Kilkerran 8 Year Old Cask Strength - Port Cask Matured 2022

I didn't rate this? Well, let me correct that. This is the worst whisky I've had in 2022. I really don't feel the need to elaborate further. It's absolute garbage in my opinion, and I'm completely baffled as to why people enjoy it. Problems - it's young, straight from the still, only slightly masked by the genuinely very pleasant sweet port note at the start, only to be ruined by communion wine on the finish. The alcohol is harsher than you'd prefer. You can detect the still's influence. It tastes like grain, even though it's a malt whisky. Good - the port sweetness is indeed good for about 0.1 seconds upfront. Neutral - it's not as harsh as some truly terrible whiskies. I don't understand this at all; it might be my least favorite and worst whisky quality review. There are whiskies I simply dislike, like KK8 57.1, but I can understand why someone might like it and even score it an 83-85. This is significantly worse, yet oddly falls more into my preferred profile because I love fresh port and it does offer some good port notes for a brief moment. I wish I could give it a negative score, but 0.25 is the lowest possible rating. This deserves a -100 to truly represent its scale.

The signature Campbeltown character and port sweetness harmonize once again. Nose: Toffee, Honey, Blueberries, Figs, Violets, Lavender, Raisins, Mackerel, Watermelon, Grapefruit, Strawberries, Roses Palate: Nutella, Raisins, Luxardo Cherries, Lavender, Smoke, Barbecue Pork Ribs, Toffee, Grapefruit, Roses, Blueberries, Bubblegum, Cloves, Cinnamon, Treacle Finish: Blueberries, Salted Caramel, Honey, Toffee, Vanilla, Grapefruit, Prunes

My sampling of a dozen Campbeltown spirits has been underwhelming. It appears overrated, an acquired preference at best. This has a saline quality, more port in the middle palate (a great deal) than I've encountered in any single malt scotch, followed by anise, pepper, and berries in the aftertaste. More intriguing than excellent.

On a second sampling, I can recognize its character. It's a potent port flavor. Other port-finished whiskies I've sampled are less intense with port. This is saturated with deep port notes. The texture and alcohol content of scotch combined with port flavors. Anise and, less noticeably, berries.

A rare letdown from Kilkerran. While some pleasant flavors are present, they are overshadowed by heavy sulfur, particularly on the nose. It's borderline undrinkable, but I'll let it sit to oxidize since I own a bottle.

When paired with chocolate, the profile completely transforms, which is amazing! Five stars!