Review by: The Muskox

Haven’t had one of these in a little while. Like its sibling distillery Springbank, Kilkerran has become much harder to find in recent times, though not quite to the same degree. I’ve been trying to side-step the whole thing and get my fix of that style of whisky elsewhere, but I still like revisiting these distilleries from time to time, a) to remember what I’m missing, and b) because I really enjoy them when I can get them.

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Distillery: Glengyle.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Campbeltown.

ABV: 55.8%. Cask strength.

Age: 8 years. Bottled in 2022.

Cask type: Bourbon barrels.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: 0.3, Pale gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Smoky and peppery – bacon and charred shishitos – with lighter fruit notes of cantaloupe and banana hide underneath. As the smoke clears, all sort of woody and spicy notes come in – hazelnuts, sarsaparilla, toasted cedar planks. Lemongrass. Rice Krispy squares.

Palate: Medium texture. Arrives sweet, nutty, and a little tart – cola, white cherries, almonds, and browned butter. Then the smoke comes in, acrid and drying. Rich rummy spice on the development, as well as loads of honey, coconut, and citrus peels. Bacon-wrapped figs.

Finish: Medium-length. Comes across a little raw and spirity here. More bacon, campfire smoke, black pepper. Lime and honey. A little cotton candy.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “The dram with no doors”

Conclusion: Very tasty. There’s a good mix of spirit and cask flavours here, and while the peat is a little smothering at first, it mellows out over the course of the dram to reveal delicious sweetness and spice. I kept feeling like I was drinking a peated Mai Tai. …now I want to try making a peated Mai Tai.

It’s not the most complex Kilkerran I’ve ever had, and it comes across just a little younger than some of the other editions of this bottling that I’ve tried, but it scratches the tropical-smoke itch in a slightly different (and slightly cheaper) way than Springbank.  

Final Score: 84.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.