Kilkerran 12 Year

Amazingly rich and complex for just 12 years old. Buttery and smokey, dried apricot and fire roasted garlic (first time I've used that to describe a whisky), graham crackers by the campfire, and very warming on the finish. Powerful and smooth, a total package.

Pale gold natural color, viscous, a bit hazy - a beautiful indication it is non-chill-filtered (it actually says so on the bottle as well). Nose is delicate, something you would expect from a moderately-aged 12-year-old dram. Notes of black pepper, vanilla, cereal, with a touch of field flowers and just a touch of smoke on the back. On the first approach it does not strike as a super complex dram, although it makes a confident statement. Palate is delicate, with a good balance of sweet, salty and umami, with a touch of smoke on the back. After the first sip, I start sensing some citrus notes on the nose. Palate gains a bit more vanilla and caramel characteristics. Finish is long, with hints of oak, vanilla, and honey. After more than a few minutes with this dram I start to appreciate its complexity much more. Now some matchbox, hay, and even medicinal notes start to appear. It opens into a beautifully-balanced whisky with different dimensions of delicate awesomeness. A few drops of water in this 46% ABV dram makes it a bit more sweet, and the finish gets more floral, fresh fruit, and smoky notes. Water definitely helps here, but I wouldn’t add too much as its easy to drown this delicate dram. Overall, this is an excellent Campbeltown dram from the Glengyle distillery. It is well-crafted and nicely balanced, but I would probably not recommend this to a beginner. Enthusiast would really appreciate its complexity and character though, particularly if you take it slow. Well worth the $73.

Nose: peach, marshmallow, slightly earthy taste: nice fruity taste, not too sweet. hint of nuts and smoke on the backend. Very refreshing sipper for a nice summer night.

Get some citrus zest on the nose. Not too smooth of a finish

On the nose, it’s rich. Peach, light berries and smoke. On the palate. Even more rich. The ethanol sting makes itself known, but the dominant flavors are clove, charred oak and grilled peach. Some light berries, but not a ton, and some vanilla showing up at the end. The finish is SUPER long. I love how oily and long it is. Great dram.

Flavour bomb. Water removes smoke and reveals bottom layers of dried fruits