Kilkerran 16 Year

The nose starts with a mix of gooseberries, baby formula and very light farmyard funk then some light smoke, earthy minerality and prunes followed by sour apples, lemon pith and orange zest that transitions to ocean brine, soft vanilla and light peppery oak spice with light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a mild bitter spice that slowly fades to a mix of gooseberries, baby formula and very light farmyard funk then charred hay bales and sea side rock minerality followed by sour apples, lemon pith and grapefruit that transitions to ocean brine, soft vanilla and light peppery oak spice with light ethanol burn. The finish is short with lemongrass, sour apple, ocean brine, charred hay bales and ashy oak. This is my first Kilkerran and I was hoping for something similar to a Springbank profile, but this comes across to me as more of a watery Springbank. The flavors are very light with an odd milk flavor along with sour fruits, mild farmyard notes and ocean brine. Overall, it's not a bad dram, but this comes across as just slightly better than average for me. A huge thanks to @Richard-ModernDrinking for the generous sample.

Nose - earthy peat, charred orange zest, light sulphur, peach, lemon meringue, grape, spoiled cream, hay, sugar cookie, pineapple, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - citrusy peat, peach, spoiled cream, lemon, orange zest, sulphur, brine, caramel, mint, decaying floral notes, sour apple, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium long with fresh peat, lemon, and light sulphur flavors. Other than a single taste of the Kilkerran 12 Year a while back, this is the first real experience I’ve had with the brand. I’m anticipating something Springbanky, but probably not quite as good. And I think that’s what we have here. The nose is Campbeltown funk lite. There’s earthy peat, a hint of pencil eraser sulphur, overripe stone fruit, and rotten citrus. The palate brings some spoiled cream and fruit, a touch of brine, and generalized notes of organic decay. This is slightly more challenging than the Glen Scotia 16 Year, but I like it about the same. However, it falls short of the majority of Springbank products I’ve tried, including the standard 10 Year. It hits a lot of those classic Campbeltown aromas and flavors, but they’re shallower, sourer, and more incomplete than I had hoped. And while the finish lingers nicely, the mouthfeel is on the thin side. A big thank you to @Richard-ModernDrinking for providing the generous sample!

Smooth.

Springbank peaches.