Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch #1

Really strong

I didn’t think much of this when I opened the bottle a couple of weeks ago with @PBMichiganWolverine but a second tasting proved more rewarding. The nose combines a Springbank-like funk with a sprinkle of peat and a hint of sherry, though it doesn’t survive the water you’ll need to add before drinking. Neat, this powerful whisky is too searing on the throat to enjoy. Knocked back to 50%, it still tastes unbalanced at first: the dirty peat doesn’t feel well integrated with the Kilkerran spirit, which in its un-peated form is one of the best new whiskies of the century. Give it some time, though, and the mix of funk, peat and a sherry-tinged finish will coalesce into a more enjoyable harmony. It’s still very much a work in progress but even in its first iteration worth a taste or two.

I loved the Kilkerran 12. One of the best under 15 you can buy, especially considering the price point. This one...wasn’t a fan. Way too hot, young and brash. Sooty smoke that isn’t well integrated with the other flavors . Really disjointed. Out of the 12 we had in last night’s tasting @Richard-ModernDrinking, to me personally, this was 3rd last in ranking behind the Bunna Palo Cortado and Lagavulin 10.

59.3% abv (batch 1) Non chill-filtered Natural color NAS Nose: Earthy, dense peat smoke, like fresh wet concrete and charcoal on a campfire; damp wood; sweetness, like vanilla and tart apple; lemon sherbet citrus; very slight mustiness and sourdough bread. Taste: intense and sweet; heavy, viscous peated barely; vanilla; caramelized sugar; hints of dark fruits as it develops; pepper. Finish: medium; with vanilla, caramel and pepper. Hint of mint and smoked meat. Ashy burnt wood note lingers. Value: $70-80 USD. Final thoughts: an exciting young smoky single malt. This is peated at 80 ppm, putting it above nearly all other peated malts except Octomore. Despite its youth, this whisky does a lot to impress with its surprising array of notes. All in all a strong first release of their “peat in progress” line and portends good things to come for peat heads. Score: 3.5/5 (recommend trying or buying a bottle at a good price) Malt musing: “Alcohol is not the answer it just makes you forget the question.” :-)