Kilkerran Heavily Peated batch 5

Experienced at The Oak Barrel Springbank event on May 28, 2022. Nose: Gentle, sweet peat aroma. Notes of vanilla cake, caramel, lemon, white wine, beeswax, and saltiness. Initially raw and young, the aroma develops with time and a little water, revealing more tropical fruit, earth, and the smell of mudflats at low tide. Palate: Arrives with citrus, lemon yogurt, malted biscuit, and sweet smoke. Lemon candies and spice emerge as it develops. The texture is slick, becoming smooth and silky with water, which also enhances its oceanic character. Finish: Lasts a medium to long time. Flavors of smoked fish with burnt lemon slices. A hint of steamboat smoke drifting over a calm sea. A vibrant, young smoky spirit with a clear west coast highland profile. The Glengyle take on "heavily peated" is less intense than most Islay whiskies, similar to Longrow and Ledaig. However, its reduced intensity doesn't mean it's weak; it possesses a raw, powerful quality. The alcohol is well-integrated, making it enjoyable neat, but adding water is also beneficial. Avoid adding too much, as it loses impact below 50% ABV. It doesn't shatter easily but adding excessive water can be regrettable, potentially introducing plastic notes like other peated spirits if diluted too much. The Kilkerran Heavily Peated line has shown gradual improvement. Batch 1 was a solid beginning, with Batch 2 being an enhancement. Batch 3 lacked presence and had weak smoke. While Batch 4 was an improvement, this current batch is where the expression is truly hitting its stride and is the first I'd consider "good". The crucial factors are maturation time (surprisingly!) and the correct balance of sherry and bourbon casks. Peat smoke fades quickly, and as the 10-year-old Octomore demonstrates, extreme, raw peat smoke isn't always the most pleasing. Sacrificing some intensity for elegance, while still aiming for depth and complexity, is worthwhile. Fortunately, this seems to be the path Kilkerran Heavily Peated is taking. This Heavily Peated series is still evolving but is undeniably progressing. I suspect it will become something exceptional around the 10-year mark. "Good": 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose: Lemon curd, lemon cake, vanilla yogurt, toasted marshmallow, cherry pie, dried fish, tennis balls, new tires. A good swirl reveals campfire smoke, pine, and bread baking over that campfire. This is the type you can keep nosing indefinitely and never feel you've reached the end; there's always something new. Palate: Vanilla cake with lemon filling, toasted marshmallow again, earth, robust wood spice, pine, cherry, herbal tea, mint, ethanol, a touch of bitterness, a touch of sourness, some salt, caramel. Again, it just keeps coming. It has a good, rounded mouthfeel – a substantial presence on the tongue and in the mouth. Finish: Slightly medicinal, earthy, herbal, vanilla candy, Tootsie Roll, barrel spice, some more fruit, more nondescript on the finish than elsewhere. This is simply fantastic. It's as if they amplified the 12-year expression significantly. At 57.7%, though not stated as cask strength, it could conceivably be cut to 115.4 proof, which would be quite amusing. I suspect it is cask strength, however. And it is likely the finest cask strength Scotch I have ever encountered. It's completely drinkable at that proof. In fact, delicious. I regret not purchasing two bottles when I had the opportunity – I don't really anticipate seeing this batch again. But I will approach the next one with high expectations. Please join an unofficial community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We discuss spirits (and other topics) in real time, serving as a great resource for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is invalid, please post a comment, and I will provide a new one.)

Opened 14 months ago. Nose - Ash, iodine, wet hay, barnyard dust, white pepper, no oak notes, and strong ethanol. Palate - Bitter medicinal ash, brine, very light honeysuckle, and a big ethanol bite. Finish is medium-long with dry malt, sawdust, light baking spices, and medium ethanol. This is a waste of money. I thought I'd be clever and try this over the prohibitively expensive Springbank offerings. Big mistake. It takes all the worst qualities of Islay cask strengths into a younger, ashier, medicinal version. It's probably most similar to a Laphroaig 10Y Cask Strength, but inferior on every level. Do not spend $100 on this. Honestly, it's probably closer to a budget Islay I bought years ago for $27, but much harsher due to the high alcohol content. It also reminds me of a cheaper mezcal. I'm skeptical of this distillery's products now, but maybe their older offerings are better.

Tastes of cereal, peat, hay, honey, raisins, and pepper. It's a very powerful drink, giving a good kick and I'm used to whiskeys. The spices give a rather pleasant finish, it warms you up nicely going down. I find it resembles a Bourbon quite a bit, and it's very pleasant to my palate. My best Scotch ever so far, but I still have a few others saved.

Nose: Vanilla crème brûlée, smoldering peat, the scent of rain on dry earth, and fresh orchard fruits like apple. A subtle hint of wool and sea salt is also present. Palate: Bright, slightly oily and creamy yet light on the palate, with a touch of heat. Notes of citrus, vanilla cream, and bright citrus fruit. Some apple, pear, or orchard fruit is present. Finish: Moderate peat and a pleasant spiced apple pie flavor.

If you spot a bottle of this, please inform me, and I'll come purchase it. Okay, this possesses a very similar nutty, peaty character to Ardbeg Corryvreckan but with less peppery notes and a long finish. I would rank this higher than the Corryvreckan but below a Laphroag 10 Cask Strength.