Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch #8

Shared this bottle with a friend. The aroma is creamy, mossy, bold, and dreamy. The only single malt with a similar scent is Ledaig 18, which was a truly special bottle. The resemblance ends there, however, but not in a bad way. The palate is earthy, rich, and saline. Prominent notes of oysters on the half shell alongside glazed cashews, cacao, cola, and cake. A deliciously grapey malt sweetness supports it all. The oily mouthfeel remains strong and spirited, while the smoldering finish offers a raspberry surprise with its consistent burn. Given its potency, this is one of the rare times I've added water. With a few drops, it becomes sweeter and mellower, revealing lemon meringue, table grapes, stuffed olives, and paraffin alongside the cake and oyster flavors. Reached the end of my portion, the final sip of which I enjoyed with raw oysters from the Carolina coast, inspired by the tasting notes. A fantastic expression of Kilkerran.

Rich, oily, like yellow cake, earthy, fully sweet, and ashy.