Kilkerran Sherry Wood (Work In Progress 7th Release)

Kilkerran is a single malt whisky distilled at Glengyle distillery in Campbeltown, which is actually owned by J & A Mitchell, the same company that also owns Springbank distillery and Cadenhead’s. But why do they name their single malt Kilkerran, and not simply Glengyle? The explanation is very simple: the name Glengyle is owned by another party. So they had to come up with another name, and Kilkerran is the one they landed on.

With Serge Valentin at the forefront, Kilkerran has gotten quite a loyal following. The Work In Progress-series from Kilkerran has now reached its final installment; next year we’ll see the standard 12yo being released. First I’ll review the Sherry-edition, and this upcoming Wednesday I’ll post my thoughts on its Bourbon counterpart.

Kilkerran Sherry Wood WIP 7 (46%, OB)

Nose: Orange zest, raspberry and red apples, followed by subtle wood smoke. Also some whole grain cookies, and it is slightly musty. The nose is very gentle, subtle and well-integrated.
Taste: Oh yes, the gentle peat smoke is right up my alley. A nice oily mouthfeel too. Some orange citrus, zesty and slightly briny. Plenty of minerals.
Finish: Smoked salmon, spices and citrus fruits. Medium in length.

Rating: 87

Great balance, nice subtlety. And a great usage of peat. This is just the right amount as far as I’m concerned. Instead it being the dominant flavour, it is now complementary. Great value for money too, as you can still get this for less than 50 euro.

Thijs Klaverstijn

Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.

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