KILKERRAN HEAVILY PEATED
“Peat In Progress” Batch 1
59,3%ABV
Aged in 55% ex-Bourbon casks / 45% ex-Sherry casks – 84ppm.
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Glengyle distillery has launched its first batch of the Peat In Progress serie on March 30 2019, with this 3yo old heavily peated Kilkerran. In fact from 2009 to 2015 a WIP serie (Work In Progress) was present to make discover gradually, each year, the evolution of the whisky (with different maturations Casks) before the official release of the Kilkerran 12 years in 2016. It seems that the kilkerran heavily peated will follow the same plan…WOUHOU !
Glengyle distillery. The group Springbank re-launched this old distillery of Campbeltown in 2004. The whisky is called Kilkerran rather than Glengyle, which is already the name of a blended malt in the Highlands – and also because this name (glen) is more often associated with Speyside than with Campbeltown. All the products are non chill filtered and non artificially colored. Surprising fact, the distillation work is only 6 weeks a year.
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Colour : amber gold
Nose : Creamy peat and a little bit oceanic (maybe some shellfish with lemon&butter hot sauce). Then becomes soo fruity with grapefruit, strong smell of cooked pear and strawberry candies (Haribo or Malabar). Also some notes of cereals, roasted almonds, wet grass/hay, honey, smoke/earth/barbecue sauce, coffee- caramel candy, cola soda and sparkling white wine (Clairette de Die)…Lively and Refreshing !
Palate : Bright, intense, sparkling, syrupy, young…farmland, aromatic and maritime peat (hay, sea salt, alpine cheese, smoke, smoked liquorice, camphor…) , acidic apple, dried apricots, candied ginger, malt, soft green wood, candle wax.
Finish : Dry, a few alcohol stings, some candies flavors, country peat, pepper, and back to smooth orchard fruits.
Comments : Young, lively and not so balanced, but still complex, tasty and very interesting stuff ! I really enjoy that profil and that unique peat kick…really spirits driven I mean ! Cant wait to discover other peat in progress stuff and enjoy the maturation evolution tastes.