Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch #3

Nose: Oatmeal, sour cream, pine resin, with sweet yet restrained peaty notes. It carries an almost mezcal-like vegetal aroma, a sharp flinty minerality, a touch of vanilla, and just a hint of plastic. This smells quite young and somehow diluted. There's an alcohol prickle that can be mellowed by adding a splash of water. This slightly expands the aroma, but avoid adding too much, as it can quickly become overwhelmed and lose its character. Palate: A briny arrival with salted lemons, ash, and some sweet-and-sour cereal notes. The texture is oily yet thin, countered by the astringency of a high alcohol presence. Cabbage water, iodine, and a bit of pepper. The palate isn't particularly complex, but a dash of water also helps here by revealing considerable sweetness to balance the otherwise salty profile. Finish: Medium to short. The vegetal notes fade into a subtle preserved lemon aftertaste with a touch of sour peat. This whisky possesses a nose that could easily be off-putting. There are rubbery, feinty aromas, but it's redeemed by its reserved, dry, and austere nature. It consistently reminds you of its youth. The palate is similarly narrow, and the cask influence is minimal. Considering it's advertised as "heavily peated," the perceived peat level is surprisingly low. However, it is also labeled "Peat in Progress," and should be evaluated with that in mind. This isn't truly a finished product; it's a progress update, a developer's note, a dispatch from the front lines. Similar to other Kilkerran Heavily Peated batches, this offers a preview of what's to come with time, much like the "Work in Progress" expressions hinted at the future Kilkerran 12. I'd be very surprised if this whisky is even five years old, but the potential of a fine-cut gem is already evident, and I'm certain its descendant, released with an 8, 10, or 12-year age statement, will be excellent. It's intriguing, but I wouldn't suggest this to a beginner or even a casual single malt drinker. This bottling is primarily of interest to dedicated whisky enthusiasts, especially those keen on Springbank/Glengyle. "Above Average": 81/100 (3 stars) [though someday this will undoubtedly be a 4-star whisky]

I wasn't fond of the initial batch of this (I traded away my nearly full bottle) and skipped the second, but the most recent batch is a significant improvement. Burning hay and sweet toasted coconut combine aromatically in a manner distinct from the typical Islay profile. It feels thick, oily, and sweet in the mouth, with a whisper of peach, and concludes with a long, ashy finish. Kilkerran markets this as Peat in Progress, acknowledging its developing peated spirit, and it's certainly moving in the right direction.

This was an excellent dram, and I considered that it's a peat in development! That being said, it's a superb spirit worth having. It resembles the 12-year version with a bit more smokiness and a pleasant kick. It's more complex for its age than you might think. It features orchard fruit notes along with the typical Kilkerran characteristics. Very nice and worth searching for.

The professional review aligns perfectly. It's a somewhat intricate spirit masked by the high proof and intense peat. There's a pronounced "slightly off yogurt" quality that amplifies the Springbank funk to an extreme. I'm very curious to see how this cask strength series evolves over the next few years, but I genuinely appreciate this one.

Nose: raw peat Palate: surprisingly smooth and balanced for a 4-year-old whisky. 80 ppm doesn't present as aggressively as in Octomore. Very good for its age.

The aroma is perfect, but the palate lacks depth, offering only peat. Hopefully, some of this batch is continuing to mature.