Kilkerran Work in Progress #5 Sherry Wood

Mixed feelings. Too biting, a bit messy and a bit unbalanced at times, but undoubtedly rich and multilayered. The Sherry cask, on one hand, brings the diversity to the flavour, yet on the other - it makes the spiritousness and wheatyness more tangible and palpable in a way. Acetone and tar, cold smoke. Caramel, raisins and nuts. JW Black Label vibes (he-he).

If the WIP 5 bourbon cask is a glassful of spring, this is its fall companion. Stewed fruit and fig spread dominate the nose. The palate is predominantly cask driven, overwhelming the delicate Kilkerran spirit at first, but sweet and sour notes emerge with time. The finish is long, creamy and caramel. It’s good but nowhere as complex as its bourbon sibling or the masterful blend of casks that comprise the core 12 year old bottling.

If this this their Work In Progress, imagine how good their final product must be? Oh wait, their final product is the Kilkerran 12...and that is pretty amazing. This is your classic Sherry + Cambeltown peat combo: you get the upfront figs and fruit, followed by an apple citrus flavor, all on a peat backbone. Really well made, and glad to have tried this as part of our little sampling team. Sample courtesy of Ryan...thank you!

Stop number 5 on the SDT is Kilkerran from the Glengyle distillery, one of three in the Campbeltown region. This is the 7th and final release in the "Work in Progress" line. Even though there is no official age stated on the bottle, it is 11 years old. This one is matured exclusively in sherry casks. There is also a release matured exclusively in bourbon barrels. The new 12 year old is a blend of both styles (I believe 1/3 bourbon and 2/3 sherry or the other way around). It is bottled at 46% ABV, it has colorant added producing an amber honey color. No word of it is chill filtered or not. Immediately off the nose I can tell it's a sherry bomb. Not overly sweet sherry which is the way I prefer my sherried whiskies. Raisins, dates and figs initially, followed by stone fruits like plums and apricots and a touch of underripe apple. Toffee and caramel and a syrupy sweetness. A light thread of vegetal peat holds it all together. The palate is medium bodied and not too complex. Sherried fruits, light oak and even lighter pepper. More vegetal peat and a nice level of sweetness. Nowhere in the dram is there smoke, but peat for sure. A nice oily mouthfeel which leads me to believe it is not chill filtered. Somewhat mouthwatering at first. Medium length finish that is mostly dry with sherried oak and peat that tapers off slowly. I think this is better than I expected, mainly because I didn't know it was peated. A higher level of peat would have really made this one, but some is better than none. The fact that the sherry wasn't super sweet helped as well. It's a solid dram, but nothing extraordinary. 3.75

** This review is for the 7th Release of the WIP Series, not the 5th. It was the Sherry Wood variant however. Distiller's professional reviewers need to drink faster...LOL ** It's time for my second sample from the SDT group: Kilkerran (Glengyle Distillery) Work In Progress 7th Release Sherry Wood. Whew, what a mouthful. This sample was also provided to me by my friend, Ryan. This is 11 year old juice that was distilled in 2004 and bottled in 2015. It is the last batch from the WIP series before the distillery releases their standard 12 year old whisky. The WIP ran in successive years and was broken down into 2 variations: Sherry Wood and Ex-Bourbon wood. I'm assuming the regular 12 year will be an in-house blend of these 2 continuously aging cask lines, but the WIP series is definitely finished. So, in effect, this is somewhat collectible. It comes in at 46% ABV and has color added. Thanks again for sharing, Ryan. On the nose, it's pleasantly citrusy with a very light dose of apple hanging around the lightly peated, sherried wood. It's a bit on the sweeter side, but still pretty light overall on the nose. The mouthfeel is very oily, almost cough syrup consistency with more zesty citrus and sweet sherry coming through. Another tiny hit of peat and sea salt liven it up just a bit to put the cough syrup feeling in check. It's enjoyable and not overbearing at all. The finish is light. Light everything: oak spices, peat and smoke. There's little to no burn at all and for that I have to deduct a bit- it needs to remind you that you're drinking whisky and it kind of doesn't do that as it is. An experienced drinker could chug this from the bottle. #coughLeeGcough. Overall, I like sherried scotch and this one still checks all the right boxes for me. It could use a bit of refinement, but I guess that's why it was called a work in progress. Judging by the 12 year old I've had, they've tightened things up over there in Campbeltown quite well, so it's all good IMHO. 3.75 stars. Cheers, y'all.