The mouthfeel has oddly improved, and there’s a pleasing mix of sweetness and smoke on the medium length finish.

Conclusion

We were a little disappointed before dilution, but a few drops of water fixed many of our issues. With a splash it becomes a solid dram that does not show its age, though it still lacks the complexity to take it above a 7.

Score: 7/10

Value

Cask strength Campbeltown for sub £50 is hard to pass up.

Hazelburn 10 Year Old (2025 Release)

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 46.0%

Price: £59.95

For those unfamiliar, Hazelburn 10 is triple distilled and unpeated. It is matured exclusively in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 46%. It is non-chill filtered and natural in colour.

Nose

The nose opens with peach yoghurt, icing sugar, vanilla buttercream, and lemon juice. There’s only the slightest alcohol prickle here. Returning to it after air, we find chopped green apples, Pear Drops, and orange peel. We’re not really getting any Campbeltown funk, but it’s a pleasant enough nose.

Palate

There’s heavy orange peel on the upfront palate. Behind that, more fruit appears: lemonade, papaya, and peaches. There’s also honey, tobacco, and caramel sauce. Dark chocolate joins the sweeter notes on the medium length finish, but there is also a fair whack of alcohol spice. The mouthfeel is a touch thin. The Campbeltown funk is more noticeable here than on the nose, appearing on the mid-palate.

Nose (with water)

Water has dampened some of the fruit notes and brought out more of the Campbeltown funk noted on the palate. Citrus is now the dominant sweetness on the nose. There is still very little alcohol spice.

Palate (with water)

Water has brought the alcohol spice into better balance. The mouthfeel is still a touch thinner than we would like. Blood orange now appears on the mid-palate, really popping and pushing the pre-dilution notes into the background. The finish is a touch shorter now as well.

Conclusion

Solid dram that we would recommend drinking neat, even if it is a touch spicy for our liking. There is some complexity for the age, but the spice and the slightly thin mouthfeel drag it down for us. If this were a cask strength release, we expect we would have gone a little higher, but as it stands we are at 6.5.

Score: 6.5/10

Value

Not as cheap as some other 10 year old releases from rival distilleries, but given how little Hazelburn is produced, this seems a reasonable price point.

• 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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