Kilkerran: 8 Year Cask Strength (Scottish Campbeltown Single Malt Whisky: 8 Year: 55.8% ABV)
Visual: Pale grain color. Thick fast streaks come from the spirit.
Nose: Pineapple. Tinned tropical fruit. Pencil shavings. Light soot. Burning candle wax. Hay. Grass. Coconut. Water adds toffee digestives. More water adds white grapes.
Body: Drying. Oak. Pineapple. Light peach. Tinned tropical fruit. Coconut. Water adds more pineapple. Slight tart gapes. More water softens. Cake sponge. Vanilla.
Finish: Dry. Alcohol air. Dry white chocolate. Slightly numbing. Tinned tropical fruit. Grapes. Digestives. Water adds more grapes. Grassy. Oak. More water brings out cake sponge.
Conclusion: This is very bourbon led, but not just bourbon, it manages to let the base spirit breath which is a good combo. The cask strength of the whisky really seems to let both sides show themselves, but there is plenty of room for each drop of water to open up more and more layers.
The bourbon shows itself as massive amounts of tinned tropical fruit, coconut and touches of white chocolate. More so than that there is a lovely pineapple freshness, mush fresher than the more tinned fruit notes and gives a lovely fresh feel to the whole thing.
On top of that is a lovely grassy character that I always associate with the Campbeltown area, along with either digestive notes neat or a softer cake sponge character that makes for a really solid base character.
Most unusual is when you get a touch of peach sweetness showing over lightly tart grapes – and it is this extra touch of sweetness that takes this dram from good to great.
This is a brilliant expression of Kilkerran, of bourbon aging and of whisky in general.
Background: So, back in the UK and Independent Spirit are putting on a Springbank tasting. Excellent. A great line up, we have seven whiskies in total by the end of which I did notes on four. I have not been doing as many tasting notes at such events recently – basically ever since lockdown, but trying to get back into it again as you can see here. Kilkerran is owned by the same family that makes Springbank so that is why it is included. Not done notes on a Kilkerran since their early work in progress, but have sampled a few over the years and very much enjoyed. This one is all bourbon aged and cask strength.
