Kilkerran 8 Year Cask Strength Whisky Review (57.1% – 2019)

Distilled & Bottled by Kilkerran (Mitchell’s Glengyle)

Region: Campbeltown

Type: Single Malt

ABV: 57.1%

Age: 8yr

Color: Mahogany

The bottle before you is an October 2019 bottling of Kilkerran’s 8 year old cask strength whisky. This was aged exclusively in re-charred Oloroso sherry casks & bottled at 57.1% ABV without chill filtration or added coloring.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Loads of sherry with figs, raisins, toasted nuts, caramel candies, and baking spice. Kilkerran’s base whisky takes a back seat on the nose but still gives a hint of damp soil and a wisp of smoke.

Palate: Sweet and full on the palate with very little burn despite being cask strength. Ripe cherry flavors produce a sweet and slightly sour note. There’s also a hint of brine as well. The “earthy” quality of the base whisky that was somewhat covered up on the nose reveals itself on the palate.

Finish: A rather long finish showcases how the peat teases your tongue with smoke and some Kilkerran fuel vapor. It then transitions to a more sherried sweetness with tons of chocolate, toasted nuts and raisins before ending with some wood spice and baking spices

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: I’m a big fan of this whisky. It is robust and full bodied and the bold Sherry flavors here take center stage without completely crowding out Kilkerran’s character. It blends and balances beautifully. The mouthfeel is sublime and this whisky proves that a skilled distillery can create sumptuous offerings without needing double-digit age statements.