Kilkerran 15 Single Cask Oloroso Wood

Kilkerran 8yo Oloroso single malt cask strength (abv 56.9%). I don't like something about the smell and the taste is hella strong. Not bad but... Not my cup of tea

I bought this right when it came out so this has been open a few months and I've had it about 60% down for while (haven't had a pour in at least 2 if not 3 months). Hoping to give this one a really proper review. Full disclosure I suck at explaining "funk" and peat for that matter. Nose - I get this metallic and rusty like note that moves into savory like a soy sauce or some kind of reduction sauce with wine elements. Almost a cooking sherry, not one you'd drink. Alcohol comes off pretty strong here. Now once I get past all that I do get some figs, chocolate, and maybe even a faint pepper mint. Taste - The flavor is a bit more traditional sherry finishing than the nose. This is clearly from the color which is dark as hell to the flavor a sherry bomb, but done so with that killkerran dirty funky malt. There's a salt savory dirty bouillon cube like element here mixed in with chocolates, figs, raisins, and rich malts. I still do get some elements of what I'd considered a cooking sherry vs a drinking one. I've had a sample of the 8 year sherry which I found unrefined to a point of failure and just flatly I don't want to work that hard to find a perfect spot with water to drink a whisky. I had similar issues with the bourbon cask 8 as well. This is the MUCH more refined big brother, but at 15 years, we're not yet refined. It's been to prep school, it knows which fork to use, but you gotta remind it of those rules (not an issue I have in my life as I'm pretty happy with uber eats bringing me my food) from time to time. I'd add it comes off spicy from the oak and alcohol but it's not overly thick of oily either. It's actually a hair thin given the abv and age. A completely unique and different whisky from anything else I can really think of right now. Far more savory than sweet. This is nothing like a springbank 15. I like my whisky more sweet than this, especially sherry forward ones, but I can really really appreciate this one. So much so I bought a backup just in case, and with these going for 450 secondary back when I could still find them in stores, I don't want to think about what a replacement would cost now. I'm at a 3.5. This isn't my wheelhouse but it's next door to it. I don't know who this whisky is for, you have to be a huge fan of off profile unique stuff. I know there are a lot of whisky geeks who are in that camp so I'm sure there's a huge market. For me, a wonderfully unique and different experience, but not a wow bottle. 88 out of 100 I think is where I'd be with this one. 86 on enjoyment but +2 for unique and interesting elements. I'm glad I have a backup but I doubt i get into it for a few years.

A great combination of sherried sweetness, peat, and campbeltown funky earthiness. Interestingly this was first aged 10 years in fresh sherry casks before being moved to refill bourbon casks for 5 years. Nose: Chocolate, Raisins, Raspberries, Cherries, Smoke, Peat, Plums, Dates, Figs, Bananas, Sultanas, Earthy, Pineapple, Flowers Palate: Chocolate, Peat, Pepper, Orange, Diesel, Cherry, Grilled Meats Finish: Toffee, Raisins, Dates, Salted Caramel, Burnt Pineapple

Beautiful! The nose is filled with cinnamon, rich ruby fruits, confection sugar, slight basil, trademark leather, and nutmeg. Palate brings luscious strawberries/raspberries, star anise/all spice, black pepper, sulfur, slight woodiness, but the sherry shines. The finish is nice and long with dark/milk chocolate and black currants/cherries with slight tobacco. Is able to hang easily with the Balvenie 15 Single Barrel. Exquisite dram! The theme should be equal of the song. This one is “Pneuma” from Tool. Damn, I wish it wasn’t limited.