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As always, the newer (new style bottle) Kilkerran’s 12 are so good.

A great whisky. Basically a great drink.

Nose Grain is immediately prominent. There's also a note I'm reluctant to call, a hint of plastic. Not dominant, but present enough to dampen my curiosity. A light smokiness drifts through the aroma, more ash than campfire. With time in the glass, it softens somewhat. The grain remains. The smoke lingers in the background. Complexity emerges only tentatively. The taste Here too, grain is present. Clear, direct. The aroma seems flat, almost two-dimensional. A touch of smoke accompanies the impression, but it doesn't carry it. It doesn't support anything, it doesn't bring anything together. A certain sharpness emerges on the palate. The alcohol doesn't seem overpowering, but the integration remains incomplete. The dram appears youthful, even though it isn't on paper. The structure is there, as is the craftsmanship. Conclusion Certainly well-made. No flaws, no major blunders. But it doesn't inspire enthusiasm. I briefly considered buying a bottle. After this glass, the answer is clear. No.

Whiskynotes: Nose: a bit of citrus fruits at first (lemon, orange), quickly leading to liquorice, big chalky notes and moss. Some sweeter lime after a while. Then back to coastal aromas, dried seaweed, pebbles on the beach, light herbal notes and a gentle hint of gouache and peat. Clean, not too austere, really good. Mouth: a very oily texture, with old-style sooty notes, peppered lemons, chalk and this rounder side of apricot and subtle vanilla. Mid-palate it becomes a little more austere, on Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, bay leaves), coastal peat and brine. A touch of bitterness (grapefruit peels). Really mineral. Finish: long, with a hint of smoky wood, peat and subtle caramel. The mineral notes stay the longest. I think the 12 Years has improved. It’s a great example of this unmodern style and I think it strikes a better balance than this year’s 16 Years. Excellent value for money and warmly recommended. https://www.whiskynotes.be/2021/glengyle/kilkerran-12-years-kilkerran-16-years/

Round, pleasant dram. Easy drinkers.

One of the best presented 12 year old single malts out there. An incredibly good value for money whisky. Value (£40): 8/10

Really interesting whisky, better then most in the price range

Delicious whisky, a summer option. Easier replacement of Springbank 10, due to the shortage of the latter. There is the same funk, but with a taste bias towards salty-sour and spicy pepperiness.

As with Springbank whisky it's worth having a dram or two and then letting the bottle sit for a few months. It evolves drastically with a bit of headspace in the bottle. The tasting notes below are for a bottle that has been open for about a month

Some bottles tend to be sold out as soon as they hit the shelves, which in case of Kilkerran 12 should not come as a surprise. Like a chameleon, the nose ranges from citrus fruits, charcoal and hints of brine to farmland, ginger and band-aid. On the palate, the crisp and herbal arrival is followed by drying oak spices, lemon candies and just the right amount of peat, all very dense and spirit-driven. White pepper, chamomile and a dash of salt introduce the long and savory finish, lingering on with soot, tobacco and fresh mint. Load up the truck while you can! RATING: 4.2/5.0 stars ≙ 89 pts → FIRST-CLASS [+]

2022/10/13 Part of a Springbank vertical tasting. The dullest of the night for me, but my rhinitis may have to be accounted for.

Smoky peat along with red-yellow fruits and oily palate. Getting more complex with chilli and mossy finish. It's balanced and easy sipping whisky. The layered texture and dusty dirty aromas makes it better.

Incredible tape for your money! Dough, cookies, vanilla, dead leaves, smoke, farm. The longer the bottle is open, the more Springbank DNA is visible.

90/100. The similar complex, balanced pampering effect for little money as the Springbank 10. More citrusy, a little less balanced, but no less tasteful.

Though I reviewed quite a few Kilkerran earlier this year and I have been a fan of the whisky produced at Glengyle for some years, I somehow managed to never try its singular core product before now. It was no surprise that I enjoyed this, it was well-balanced and easy to sip with plenty of the autumn vibes that I love to find on Kilkerran. A good bit of bright spice lingered in the background, elevating some of those earlier notes as a touch of chocolate and leather provided a nice cask-driven complement. A lovely dram to sit back with and relax, a bit more complex than the Hazelburn, but just as suited for casual no nonsense dramming.

A quality malt that needs time in the glass to unfold. Zesty sea brine wilth caramels and oat barley then sweet caramel, malts. Quality cask cask influence is provides further honey and spicy malt notes. Lightly roasted ham, toffee, grapes, melons, oak spices. A good replacement for the more harder to get and ever more expensive Springbank.

Kilkerran 12, another fabled whisky from the Mitchell's Campbeltown empire that failed WhiskyJason's Campeltown blind tasting. Unfortunately, he couldn't really convince me there either. So far I have always found the Kilkerrans to be excellent. So here, too, you have to taste it again. www.glen-efze.de

I think the mix of bourbon and sherry works very well, here. With the sherry providing some discrete dark undercurrents under a bourbon-driven, warm and quite sunny surface. The whisky doesn't take much water, but a few drops can improve the nose and the finish, so might be worth trying.

Another heels delivered by Slàinte Mhath. I wasn't too impressed with the first edition of the 12YO, but still landed on 88 points. This is a bit better than I seem to recollect the "old" one, so I can't give it less. A very good balance of casks for this batch.

11.12.2022

Medium-bodied. Bourbon-influenced (also in the aroma), sweet and balanced. Light smoke or even smokeless, but you can taste the saltiness of the coast, whichever you choose here. Nothing too complicated, it tastes like this even in the middle of summer. Plus, good PLV!

Gentle peat with wanila pudding, bit of dusty books and ginger sharpness. Well balanced, not complicated. Decent dram as for such honest price.

A good batch, though the smoke feels more minimal here than I remember it in other versions. I'm especially fond of the oily mouthfeel and the big, natural sweetness on the palate. Lovely maritime / mineral vibe in the finish. I had the original 2016 edition at 87 and the 2022 at 84 points. The nose still isn't as good as it could be (and originally was) but this one certainly is closer to the 2016 than to the 2022.

August 2026 WP 168,000 S90

Malty, dirty, earthy, floral, slightly peaty. Dirtier than I remember it to be. Leather, caramel, cheese, dank tropical fruits, light orchard fruits, barley sugar, vanilla, dough, toast bread, mushrooms. Characterful and engaging.

21+ 22 21 22 86+ Nose with a smoke, it is pleasantly charming), a mixture of marine and tropical undertones), maybe not very deep, thin, but quite noticeable, powerful taste and long albeit dry aftertaste, solid regular 12 years, another consistently good batch! Update, - even at the finish of the bottle is very good! Full positive!

A rather boring bottling in my opinion. It doesn't do much wrong, but it doesn't convince me either. Very malty. Not much fruit. A stale malt beer. It seems a bit flat, almost like a Lowlander. Vanilla pudding. Then, on the tongue, it's a bit spicier. Reminiscent of apricot jam. The finish is pleasantly tart and woody. I quite like the 8. Otherwise, I don't need Kilkerran.

2022.01.16

The hobby during the silent season of Springbank brought a very attractive and high quality single malt to the market: Kilkerran! An improvised name since the rights of the official distillery name ‘Glengyle’ is in the hands of another company, that don’t want to sell these rights. Luckily Glengyle is displayed on the face of the building :D although Kilkerran is a very fit name since that is the original Gaelic name for Campbeltown.

If you're a fan of peated whisky with a hint of bourbon/sherry taste with a mouth watering long finish look no further, this one is to go for at very affordable price for 12yo whisky form Campbeltown, this is why I have to give her 89 points

Wow, this has to be one of the best 12y standards out there at the moment! I personally do not get much of a sherry influence, but it really does not matter here. There is a very nice balance of honey like sweetness, yellow fruits (pears, raisins, sultanas, banana), saltiness, spiciness (think ginger) and oak. Quite mineral, with good oily texture and medium finish. A hint of smoke and citrus as well. Very well done, indeed! A clear buying recommendation from me at a reasonable price (under 70 Euro).

Pleasant, but nothing that particularly stands out. CellarToberi, respect for the description. One wonders what the dram does NOT taste like... ? 71-80 – Fine, like to drink by time

Aroma Maritime, spicy wood, citrus notes, vanilla The taste First creamy, then comes the spicy, salty Wums, some smoke, pear aftertaste Medium length, oily, maritime, wood spice, astringent oak spice

Kilkerran 12 Year Old, SMSW, 46%. 30ml sample at home, Nov 2024, on a cold and rainy evening. It was over 5 years ago that I first had this - Revisiting this dram after having read and watched a few positive reviews, and so I wanted to also revisit my own opinion. Light amber. Aroma is muted, musty and ‘furry’, hints at browned apple and rust, burnt pan. Later on there’s a subtle soured milk vibe and berry fruit. Body is moderately oily – nice body. Taste is rounded but in no way light in flavour up-front, a vaguely meaty feinty note but waaaaaay more subtle than Glengyle's cousin Springbank, buttery burnt biscuit, a little waxy in the mid-palate towards the finish, and some punchy salt, musty linger with dry crackers. Not doing loads for me – I’ve tried a few Kilkerrans now and the profile just doesn’t connect with me, but it’s a decent enough whisky and it may work better for you. 3.35/80

I've had plenty of time now to get to know this dram. The longer my bottle is open, the more I like it. This mineral, funky Campbeltown profile with soft peat and excellent balance really got better with every glass. I've had it side by side with many standards of similar age or profile and it -to some surprise- usually comes out on top, so I'm upping my score.

85/84/83/84

Medium body, straw colored. It greets you with a bright, fruity, apple-like metallic nose. Malt, wax, honey, and a cold cast-iron skillet used to fry potatoes and onions. It doesn't get simplified for a very long time. The taste is enveloping, soft, smooth, with metallic notes, fruit, yellow apples, wax, and honey. That same buttery, toasted flavor of cold potatoes and onions. The alcohol integration is superb. The aftertaste is persistently metallic, industrial, fruity, with a bit of sweet lemon.

With 70% bourbon and 30% sherry casks, Glengyle has found an optimal mixing ratio for the 12yo in my opinion. Has a certain resemblance to the cousin from over there, the Longrow Peated - you just have to think of the smoke from the Longrow ...

Full and present whisky, fruity, sweet and creamy, and a nice subtle peaty touch on the background. Very pleasant.

I have to revisit this one later, it confuses me a bit. It's a mix of things, but I really enjoy it from start to finish. Maybe I have a 'bad nose day' but the smell really put me on the wrong foot. I don't always like surprises, but when I do, I do. EDIT - Second tasting 6 weeks later: Re-tasted this to compare it with the Springbank 10. It’s been a short while since last tasting and the spirit certainly did not get worse in the bottle. The taste got a bit lighter for me compared to last time, and also more complex. Still nice soft peat and a little bit of funk. It’s this funkiness that I’m getting more fond of rapidly, whatever it may be. Though it’s not the same kind of funk, drams that have it tend to end op very high in my list, like Tobermory stuff, or Bladnoch. I’m yet to taste the Springbank 10, and I’m really hoping it will be this on steroids. (I would still rate this as a solid 85 -> N: 85 T: 87 F: 84)

This bottle tastes very different than the old bottle. If you like the Campbeltown's unique funkiness, you might be disappointed. But if you like the Islay whiskies, you will definitely love this bottle, as the taste and the finish resemble Lagavulin 16 (subjective opinion). Also, it is slightly more intense than the old bottle while being even more earthier (may be subjective).

vol. 46% vintage: 2021 cask: 70% bourbon / 30% sherry non chill filtered natural color

N: peat, salt, sea breeze, malty, vanilla and toffee P: the vanilla and toffee are present with the salt and then some maltiness with peat F: long and pleasant salty and some peat

I am reviewing this alongside the old Kilkerran 12 (the thin bottle) and Compass Box Orchard House. Why? Because their tasting notes are similar of course. At least for me. :) All-in-all it is still a great dram. But especially for its high price it is just a shadow of the old Kilkerran 12. If you cant find that one, get Compass Box Orchard House. It is more floral than both Kilkerran 12s. It is more rugged than new Kilkerran 12. Yet in the end it is also more interesting.

Dramface Scoring Scale: Very Good Indeed (7/10) This is well above average.

86-

Tasted 09/25 in Beinwil. I found that I have had better Kilkerrans in my glass.

I might be biased towards it, but this is a healthy, approachable style if you're looking for a distillery with a "funky" character- though there will be detractors, and I can't blame them. The standouts here are that funk, alongside a subtle, elegant peat that's rare in modern whiskies- it compliments, rather than dominating. While the ABV is tuned to a perfect drinking temperature, I'd still like to see it a few points higher. Punches well above its weight in all senses.

Aroma-Pronounced；Palate-86/100; Aftertaste-Medium ；

85.50 Nose: honey, floral, vanilla, lots of wax, citrus, orchard fruit, baked apples, peaches, ginger. Taste: pleasant and delicate, buttery and waxy, lots of honey, peach and apricot, spices, ginger, toffee, some salt. Finish: medium long, fruity, slightly dry, honey, ginger

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2024/09/07/plastic-oh-no-band-glengyle/ A full [glass] bottle review with no plastic in sight. N: Along with the new dumpier bottle shape [as above], comes the whisky inside which is radically different from my last visit with KK12 in 2020 [WLP90]. With far more cask influence in comparison, sherry cask maturation seems to be more favoured at Glengyle in recent years. Whilst being a lot more direct, it’s lost a whole heap of complexity and subtlety though it remains appealing in the J. A. Mitchell way. Lemon-sour yellow/turning-clotted cream into vanilla ice cream/=wax candle towards emulsion paints, sand & sandpaper,… are key attributes offered up today, though this bottle has talked of the sherry creamy pong since I opened it a year ago. Though I’m not enamoured with it either way, it’s certainly settled and improved in the interim. T: For the first 6 months, the sherry casks made far more noise than the stated 30% [to 70% bourbon] ratio might suggest. Predominantly rubbery and peppery, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the other way around. There was little else to talk about after that, which if you compare to my reactions to previous KK12 releases, is nothing short of surprise and dismay. Though it’s planets away from earlier releases and not a patch on the 08yo sherry CS [despite that particular sample’s plastic issue], a year after opening, the sherry has settled down, the bottle becoming an entity in itself with the underlying malt coming through now the cask influence has eased off. F: It’s the later stages where the bourbon influence pulls more punches, and though it’s that slightly gacky style which I’m not massively keen on, it is at least an antidote – balance-wise – to the sherry. C: Not the best batch/recipe given I’ve considered Kilkerran 12 in the past to be a modern-day masterpiece [and when it was priced 50% lower]. Those coming to this for the first time, have the [ignorance is bliss] advantage of not knowing what went before. Indeed, in isolation, who’d be disappointed by this cask-steered tasty rubbery grimy Springbank-y Kilkerran? Has Glengyle settled on this as the prevailing style, or as is the nature of J. & A. Mitchell and all they purvey, will there be a gear change before too long? [80~]85

A great drink. One of the best 12-year-old whiskies available on the market. 86,5

9000 bottles only. And are abslutly good.

A beautiful dram N: sweet orange, vanilla, citrus fruit, caramel, oak T: salty, soft and smokey, fruity. in one sip you are enjoying maritime smoke, in another one sweet fruit, yummy F: longer, oily, oaky spice, salty, after some time it gives you sweet and smoke feeling. Buy it, buy it until it is available for normal prices!

Not chill-filtered. No added colouring. Matured 70% in ex-bourbon and 30% in ex-sherry casks. Mid-size slow slowly forming primary legs. Thin slow secondary legs. Droplets trails. Advanced level whisky. Characteristic of the Campbeltown region. Spirit driven.

Tasted kilkerran 12 of the years 2016 and 2021 in comparison. I really like kilkerran, somehow it tastes often very much like springbank but is something on its own. Whereas the 2016er is a bit shy on the nose, the taste is classy on sweet smoked creamy fruits. The 2021 is much more on the creamy side in the nose and not so complex in taste. Nonetheless i would give them the same Rating, Overall it is the same - Just a little different!

Very nice whisky and a little better than the first batches immediately after release.

Aroma: pleasant, fresh profile, vanilla pudding, - when this whisky opens up it is beautiful, more concentrated and has a subtle hint of oak. Taste: In taste, this profile is easier to identify. Beyond that, the whisky is spicy, warm, complex. This is the taste of Campbeltown.

It has some fruity and sweet flavors. It's quite oily.

Good value, but without considering the price it is a top tier whisky. I would also note that this is a great all rounder. You get Bourbon casks, sherry (decent olorosos if I'm not mistaken), some smoke. And as a sherry on top some Campbeltown funk. Its not a thick oily whisky, its rather thin. Saying that after you take a sip, it is very mouth coating and full of flavour. But I wouldn't add too much water. Nose: Here is that funkyness, quite fruity, almost candy-like very spirit driven Palate: Now its just like travelling through the whisky regions, from salty coastal, to malty vanilla flavours, to some dark fruits, the sherry cask are here to greet you. Tiny bit of bitterness, but fades rather quickly Finish: Smoke comes through in the finish, dry wood smoke, which is quite an intense type of smoke considering its been in the background this whole while, some peppers