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Quite a peaty and medicinal Kilkerran - following Laphroaig

Young & Smoky, 19Sep2025: Lagg Corriecraive https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/236689/lagg-corriecravie-edition 85+ Longrow Hand Filled Distillery Exclusive (06Nov2024) https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/268353/longrow-hand-filled-distillery-exclusive 85+ Highland Park 15yo NoNe 2010 Hungaricons#1 https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/282618/highland-park-2010-none 88- Ledaig 10yo OB Hebridean Moon https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/274631/ledaig-10-year-old 87+ Laphroaig 10yo OB CS#15 https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/211936/laphroaig-cask-strength 88- Kilkerran Heavily Peated OB Batch#9 https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/242964/kilkerran-heavily-peated 86- Kilkerran 8yo OB 2015 SC Heavily Peated https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/264282/kilkerran-2015 87+

21 21 20 20 82 Young, powerful, but rather dry and therefore sad whisky.... and I’ve noticed this for the 9th batch already, overall it’s sad, the whisky did not live up to expectations and was disappointing...

Vanilla, citrus, medicinal peat, kippers, sharp and peaty, pretty good

90% Bourbon / 10% Sherry like its two predecessors, but with almost as much caramel on the nose as Batch #6 with 75% Bourbon / 25% Sherry. But this is only mentioned in passing, because in its entirety it is more similar to Batch #7 and Batch #8. Batch #9 is the first batch to forego the “Peat in Progress” reference on the label, instead it now says: “Small Batch”. Now does development complete mean this is the Kilkerran Heavily Peated that Glengyle has been working towards? Even if I liked one or two of the previous batches better in some nuances, I would certainly be able to put up with it that way. However, I strongly assume (small batch) that different barrel compositions and different alcohol strengths will continue to be used. Short conclusion: very tasty, a purchase tip if you liked the previous (and especially the last two) batches. PS: While the conclusion comes from the keys, an extremely appetizing note of smoked ham rises to my nose from the empty glass...

Very nice and interesting whisky, which really needs some water. Then things get much more drinkable, creamy and sweet, besides the nice smoky and peaty side.

Partially returning to the buttery style of batch 3 and 4, but also a stronger maltiness than in the previous one. Not so much the spicy side of batch 7 and 8.

Reasonably priced, unmistakably whisky, will wake up the taste buds before sending you into the arms of Morpheus - well worth getting a bottle for the drinks cabinet.

Lovely Campbeltown caramel peat, sweet 'n salty. The 10% Sherry seems understated, must have been good casks. Perfect mix for me...

Light golden color. Slightly oily structure.

Sweet smoke with vanilla and apples, charcoal barbecue ash, a light sour-malty note. The taste is pleasant, even a little greasy. The degree is felt, but I like it. Juicy-spicy, salty with fruity acidity. The aftertaste is astringent, tart, not long. I think "blindly" it could be confused with some Laphroaig CS. 21.5-22-21.5-22

71-80 – Fine, like to drink by time

Aroma Smoke, alcohol spiciness, citrus notes, somewhat maritime, light fruity The taste Lots of smoke, sweetish, spice, pepper, slightly astringent resonance Long, smokey, great sweet spice, becoming dry

Exemplary balance.

Thick smoke, peanut butter spread. It's mineral and chalky, with a little vergeoise. The peat gives a nice fullness. After a while, it opens up and becomes caramelized, vanilla. It's also a bit muddy, even swampy. Almond glaze. Calissons of Aix. Margarine. The palate is clear, a good layer of ash, a hint of iodine, strong spices, nutmeg, pepper and cloves, but behind it, some white grapes, banana, pineapple. Long and violent finish, lychee, pear, waffle with whipped cream. It's a nice product, the peanut butter notes are original. That said, it's far from the best Heavily Peated. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2024/02/kilkerran-heavily-peated-small-batch.html

I had versions 6,7,8 to compare and in my opinion batch 9 is the weakest of those mentioned. Batch 6 is beyond the reach of 7 and 8, much less 9. Lots of peat, smoke and sugar-honey flavors, delicate pineapple, pear and peach fruit in the background. Very warming. Batch 9 is a good release, but unfortunately it didn't impress me. Despite everything, I don't regret buying the bottle, it will definitely be Daily Dram.

Reminds me of Longrow.

Heavily Peated by Kilkerran was called 'Peat in Progress' until Batch 8. Now Batch 9 has the name 'Small Batch' on it. After the Work in Progress series, the first Kilkerran with an age statement was released. The Heavily Peated series unfortunately remains without an age statement. OK, heavily peated whiskies are often better when they are young because the smoke aromas are stronger then. The whisky is not dark, but has a nice, light gold tone, which suggests that the barrels are fairly active. glen-efze.de

I've had Kilkerran HP from Batch 5 to 9 and this is clearly the weakest. It brings tears to my eyes to think of Batch 6. 86.50

A bit monotonous, but not bad. 74 points.

Disclaimer: this whisky is not exactly approachable. It needs a long time in the bottle to “oxidize” after opening, and in the glass it requires water, time, and an open mind. Even then, it is a tremendously challenging whisky. One of those bottles that anyone could have predicted would become one of my favorites: high quality, heavily peated (although, as we will see, not quite), ex-bourbon matured, young, cask strength and, to top it off, non-chill filtered and without coloring. Exactly the profile of my typical favorite whisky. These kinds of bottlings can really only work when the distillate itself is interesting, complex, and pleasant enough to sustain the entire bottle on its own, without the help of eccentric cask combinations, eternal maturations, or exotic barley types. And this is not the most common thing. Since the family of peated whiskies is the one that attracts me the most in the Scotch world, I have tried enough of them to know that it is not common for all these stars to align. In fact, very few bottlings live up to this apparently undemanding ideal: Ballechin 10, Old Ballantruan 10, Ardbeg 10, Lagavulin 8, Kilchoman Machir Bay, Longrow NAS, Laphroaig 10 CS, Ledaig 10, Kilkerran 12, Port Charlotte 10, Lagg Kilmory… and not much more. Since this is a fairly exhaustive list of my favorite whiskies, I suppose anyone can imagine that I simply adore this Kilkerran HP. A whisky I can explore for hours, always finding new nuances. The aroma already reveals the style of the bottle: there is no welcome, just naked presence, like a first day of work in a very busy environment. It immediately reveals the iconic distillery profile, a mix of mineral and industrial notes that are hard to describe (gas fire, diesel engine, hard water not recommended for human consumption, limestone). Little by little, this bulky character gives way to other nuances: sharp, complex and fresh tropical notes (fresh pineapple in its juice, lychee, lime soda), a peat that I would describe as industrial, petrochemical and earthy, but moderate. Some bitter almond, vanilla, new book, and swimming pool chlorine. In short: industrial, mineral, tropical, citrusy, with a medium or even medium-low smoke. It gives a strong impression of being unintentionally beautiful. It is very intense. The palate is basically a continuation of the nose. If you like the Kilkerran profile, this is a feast: there are industrial, mineral and funky notes in abundance, motor oil and limestone mixed with organic peat, swimming pool chlorine, old toys and newspaper. I would describe it as a coal-powered factory running at full capacity in the middle of a tropical island. Or like drinking a piña colada next to a car assembly line, near a zoo. It is absurdly restrained and, at the same time, paradoxically immense and robust: raw cereal, sunflower oil, hot metal, dirty barnyard, kerosene, pervasive factory smoke, all wrapped in pineapple popsicle, vanilla and coconut to make it at least minimally presentable to the general public. Sensations of machinery, warehouse, grease, workshop and engine combined with touches of compost, farm animal and swamp. A light sulfur note, like old wiring, and many “natural” notes that are hard to describe, perhaps herbal and rugged, but artificial. Very little decorative wood. If you are here, it is not for the casks. And also, without a doubt, biting alcohol. It is a boozy one for sure. It is a whisky that finds its charm in its unfinished character, proudly showing its rough edges. Very bold. Very nice texture too. The finish is harsh, mechanical, oily, mineral, little polished, dense, spicy. It combines these dirty and industrial notes with a sugary maltiness and touches of pineapple, dried coconut and apple with its skin. Raw ginger, metal, car air freshener, baby cologne, chalk and slate. The peat completes its transformation here, from its aroma, where it appears as petrochemical notes, to here, where it fades away as slightly rotten organic notes. The alcohol hurts. This is not open to all audiences, and wandering around here comes at a price. Exactly what one would expect from this old-school, no-compromise style, right to the end. It builds up, of course: gas station, tomato plants, manure, stale piña colada. Sometimes I think that if the industrial revolution had a flavor, it would probably be this. It is simply incredible how complex, different, evocative and fascinating this bottle is. It leaves me speechless every time I return to it. I belong to a family of electrical and industrial engineers (I am one of the few exceptions, having studied something infinitely more useless), and I think that having visited different types of factories and industries throughout my life, with their tremendously peculiar aromas, has made me, as an adult, value these kinds of artificial and accidental aromas and flavors more than they probably deserve. But the truth is that bottles like this one (along with Longrow, Lagg Kilmory, Ballechin 10, Springbank 10…) inevitably evoke seemingly unromantic and nostalgia-resistant contexts, such as breweries, power stations, and metal foundries. I think the generation that follows mine calls them “liminal spaces”, and the one before mine also enjoyed this vibe in industrial rock and films like Tetsuo the Ironman, which tried to convey this unexpected and unintended beauty of brutally and hostilely industrial landscapes. My generation must have its own name for it as well, I suppose. It is a whisky that sounds like a slow engine, it has a repetitive, almost mechanical rhythm. It does not evolve like a melody, but like an artificial cycle, an exasperating spiral. A whisky in a state of permanent operation, not on display. Pouring it into the glass is like entering through the back door. The hum of the engines is not interrupted; rather, you are the one who has to try to go unnoticed if you really want to take a walk around the place. Needless to say, it is an acquired taste, and one that has taken me a long time and a lot of effort to acquire. At Kilkerran, the drinker is not an honored guest. If you really want to enjoy it, you cannot adopt the role of spectator, but must become just another worker, with an exhausting workday. Anyway. There are whiskies whose soul cannot be glimpsed even after many years of maturation in very fancy casks and after being covered under countless layers of hyper-engineered and empty narratives, and others whose soul overflows on all sides without the need to do anything special to them, just letting them be, living whiskies that create those narratives from which others later scavenge in a kitsch way. Whiskies that take advantage of the history created by others, and whiskies that make history. In short, one of my absolute favorites.

Malt, hay/straw, vanilla, light peat, apple juice Sweet peat, warm spices, nice abv

Aroma: smoke, peat, rancid cheese, citrus Flavor: smoky, marine, peaty, vanilla, citrus finish: vanilla-citrus Rating: 3.5

A beautiful Kilkerran. Despite the designation "Heavily Peated," the smoke doesn't overpower the rest of the flavors. A little water is good and takes away the alcoholic peaks from the whisky.

Peat, smoke, butter, unripe pear and apricot. Dry. Mineral. Cold. White pepper and strong alcohol. Interesting. Bitters. Playful and special- like an industrial city at the end of the 1800's (as I imagine).

"A dirty yet charming whisky" The strong peat of Campbeltown is felt, and at the same time, a rather dirty feeling is felt. It is known to be 90% bourbon cask, but rather than bourbon cask, the peach nuance is felt stronger, and it is a whisky that reminds me a lot of a refill sherry cask. The intensity of the scent is a bit disappointing, but the taste and finish show the unique charm of Kilkerran as various tastes are mixed dirty. If you like Scottish mainland peat, I think most people will be satisfied with this whisky.

I have to admit that this is a great dram. The aroma is smoky and sweet with a large proportion of caramel and nuts, creme brulee, powdered sugar, mint, hay and soft leather. The taste is distinctly smoky, oily, ginger, mint, dark chocolate, distinctly pungent spices but also soft vanilla and honey.

Citrus butter infused with sharp herbal spice and vanilla smoke. Complex yet approachable, with lovely texture and integration.

The nose is of a very young whisky, cream and liquorice sweets, green banana, coconut. The alcohol bites in the mouth, but it is still a good whisky

The Kilkerran Heavily Peated series might be the best value for money bottle on the UK market. * 50 quid * 5-8 years old * Cask Strength * Undeniable quality It’s really difficult to argue with. Not that you hear much dissent. If you’re lucky enough to have access to what comes out of Glengyle, then I’m likely preaching to the converted. I’m not sure I can really detect much of the sherry influence here at all, but that might be a feature rather than a bug, as the ex-bourbon delivers a masterclass in how to do it right. The last batch I tried was the 6th, which had 25% sherry aged liquid compared to this bottle at 10%, and the difference is apparent. The 9 is more grainy and less meaty and might be a touch more intense in the way the alcohol is expressed, but I reckon it comes off as joyful exuberance rather than raw aggression. As with batch 6, I do find a substantial period of letting it open up (both in the bottle after purchasing and in the glass after pouring) helps to get the most out of it. It can take a whole heap of water, too. I usually don’t add it as a matter of reflex, but in this case, it had the effect of making the already oily texture even thicker while taming some of the rowdier tendencies.