Killowen 10 Year Peated Islay Cask Finish (Bonded Experimental Series)

The aroma begins with a mild sourness of sautéed gooseberries, complemented by light sweetness from candied lemon peel and sugared dried mango, followed by a mild seaside minerality and charred sourdough bread, then slightly sour sautéed apples, overripe banana, and grilled lime, transitioning to cocoa-dusted almonds with a moderate ethanol burn. The taste has a thin mouthfeel, starting with creamy tropical fruits before quickly shifting to a moderate sour and bitter spice that slowly fades to charred tangerine, baked banana bread, and rocky seaside minerality, then cocoa-dusted almonds and sourdough bread, followed by slightly sour sautéed apples, candied lemon peel, and lime juice, culminating in mild black pepper, ginger, and ashy oak with a medium ethanol burn. The finish is short, featuring charred tangerine, cocoa-dusted almonds, rocky minerality, and sourdough bread. The aroma is primarily sour, but the creamy tropical fruits and sweet bready notes prevent it from being overwhelmingly so, with the refill peated barrel imparting light smoke and earthiness. The palate's flavors are somewhat thin, starting with a creamy tropical sweetness that quickly gives way to a bitter, ashy, and sour mix with minimal sweetness before a quick finish that has light sweetness and an ashy spice. Overall, this is an average whiskey that exhibits a youthful sourness with a mild smokiness from additional aging in a refill peated cask. It could have benefited from a few more years of aging to mellow those sour characteristics. Killowen is a perplexing brand that aims for a premium position with its products, which have so far been either sensational or completely underwhelming; it seems like a gamble how each will turn out. For me, this particular offering turned out to be another disappointment in their lineup and doesn't justify the premium price of $90 for a 375ml bottle when numerous better options are available at a lower cost.

Nose - vanilla ice cream. As I explore, hints of peach and pear emerge. A subtle metallic spice and nuances of grain whisky appear. I used to think this was young, but it's evidently not. It's just that a combination of grain and pot still whiskies can impart youthful characteristics for me, or at least it did. Taste - When I first encountered this producer's offerings, I was surprised it didn't include 25-year-old whisky and that it utilized so much grain whisky. This highlights that grain whisky and clearly demonstrates how wine casks give it an older whisky profile. The peated casks, conversely, don't achieve this. Instead, they provide a very fair and honest representation of this blend. Wonderfully well-matured, but not old whisky. Incredible vanilla quality leading to earthy and incredibly intricate finishing notes. A few drops of water. nose - richer, more full-bodied, and less metallic pot still notes. The peat elements are also more prominent. Rich earthy characteristics, not very smoky. Just earthy. taste - Okay, the water did bring out MORE grain and pot still bitter/sour notes. I can again see how a younger me would find this more "off." But this is truly a demonstration of blending single malts and grain whiskies, then aged to achieve these earthy notes. Nowhere near the previous Killowen I sampled, which was a masterpiece, but this is exceptional. The finish endures 10 times longer than, say, 99% of the bourbons I possess (and I own much better bourbon than the average). The mouthfeel is excellent, rich, oily, full. 3.5 stars from me. I'm tempted to award it a higher rating just to influence lower scores, but I would never do that. The ultimate takeaway. If you come across this and appreciate grain whisky, peat, and pot still...you must purchase it immediately. If you don't enjoy all three...well, you might reconsider this one.