Kilkerran 12-year-old

Overall rating
85.97/100
votes
2035
Whiskybase ID
WB85213
Category
Single Malt
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottled
2016
Stated Age
12 years old
Casktype
70% Bourbon / 30% Sherry Casks
Strength
46.0 % Vol.
Size
700 ml 700 ml 700 ml 700 ml 700 ml 700 ml 750 ml
Barcode
610854002527
Added on
01 aug 2016 9:49 am by Erik Elixir
UncoloredNon-chillfiltered
Kilkerran 12-year-old
Photo by Whiskybase Shop
Kilkerran 12-year-old
Photo by dram-drinker
Kilkerran 12-year-old
Photo by dram-drinker

Average value

€ 56.43

Found 5 online shops. Lowest price:

€ 54.00
fr Cave La Part des Anges € 58.85
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Whisky reviews for Kilkerran 12-year-old

192 users have left 217 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 85.97 points.

  1. MarcinCh scored this whisky 81 points Expert Senior

    Light golden color. There is a slight oilyness.
    • Nose
      80 80
      Clear minerality. Salt. Salty caramel. A pinch of spices. A bit of white pepper.
    • Taste
      83 83
      Salt. Caramel. Salty caramel. Mineral. Spices. Clearly pepper comes out. Rather white. It's not too spicy. A light balloon underneath. There is a certain oilyness. Some fruit came out with the second sip. As if taken out of dried compote.
    • Finish
      80 80
      Caramel. Salt. Salty caramel. Mineral. A pinch of spices. Subtle traces of smoke. Delicate spice. White pepper. Medium-long finish.

  2. Nazin scored this whisky 72 points Expert Junior

    Quite watery.

  3. Hsh scored this whisky 83 points Expert Junior

    Crepes Salty Minty Lemon Sour Sour
    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      83 83
    • Finish
      83 83

  4. Armiil scored this whisky 84 points Member Senior

    Finally some Kilkerran 12! I had created high expectations for this bottle, after all, this is a Springbank-owned distillery.

    The warm light of the table lamp makes the whisky shine in beautiful golden color. After the first nosing, I recognized a similar sensation from another maritime whisky; Old Pulteney 12. Fresh citrus fruits, juicy apples, and deep sherry open up immediately after pouring my first glass. This is followed by intense smokiness, peat, chocolate, and vanilla. The mouthfeel is pretty balanced; not terribly sweet but pleasantly oaky and even slightly salty.

    It feels like this whisky has a little bit of everything in it, which makes it very interesting but also difficult to grasp. Still, very good quality for the money, just not for my taste buds. 84 points.

  5. gz1959 scored this whisky 90 points Member Senior

  6. bankimate scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      85 85

  7. hzs275 scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      85 85

  8. Francishomola scored this whisky 87 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      87 87
      -Fruity, Sour,Light Funk, Malty, Round, Leafy,
      Savory, Old Wood,
      -Sweet, some bready sour, little funky, vanilla, milk chocolate,
      - Lathery-Woody Sherry, Full,
      Sultana, milk chocolate, rich, gear oil, old books,
    • Taste
      88 88
      -Strong Flavour, Full, More Funk, Salty, Sour,
      -Oily, Fat, Concentrated savory, nutty,
      - Nutty Apple, Sultana, Round, Oily,
    • Finish
      87 87
      Medium to Long Finish , Farmy-Funky aftertaste

  9. fuyupeng1995 scored this whisky 83 points Member Junior

    Relatively good nose, good taste and so-so finish. Too strong and not under control.
    • Nose
      85 85
      pear, red currant, cream, light cigar, light cinnamon and biscuts. smoky. strong and aromatic.
    • Taste
      83 83
      mid-sweet, a little bitter, sherry taste, a bit smoky. a bit astringent. rough and cut.
    • Finish
      80 80
      short finish, sweet, spirit strong.

  10. Noname_Drinker scored this whisky 87 points Member Senior

    First of all, this whisky is really cloudy, which is a good proof of non chill-filtered. Second, it tastes like a Springbank 10 with some differences in notes (In terms of quality).

    For the nosing, tasting and finishing rating, I will add more descriptions the next time I drink this bottle. I feel like it will be even better with some oxidation.

    Edit: Tasted the dram for several times. More notes will be written below.
    • Nose
      87 87
      The bourbon influence is more significant than the sherry influence. It is sweet, lemon, vanilla. There are some peat smoke with some peppery notes at the back.

      Edit: After adding a drop of water: Earthy, grassy, caramel, toffee candy, it is even more balanced with the caramel sweetness, fruitiness and light peak smoke. Added 1 score after adding a drop of water.
    • Taste
      88 88
      Rich and full taste covering the palate. It is pretty malty, in a good way. There are sweetness at the back. Some cooked fruit, raisin.

      Edit: After adding a drop of water: More spiciness, seaweed, some saltiness, walnut, a little bit of lemon, macha.
    • Finish
      87 87
      The finish length is medium to long. The notes are bread, malt, dark chocolate.

  11. hlz30 scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Outstanding cost-to-performance ratio, with excellent complexity that is not for every beginner. It's a shame that this dram is overshadowed by Springbank in China. Please do keep this status, so that I may always put my hands on it at a reasonable price.
    • Nose
      86 86
      All-rounder on the nose: Poached pear, sweet and fragrant floral notes, subtle peat smoke, marzipan, ripen orange. But the sherry notes were also there. With water: lemon sandwiched biscuit, orange juice and heather pollen, After setting: liquorice, dried apricot and woody
    • Taste
      86 86
      Refreshingly sweet, citrusy, spicy. Floral blossoms, ripen oranges, orange zest, fennel, but then the prickling became integrated. Slightly oily, buttery, spice bitterness that cannot be ignored
    • Finish
      85 85
      Mildly peaty, buttery, cheesy, sooty, a hint of rubber reminescent of sherry influence

  12. eddi14 scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      85 85

  13. Koning scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    A quality dram. Very recognisable as a 'spin-off' from Springbank, well executed! My bottle code is 15/325 (2015 day 325), that might be the very first batch of this 12 year old expression from Kilkerran.
    • Nose
      87 87
      Mild peat, maritime (shellfish and sea air), sweet lemons, green apple. It's a bit floral too, some sage provides additional freshness. A hint of leather reminds me of Campbeltown.
    • Taste
      89 89
      Medium peat with a mineral/briny edge. Mandarins, limoncello and some pepper on an 'industrial' background: oily, earthy and a bit dirty. Very nice!
    • Finish
      88 88
      Rather long with waves of mild to medium peat. It's quite maritime again: briny and shellfish. Some letaher, bitter oranges and hints of grilled pineapple and tobacco round it off.

  14. KentWhisky scored this whisky 83 points Member Senior

  15. kikist scored this whisky 83 points Expert Senior

    Definitely good whisky, but somehow until now it didn't catch me that much so I can say awesome.
    I will get another bottle if price is ok
    • Nose
      86 86
      Vanilla, tropical fruit, sweet, bread, cooked vegetables
    • Taste
      83 83
      Sweet, citrus, touch of peat, bitter, spicy
    • Finish
      80 80
      Bread, sweet, metallic, ginger, touch of smoke, raisins, caramel

  16. JoachimV scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      Fresh air! Lemon (cake), marzipan and frangipane (almonds), wet pebbles on a small river, orange, peach, raisins, white chocolate and a sour cherry. Nice!
    • Taste
      Oily, citrus fruit and spicy.
    • Finish
      Medium: lemon, orange zest and almond bitters. Little bit dry.

  17. chrisyeo scored this whisky 85 points Expert Junior

    Nose - Very nice floral kind of smell for me, after leaving longer, there's this funky smell that i get from Ben Nevis, slightly on the woody side, very little peat, after being told there's peat, it has this nice scent, the sweetness feel definitely covered the peat behind
    Taste - a bloom of sweetness with some prickled spiciness, the bloom brought some complexities, some bitterness may have come from the bourbon cask, orange peel, sourish green apple
    Finish - short - medium with lingering sweetness, more intense woody bitterness
    • Nose
      Very nice floral kind of smell for me, after leaving longer, there's this funky smell that i get from Ben Nevis, slightly on the woody side, very little peat, after being told there's peat, it has this nice scent, the sweetness feel definitely covered the peat behind
    • Taste
      a bloom of sweetness with some prickled spiciness, the bloom brought some complexities, some bitterness may have come from the bourbon cask, orange peel, sourish green apple
    • Finish
      short - medium with lingering sweetness, more intense woody bitterness

  18. Vagmanou scored this whisky 85 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      84 84
      Citrus, vanilla, ginger, tropical fruits (pineapple and banana),
      an acidity that reminds kiwii, bit of coffe
    • Taste
      85 85
      Little bit of sweet, wood, apple, pears, spicy, vanilla, hints of chocolate, smoke and peach
    • Finish
      85 85
      Medium, peanuts, honey, vanilla, white cream, sherry influences. peat (soft), candies

  19. Funtik scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

  20. Don Cassi scored this whisky 81 points Expert Senior

    The nose starts out maritime and creamy, like banana and vanilla.

    In the mouth balanced between sweet and sour and tangy.

    In the finish, there are also bitter coffee notes.

    Typical Campletown profile, good PLV.

    Grade: 2+

  21. Lukas_Kiene scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Technically a well-made malt, unfortunately it doesn't quite meet my expectations. A bit too much maritime dirtiness, 'only' nice citrus notes (which I really appreciate!) and just a bit too one-sided.

    Edit: What was too one-sided for me recently, I really like it today! Great Campbeltown flair, tangy lemon and really dirty smoke. Dirtier than young Springbanks. My notes were recently (in my opinion) extremely accurate, only today there are definitely 2 more points. Yummy!
    • Nose
      First impression: Maritime, juicy citrus notes and underlying dirty smoke. is that really smoke? Definitely really dirty. The citrus notes remind me of the Springbank 10, the maritime-mineral-herbal impact of a young Bunnahabhain Staoisha. Musty damp herbs, rotten wood, a bit musty cellar in the background and again tangy-sweet lemon. After a while some dark honey comes through, but it can also be imagination.
    • Taste
      Malty, light and delicately musty grain notes and a touch of fresh citrus notes. In addition, the maritime-mineral impact, the musty herbs and now rather dry smoke.
    • Finish
      Present smoke, but clearly subtle and soft. Slightly damp hay, maritime with a slight saltiness. The citrus note also appears very delicately. Also a hint of dark chocolate. Doesn't linger too long, but rounds it off nicely.

  22. The_Osprey scored this whisky 82 points Expert Senior

    Kilkerran 12. Consumed Oct 2019. Aroma very oaky vanilla quite simple some custard cream and spirit. Taste quite watery juicy up front, soft citrus and a little bready, soft woodsmoke is pretty muted and there's a light chocolatey note and faint banana. Perfectly fine. The soft chocolatey note versus the peat in the taste is a nice combo. Aroma doesn't match up though. 3.45/82

  23. MrDvorak scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    RATING: 87pts – |87 – 89 (B+) → Great| — Always nice to have a bottle of this.
    • Nose
      88 88
      The nose has very interesting and various touches of citrus fruits, gentle peat smoke and salty dried fruits.
    • Taste
      88 88
      The taste is quite peppery and oily with notes of withered dried fruits, caramel and sweet spices.
    • Finish
      86 86
      The finish is medium and quite warming with light touches of gentle peat and beautiful fruitiness.

  24. chrisyeo scored this whisky 85 points Expert Junior

    30ml Sample from Whisky.Hedonist, Bottled 2016

    Nose - Earthy Peat first , then slight medicinal , some wood
    Taste - Medicinal sweetness , little stinging effect ,
    Finish - warmness sweet medicinal lingering , medicinal taste grows , followed by light smokiness, more sweetness later
    • Nose
      84 84
      Earthy Peat first , then slight medicinal , some wood
    • Taste
      84 84
      Medicinal sweetness , little stinging effect
    • Finish
      85 85
      warmness sweet medicinal lingering , medicinal taste grows , followed by light smokiness, more sweetness later

  25. YD84 scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  26. MLE scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      84 84

  27. Marcel74 scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    Great whisky, nicely balanced with a pinch of peat
    • Nose
      Great nose, bourbon, little sherry and peat, lots of citrus, vanilla and barley sugars, oranges
    • Taste
      Mildly pungent lemons, sweet barley sugars with vanilla and a little sherry notes with a little peat behind it
    • Finish
      Long, sweet and a little spicy

  28. Saftkenner scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    A great and well-crafted, summery malt. There are few bright 12 year old bottlings that can match it. The value for money is also great.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Flowery, light-fruity and very delicate smoky. Very pleasant and summery-looking. The 46% are well involved.
      Orange, lemon, a hint of passion fruit, kiwi, juicy willow, apples and pears picked early, rosemary and a little salt.
    • Taste
      89 89
      Beautifully strong and intensely tingling. No alcohol noticeable.
      Again very, very delicate smoke, kiwi, passion fruit, pear, mango, light oak spice, salt, gooseberries,
    • Finish
      86 86
      Medium-long finish. Tropical-sour notes remain: mango, kiwi, papaya and a very light breeze of smoke. At the end, when the fruit aromas have evaporated, there is a slight cardboardiness.

  29. hogsheadwhisky scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    A very good standard. Complex for its 12 years. The smoke, which is rather subtle for me in the nose, becomes clearer in the taste and nicely underlines the other aromas.
    • Nose
      86 86
      The color of the 12-year-old is, not unlike a sweet wine, a rich yellow. Immediately a clear association of sweet lemon cake. On the first nose only subtle notes of smoke - just a hint of it. Slightly “dirty” aromas with a clear maritime touch. As if you were standing in a meadow and the wind was blowing the gentle smell of the nearby sea. Fresh and fruity overall impression at the beginning. Light yellow and green pome fruits combined with aromas of coniferous forest. Over time, the fruits turn into strawberries with vanilla, similar to the “Strawberry Vanilla” fruit from Darbo.
    • Taste
      87 87
      A pleasantly oily mouthfeel. The smoke increases and is supported by an aromatic peat note. Then the lemon cake from the nose - now with vanilla sugar. Still salty, maritime character.
      Something flowery, like heather - not unlike Highland Park - is added. The spice of the oak barrel increases, with it also a light peppery note. But not unpleasant, serves as a nice contrast to the initial sweetness. The conifers from the smell turn into culinary herbs.
    • Finish
      87 87
      The smoke is still present on the palate. The lemon fruit now develops into the peel in the finish. Now in the foreground are spicy and at the same time bitter notes from the oak. Over time, leather and tobacco will also appear. On the whole, a medium to long finish.

  30. claymore84 scored this whisky 84 points Expert Senior

    Blind tasted on 04-24-2021.

  31. Vannay scored this whisky 86 points Expert Junior

    Rauch wonderfully integrated, strong, fresh bourbon sweetness, top PLV

  32. Astrid scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    It's not so tailored to my taste buds now. Appears rather listless, flat, boring, unbalanced.
    • Nose
      84 84
      Aromas of vanilla and sherry, honey and caramel, mineral citrus notes of orange and sugared jelly sweets, biscuits, slightly oily and salty with oak and resinous pine needles, smoked ham and ash, banana, clove and cinnamon, apple and pear, yeast dough, slowly roll in. Almonds, hazelnut and truffle cream
    • Taste
      83 83
      soft caramel, smoked barley malt with honey and mineral ash, oak wood and in the background chocolatey bitterness, citrus aromas and sherry, very earthy and very slightly salty, spicy with clove and cinnamon, banana, cardamom, vanilla
    • Finish
      81 81
      Honey and mineral ash, dry oak, salty sea spray, barley malt, slightly grassy and oily, pepper, caramel, almonds, earthy bitterness of cocoa and soot, a little vanilla

  33. encoded scored this whisky 90 points Member Senior

    Hi all, I stumbled upon this whisky by a YT video. I am a whisky drinker for over 9 years. Although I can't name the scents and the fruits in whisky I must say that this whisky for the price I payed in Belgium 47,99 EURO is just WOW. Hope you all like it too. Non coloured and nonchill filtered btw

  34. Captain.Islay scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Ripe, complex and balanced. Hazelburn fruit, springbank funk and longrow dirt combined into a coherent overall picture makes you want more from Glengyle.
    • Nose
      89 89
      Fresh apple, Nashi pear, sea air, workbench in the machine deck, greased threads, kiwi fruit, kumquats, green banana, lemon ice cream with mint leaf
    • Taste
      88 88
      Honeycomb, white pepper, sea salt, apple sauce, orange peel, lemon peel, earthy, lime, mineral, white peach
    • Finish
      87 87
      Medium length, dry, manzanilla, some marine diesel, lemon cake, pear sauce, oolong tea, lemon balm, a hint of walnut

  35. hafssol scored this whisky 79 points Expert Junior

    The oily consistency is quite impressive on palate at first. Once you get used to it, this dram reveals a rich earthy and nuts flavour. Yes, Campbeltown malts have their own personality and this one looks more well pronounced than the one of the Springbank core range (10 yo). Complex and challenging for sure, even if not actually a dram I dream to come back to from time to time.

  36. DistiLesha scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    A chic version of whisky for little money with a rather aristocratic bourbon profile and the correct strength.
    It's always nice to study the bottle and the packaging, which has an interesting story about why the name of the whisky differs from the name of the distillery.
    N: 22 T: 22 F: 20 B: 22
    • Nose
      Spiritual, woody, slightly smoky, very distant grain tones, some dried apricots and raisins, very delicate berry tones similar to barberry, red apples and faint echoes of exotic fruits.
    • Taste
      A sweet-floral taste with spicy bitter-prune notes and a light smoky-woody frame (which would not hurt to add), very pleasant, warming and invigorating with a pleasant sharpness of black pepper. Over time, unfortunately, the tree begins to dominate the air.
    • Finish
      Calm, dry, slightly astringent, woody, delicately smoky.

  37. Foudos scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      85 85

  38. Gweddry scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      sweet smoke, hint of rawness, mint, sour apple jelly, pomelo, vanilla, tangerine, lime, cardboard, parmesan
    • Taste
      light smoke, vegetables, salty, bull's eye, full, malt, gradually sweetens, currants, mineral, salty infusion
    • Finish
      light smoke, sweet salt, omelette, citrus, vegetables, fresh, trace of dried fruit and sherry

  39. greg_0277 scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    Peaty, smoky, iodized and slightly sulfur on the scratched match. An excellent entry-level whisky.

  40. WhiskyPEATer scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      85 85

  41. L_Gillian scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    My first bottle that will always have a spot on my shelf. No off notes here, smooth enough for it’s young age and complex enough if you want to dive deeper. Spirit-driven with traditional use of casks, balanced with great success.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Refreshing. The smells of a Finnish sauna with steamy smoke and pine-like herbal notes. Soft sweet fruits set the tone, along with lemon juice and coconut balm.
    • Taste
      87 87
      Oily and airy texture. Fresh fruit, aromatic herbs. Some spicy herbs as well, light smoke peeks through and refreshing, slightly fruity oak show at last. Lemon zest
    • Finish
      87 87
      The steamy smoke merges with fruit and a bit of spicy wood. Damp mouth feel sets it apart, like sauna smoke. Pleasant pine notes linger.

  42. yorkieterror scored this whisky 87 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      89 89
      Very similar in character to springbank. Chicken, tarragon, scallops, salt, flint, oil smoke and soot that reminded me of the industrial museum in Bradford.
    • Taste
      86 86
      Medium light. A little oak, vanilla, a little sour and malty.
    • Finish
      87 87
      Oily smoke, tarragon, blackcurrent and menthol.

  43. Cask1988 did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    High quality at a fair price. This has the Campbeltown signature written allover it. I’ve visited this place when it was not much more then a ‘hobby barn’ for the Springbank crew in the silent weeks. Nowadays they have deserved their status as Campbeltown malt and we can’t imagine them being gone in this village.
    • Nose
      Sweet, fresh, fruity, smokey and savory. The nose is quite bourbon dominated in my opinion with fresh citrus fruits, coconut and mild spices. There is quite some body to this whisky thanks to the 46% and the peaty influences. Well worth what your paying for it.
    • Taste
      On the palate it’s rather round, fresh, citrusy and with mild white peppers. Blindly tasted I would not have guessed that this is 30% sherry casks. It has a decent balance to it and is pleasant for the palate.
    • Finish
      Medium length. Finish is oaky, smokey and peaty. Again citrus fruits, but also wood polish, coconut and charred oak. After a while the peaty side of this whisky takes over and remains for a while, ending in a tingling mouthfeel.

  44. Totoro scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      85 85

  45. Sandman scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      Pineapple, peach, hint of smoke, vanilla, floral honey, mango, grass, lemon, hint of banana, cinnamon and salty.
    • Taste
      Peach, pineapple, banana, mango, vanilla, grass, hint of sea salt, almonds, cinnamon and toasted bread.
    • Finish
      Medium length, cinnamon, hint of pepper, almonds, sea salt, lemon zest, mango, pineapple, peach, ripe banana and hay.

  46. bredstrup scored this whisky 85 points Member Senior

    A dram just for my taste. I love rugged edges and "sharp corners" in a malt - and this one has that and a lot more
    • Nose
      85 85
      A very "fresh" nose profile. The first note i got was mint. Then a hint of smoke, and then comes some oaky notes. I also pick up light, fresh fruity notes, perhaps pear or sweet apples. And clearly some mineral notes, like salt from the sea! Very, very elegant profile!
    • Taste
      88 88
      Oh this is nice. Very well in balance with the nose, presenting a little peat, medicinal notes, subtle bitterness, a dash of pleasant bitterness and fruits. Spices are there as well, but not very much. Malt is evident in the tasting profile all the way, as well as that salty note from the nose
    • Finish
      83 83
      Medium finish, not revealing anything new from the palate. Just a pleasant, soothing finish to make you long for the next sip

  47. JimvanVeen scored this whisky 87 points Expert Junior

    86 - 87
    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  48. claymore84 scored this whisky 84 points Expert Senior

    Tasted on 09-18-2020 in Campeltown.

  49. DrunkDude scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
      Peated, rust, ginger, herbal, salty, robust earthy. 86
    • Taste
      86 86
      ginger sugar-sweet, jam-like strawberry sour, overripe plum sour, goes to some fishy umami, adding notes of pepper spices, smoky btw 86
    • Finish
      84 84
      Rich tannin, mild chocolate, slight herbal honey. 84

  50. valasios scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      90 90

  51. Whisky.Hedonist.MY scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Batch 16/353
    • Nose
      90 90
      Unmistakably Campbeltown, a rather waxy and sooty arrival on the nose, with lemon and a little bit sourish note. It becomes more earthy and grassy, and lots of cooking spices started to appear. Just lovely, plain simple but intriguing.
    • Taste
      90 90
      The coastal notes caught me first, salted almond, oranges, lemon. It's pretty fresh and lively as well, with that brininess being the star on the palate. Some smokiness of course, and some rocks and minerals. Very oily on your tongue as well.
    • Finish
      88 88
      Lemons with salt, orange peel, a little bit of almond, with an oily medium long finish

  52. Jabarkas scored this whisky 95 points Member Senior

    A great daily dram, yet complex as well. A nice combination of citrusy notes and peat. Non-chillfiltered. No artificial colouring. Well priced for a "Springbank" so far. Bottle could be slightly less "hipster" though. A great complex whisky!

    P. S. Dont buy it for current prices. Its a great dram, but still not worth that much money. There are other great whiskies which are around 50 dollars.
    • Nose
      Medium peat, fruits.
    • Taste
      Very citrusy, grapefruit, peat. Bit of honey. Sweet and bitter at the same time. Oh caraway there as well!
    • Finish
      Peat. Again some bitterness and sweetness. Some saltiness as well.

  53. Beaty-Tang scored this whisky 87 points Member Senior

    Yes, I enjoyed it. Simple, fresh whisky. Maybe the form of the day is dependent, but that evening it was exactly the right one in a series of rather heavy, complex whiskys. Fresh, grassy basic character with cereals, banana and vanilla. Freshness does not mean youth, not at all. The whisky is just not dead in the glass ;-). I diluted it with a little water, I find the whisky 43% or even 40% more accessible.

  54. nallacam scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  55. 33rdCASK scored this whisky 82 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      82 82
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      81 81

  56. ChrisE scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      84 84

  57. erwinnlim scored this whisky 82 points Expert Senior

    One of the best presented 12 year old single malts out there. An incredibly good value for money whisky. Value (£35): 9/10
    • Nose
      Light fruity sweetness of poached pears first, followed by some fresh lemon spray and orange peels and very mild peat smoke lingering. Some lovely oaky vanillins. A touch of green malt and farmyard-like hay. Some sour cherries. Savoury with barbecued meats and herbs with notes of cloves, thyme and rosemary. Some salinity to it as well. Seems like quite an old school 'dirty' malt with fusile notes to it as well. cooling aniseed.
    • Taste
      Sweet, sour and bitter. Citrus peels, vanilla sweetness. Malty notes of barley water. More kitchen spices like cinnamon and cloves. The sherry influence is quite mild, contributing mainly a light hazelnut note. A touch of spice with ginger and white pepper. Seas spray. Savoury on the palate as well, quite meaty and heavy. In my opinion, the spirit character shines through over the oak itself. Loads of marine Campbeltown character.
    • Finish
      Long and bittersweet, think boiled sweets and roasted coffee beans in addition to the spices from the palate. White pepper and more green malt notes. A light cooling menthol.

  58. Vallado scored this whisky 83 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      81 81
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      85 85

  59. InbhirNis scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    Hugely impressive, but I felt like I struggled to access it fully. Probably should've made more use of water.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Immediately impressive - complex and characterful. Herbal, turning sweeter, dirty in a good way. Smoke in the background. A very old-fashioned nose. Citrus lemon note emerges
    • Taste
      86 86
      Powerful, but less expressive than the nose. Salty and oily, but slightly lacking depth. Savoury and a little spicy. Rounds out over time.
    • Finish
      87 87
      Medium, salty

  60. xandi37einhalb scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    At a tasting I was allowed to taste this drop.
    Color: straw
    • Nose
      sweet smoke, sardines, salty, kiwi, books, powidl
    • Taste
      Vanilla, basil, mustard seeds, mealy apple, potato, smoke
    • Finish
      longer, slightly smoky, iodine, guano

  61. Gaija scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    ["Another brick in the wall" tasting session - n°16]
    I think I prefered the more austere and linear bourbon-matured WIP's, but this is still a very fine drop for sure.
    • Nose
      Quite typically limestone-y and lemony, with some Campbeltown funk (linoleum), but also a rounder, more bourbon-drive side, something cake-y I'd say. Touches of soot afterwards.
    • Taste
      Again, the typical limestone and linoleum are complemented by a softer cake-y side that might, at least to me, be considered as superfluous.

  62. Pulteney83 scored this whisky 90 points Expert Junior

    The bourbon wood is the most dominant here and that is what i like in my kilkerran whisky.
    • Nose
      91 91
      Sweet vanilla, butter, bakery like croissants, camomile, mineral, cloves, little peat,
    • Taste
      90 90
      The butter and camomile, sweet peat, tropical fruits, apricot, barley, great spirit. With water a little more bitter.
       
    • Finish
      89 89
      The yellow fruits, apricot and mineral.

  63. Matthias80 scored this whisky 76 points Expert Senior

    N: apple, lemon, very pleasantly fresh, no bad notes, light spice
    G: honey sweet, citrus, apple, floral notes, overall a light whisky, mild
    A: rather short, could be a little more intense

  64. anonymerlemur scored this whisky 84 points Expert Senior

    The mouthfeel in particular is very soft and reminiscent of panna cotta. The finish is short but characterized by a peppery sharpness.
    • Nose
      83 83
      Not very intense and alcoholic at the beginning. Slightly musty and light smoke notes are accompanied by a delicate lemon freshness and vanilla. Overall, a malty sweetness predominates.
    • Taste
      85 85
      Very malty and flat at the beginning. The mouthfeel is extremely creamy and reminiscent of panna cotta. Overall, very pleasant to drink with light notes of dark chocolate and wild berries. Over time, the whisky gets a bit spicier.
    • Finish
      83 83
      Short and slightly bitter accompanied by a peppery spice. It becomes grassy / herbaceous very late.

  65. YD84 scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      89 89

  66. IIIZIII scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Slightly candied pineapple after 15 to 20 minutes breathing. My second favourite contemporary 12 year old.
    The peat is very vell integrated. I think this is how peat should contribute in a whisky.
    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      90 90

  67. Archer scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    At the beginning, still enthusiastic, I had to end of the bottle so my problems with this bottling - too sherrylastig. In terms of taste, the picture does not change in retrospect, but you can still look forward to the issue price and take your hat off to those in charge of the distillery.
    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  68. ThomasNicolas did not rate this whisky Member Senior

    I am not a fan of Campbeltown region. It seems that this dram didn't change my mind howevere it is the best among those I've tried (Glen Scotia 15, Springbank 10).
    Nose is pleasant, salty and sweet, a hint of nice smoke, a bit of fresh fruits. But taste is not my type. I don't like those types of, what I call "thinking drams". It is complex, but not enjoyable. I can taste the saltiness, sweetness and smoke but I have to seat and really look for it deeply. To be honest on a palete it offers not much more than a good bourbon. And I do not drinking scotch to taste bourbon. Finish is nicely smoky, delicate, bitter and oaky, a bit earthy.
    Don't get me wrong, I liked this dram, but in Poland Kilkerran is very pricy, so I can get good bourbon three times cheaper.
    My rate: I won't go back to it, unless someone will pour me a glass for free.

  69. struijlaartmarijn scored this whisky 87 points Member Junior

    pleasant dram with nice balance, especially like it on the nose with some challenging layers. Develops nicely in the glass. Wonderful dram
    • Nose
      88 88
      light peat, grassy, vanilla, dried fruit (dates & apricots, little raisins), some peaches, zesty citrus, spice (a bit between cloves and black cardamom), nuttiness (hazelnuts & almonds) even some pastry crust. Afters some: more light fruit notes: apples and grapes
    • Taste
      87 87
      salty, oily, fresh apples and pears, some peaches, hints of vanilla, hint of smoke, flower honey, some spices, bit of pepper. After some water: a hint of grapefruit, more earthiness
    • Finish
      86 86
      salty, warming, quite long, hints of spice coming back. tingly of the front of the tongue

  70. maurisso scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    For a long time, it's your own bun.

  71. Johannes de Silentio scored this whisky 90 points Member Senior

    Color: Mellow gold.

    Nose: This is clearly a characterful distillate. One can detect the family resemblance to Springbank, obviously. In general, it's very Campbeltown: light smokiness (not a medicinal, Islay-style peatiness), clean citrus, menthol. Damn good.

    Mouth: Wonderful, coating mouthfeel on the arrival--great body. There's some vanilla, but not at all overpowering or simplistic (although the bourbon clearly predominates over the sherry in the feel of this one). I get light honey, as well. In general, it's just well-integrated and solid. I struggle to pick out myriad elements, which I often enjoy.

    Finish: Medium-long.

    Comments: It's not a revelation to say this is a top-tier daily drinker. I agree with many of the noteworthy critics who place it in the same class as Springbank 10, Ben Nevis 10, and Benromach 10 as affordable, delicious, core-range official bottlings.

  72. Archer scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  73. hawk31 scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Nose: I have a hard time with my first impression, it is already complex and the flavors change very quickly. First very grassy, strawy, vanilla, sea air and a strong salt smell, have the associations of Lauugenbrezel with too much salt on it. The salt sticks, a bit medically the smoke. Marzipan, pine needles, lavender ?, Sweet but fruit I do not really bhier here, here and there appears a pear or an orange, but nothing that remains sustainable.

    Taste: Malty, spicy flavor, becoming sweeter, when swallowing a great taste from the subtle smoke, sweetness, kräutrig, salty, spicy, some milk chocolate, cider, citrus aromas, slightly dirty and earthy.

    Finish: Medium long, smoke that is hard for me to get into, is now heading for the campfire. Chocolate beans, spicy and very pleasant overall. Oak that does not get too harsh. Good thing.

    You've tried it at the local and found it good. The impression continued at home, with which one certainly does not do anything wrong, delicious, complex and tasty and still money-saving.

  74. Tom na Gruagaich scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    Spicy, slightly peaty and mineral "Springbank" nose, with orange peel and a slight saltiness. Strong in the mouth, slightly peaty, salty, sweet and spicy. Great combination. The finish is long, salty, slightly peaty, orange notes. A very successful standard.

  75. HwiskyNut scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    21 + 22 + 22 + 22 = 87 ~ Absolutely chic drinking SCOTCH, especially considering how much they want for it! It was necessary to take the box without thinking! Not a gram of ghoul in this batch, a pure stream flowing into my throat

  76. Abtbernardus scored this whisky 84 points Expert Junior

    A very pleasant dram that I certainly get in full bottle to be able to enjoy it at any time.
    • Nose
      83 83
      Vanilla, honey, sweet scents of fruit, apple juice. Slightly spicy herbal test, (cinnamon ??),
    • Taste
      83 83
      Very fruity, also light peat, herbs and sherry. Some minerals, salt
    • Finish
      85 85
      Long, peppery, a little honey-sweet vanilla but especially the light peat makes it a perfect dram for every day.

  77. Donwaldorf scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Another very nice Kilkerran, clean, clean and without smudge.
    Too eager to taste 20/25 years ....
    • Nose
      Sweet smoke, sweet spices, fresh fruits, citrus fruits and precious woods.
    • Taste
      Lack of peps, spices, cooked fruits, stewed and light bitterness.
    • Finish
      Sweet spices, floral, creamy on the fruit yahurt .... light return of the smoke.

  78. PuddingmitHaut did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    (Blindverkostung)
    • Nose
      First, a sweetish fruitiness rose to my nose, light malt and the smoke: subtle, but there. The indication "medium" fits here for me. The smoke has something musty, I feel familiar.
    • Taste
      In the mouth it is very pleasant, the 46% fit well. And in a way he is quite diverse. There is the malt, sometimes the light, bright, fruit, sometimes the smoke in the foreground. At the first swallow I had a very clear association. Just no idea what it was ...
    • Finish
      There is definitely a fruity sweetness that gives way to the smoke in the finish and after a while, even a slightly fleshy feeling in the mouth remains. Whereby the smoke behaves rather discreetly accompanying, which I like very much.

  79. wbarchive_875995 did not rate this whisky Expert Junior

    Assorted citrus fruits with peat and salt, withered dried fruits, caramel and black pepper.

    RATING: 87pts - [n21,t23,f21,b22] → |86-89: Remarkable|

  80. Dirk scored this whisky 86 points Super Administrator

    Salty and oranges with a whiff of peat. Nothing to fancy but so good. Should be a default bottling in your cabinet. Easy drinking whisky and great to enjoy in good company.

  81. gerardvw scored this whisky 84 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      83 83
      Some sherry and bourbon; Little peaty
    • Taste
      85 85
      With water it loses some of its power
    • Finish
      85 85

  82. AlexBonoGreen scored this whisky 84 points Member Senior

    More harmonious than Release 4 2012 and Release 5 Bourbon 2013 and Sherry wood 2013, there is quite a lot of oak, but there is not enough diversity in the profile. It seems to be whole, but there is no piquancy ...
    Kilkerran is at the very beginning of the journey, and he has yet to search for his face. Campbelltown is a region obliging to exploits. Will there be a new revived legend ?!
    • Nose
      84 84
      Well, here is a full, full-term release :). The body is rather oily. Immediately more rounded, medical shades more delicate, profile similar to 9yo Bourbon, but iodine slips here, as in 9yo Sherry wood. Again, quite a lot of minerality. Waiting for aeration. Yes! Juiciness, some honey, wax, honeycombs, freshly sawn apple-tree came. And, like, more mature, more balanced, but without magic!
    • Taste
      84 84
      Fruity, a lot of tannins, at the same time rounded for 12 years, pepper, vanilla, even a little honeyiness, but, somehow ordinary well :)
    • Finish
      83 83
      The finish is mild, tannic, warm, fruity, with a slight smoke. In general, good, but not difficult.

  83. Corso_theRed scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    I enjoyed this. Its reasonably complex and deviates from the usual tropes of sweet, honeyed, and caramelized. I reckon this is more for lovers of dry ex-Bourbon matured drams that do not overpower your palate after the first dram. Good job Springbank!
    • Nose
      Fruity and vegetal; pears & apples, cucumber & egg plant, as well as a touch of vanilla. Icing sugar, wet stones, and salt-crusted oak.
    • Taste
      Assertive arrival. Sour-dry, with a salty edge. Malty overtones intermingle with weak mint tea and caramel. Very balanced overall!
    • Finish
      Medium. Quite warming, mildly sweet, and tannic.

  84. Lumpowitz scored this whisky 83 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      Mineral, slightly salty, unripe pears, a hint of vanilla, a metallic note, anise.
    • Taste
      Salt, mineral notes, a little vanilla.
    • Finish
      Medium long, slightly bitter.

  85. Querky scored this whisky 89 points Expert Junior

    This is a really pleasing dram. Fruity, deep, smoky - for me a perfect everyday-dram!
    • Nose
      88 88
      On the nose you get a mild spiciness like fivespice, sweet vanilla, honey and sweet golden applejuice, followed by a dry oloroso note.
      In the background, not too strong but always there, lingers soft, cold smoke.
    • Taste
      90 90
      Incredibly fruity with sweet apples in all variations you can think of, with a pleasing spicy character and a full mouthfeel. Again some velvet smoke like burnt bonfire, and raisins.
    • Finish
      90 90
      Quite long finish with smoke and sweet, intense orchard fruits. In the beginning with a mild bitterness once you‘ve swallowed your sip, followed by spicy oak, honey and dry sherry notes. Lingering green apples with pleasant smoke.

  86. AdelphosHume scored this whisky 83 points Expert Senior

    A good everyday kind of single malt.
    • Nose
      Green malt, oak tannins and citrus, and a touch of baking spices.
    • Taste
      Oak tannins and light peat, mixed sweet citrus, and light mixed dried tropical fruits.
    • Finish
      Baking spices and oak tannins.

  87. jabguit scored this whisky 88 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  88. Stanzeflasche scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    First of all, a country fragrance: cereals, lemon pulp, dried fruits, barley, beeswax, a vegetal touch, the slight bitterness of the hay. The right amount of peat, without excess. Very well done, balanced. The entry in the mouth is very pleasant, vanilla but not too much, the bourbon casks make their effect, without it being overbearing. Always this peasant profile, cereals, hay, honey, grass. A saline side, even iodized. The finish is very long, sparkling, on icing sugar. Mirabelles in retro-olfaction.

    https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2020/05/kilkerran-12-yo-46-original-bottling.html
    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      86 86

  89. MaltyMillionaire scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      Light smoke and ash, light honey, sweet lemon, oak, cereals, apples and pears. Despite the "light" descriptors, it has quite a lot of substance on the nose.
    • Taste
      Oily and mouth coating. Brine, smoke, spice (pepper), honey, lemon, apples, vanilla.
    • Finish
      Long, with peppery spice, honey, brine, and hint of smoke.
      A fantastic value-for-money dram. Very well made.

  90. rolabob scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      87 87

  91. LDB scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    The first 12-year-old from this small distillery is by and large one of the most individual new standard bottlings I have come across in a long time.Nose

    Initially rather sweet and tangy, then something 'disturbing' in a positive way: distant peat, cow dung (not like Ledaig, but in that direction) or also rotten hay, in any case something pungent, graphite-like.

    Taste

    Soft and supple in the mouth, oily, salty, no, very salty, then a slight bitterness widens, it becomes mineral and astringent. I like it much better with a few drops of water.

    Finish

    Very dry and not sweet. Reminiscent of those delicious salted Marcona almonds and sherry fino extra dry. Overall harmonious. I totally dig this oily saltiness, with just a wisp of smoke added.

    Comment

    As much as I Iike this malt, I can understand that it is not for the faint-hearted due to its rough edges.

    It is heavier on the palate than a Springbank 10 or Clynelish 14, for example, but also more multi-faceted.

    In my opinion, this is a down-to-earth, beautifully made no-nonsense Campbeltown whisky.

    On top of that it has got a smashing bfyb-factor .

  92. Deloti scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Quite enjoyable for the price.
    Definitely a nice daily dram better than previous versions.

  93. Willum scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  94. uap304 scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    Kilkerran 12-year @46%

    An excellent daily dram, and certainly grows on you. It may be just the hype, but there is a definite suggestion of terroir in this bottle. I would group it in the "challenging-but-rewarding" category, which means I might appreciate it more than I actually enjoy it. Kind of like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
    • Nose
      Sweet malt, honey, lemon, metallic, in the Springbank vernacular. But then comes a wave of apples, pears, and vanilla!
    • Taste
      Light, but full-bodied. Sweet, malt. Zesty citrus. A bit of peppery tingly heat.
    • Finish
      Drying, slight bitter oak. Then citrus and fruity, with strong floral overtones. There is lavender and herbal tea. With a long lingering salty, chewy, malt cereal on the back end. Zoiks!

  95. ruoungoai scored this whisky 91 points Newbie

    I've written about (and reviewed) whisky for Whisky Magazine( http://douongngoainhap.com), among other publications, and have been a whisky judge for competitions including the World Whiskies Awards. I've done other writing too: several mass market genre novels, a few short stories,  including for BBC Radio 4. For my day job (I know, I don't get out much) I work in digital marketing

  96. kaasklop scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    One of the best kilkerrans sofar
    • Nose
      A soft, subtile smell. contains hay, tea biscuit with Sugar coating, croissant. also a summer-smell palate.
    • Taste
      Full-bodied taste of smoke, cooked mash, hay again, oaky fruit,sweet paprika and brussel spruits. Rich taste!!
    • Finish
      Medium-long, nice and bittery.

  97. kaasklop scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      86 86

  98. EinSpatzUnterVielen scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    The initial beautiful sherry notes are completely ousted after a few minutes under the influence of oxygen from the bourbon cask aromas with mineral lemon.

    It might be a good idea to quickly fill the opened bottle with sample bottles, so as not to completely lose the influence of the 30% Sherry Casks.
    • Nose
      Lemon, milk chocolate, latte, licorice, grape nut chocolate, very intense sweet cherries, slightly apple-like, burnt out charcoal fire, vanilla, more and more lemon, seaweed on the beach, sea spray
    • Taste
      sweet, creamy, milk chocolate, raisins, nuts, maraschino cherries, pear, licorice, vanilla, honey, a touch of ginger, latte, some lemon; on the second sip, the lemon, accompanied by mineral elements, presses vehemently forward, pebble in the mouth, magnesium effervescent tablets, lemon meringue
    • Finish
      short medium length, sweet, with cocktail cherries and milk coffee and again emerging licorice, passing in Rooibuschtee, delicately bitter, with lemon, some extinct charcoal, lemon meringue

  99. EinSpatzUnterVielen scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      84 84

  100. Kumachan did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    A great whisky that offers great maturity and complexity despite its 46%. A whisky that will open the appetite. He made me replace the Talisker 10 years. Not at the same price, you say. Throw on it! If it had to be given a subjective rating, it would be a 90.
    • Nose
      Yellow gold dress. Numerous, thin and heavy tears. Peaty frangipane! Very floral with obvious notes of violet, thyme, dried fruit, some vanilla, moist wood, earth and wet rock. Resolutely mineral.
    • Taste
      It is a sweet peat with salty / sweet accents that dominates the mouth. It is then peppery and spicy, lemon tart, iodized. Pastry chef and sailor at a time.
    • Finish
      The finish is long on salt, zan and bitter grapefruit peel.

  101. St. Pauli scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    This is absolute value for money and one of the best entry level drams that are available at this point of time. 
    • Nose
      Campbeltown peat smoke ;) It's putty-like, earthy, sooty and mossy. Apart from that, it's like Apple Strudel with cream and vanilla sauce, salted almonds and some lemon.
    • Taste
      The palate is pleasant, easy to drink, and medium to full bodied. The nose is continued, the soot and putty are quite pronunciated. Then there is pastry, soft fruit, and a hint of rum soaked raisins. A hint of peach, vanilla and soft pepper complement this beautiful palate.
    • Finish
      Long, well balanced between sweet and sour, and not bitter at all. Dried fruit seems to dominate, the smokiness has gone to the background. Between that, there is creamy and rich malt, with ample vanilla.

  102. RichardMayston scored this whisky 67 points Expert Senior

    Certainly well made quality product. Maybe in another 6 years it will achieve great results. 
    • Nose
      Nose not quite there
    • Taste
      Good mouth feel and finish 

  103. LDB scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    The first 12-year-old from this small distillery is by and large one of the most individual new standard bottlings I have come across in a long time.
    On top of that it has got a smashing bfyb-factor .
    • Nose
      87 87
      Initially rather sweet and tangy, then something 'disturbing' in a positive way: distant peat, cow dung (not like Ledaig, but in that direction) or also rotten hay, in any case something pungent, graphite-like. I can understand that it is not for the faint-hearted due to its rough edges.
    • Taste
      88 88
      Soft and supple in the mouth, oily, salty, no, very salty, then a slight bitterness widens, it becomes mineral and astringent. I like it much better with a few drops of water.
      It is heavier on the palate than a Springbank 10 or Clynelish 14, for example, but also more multi-faceted.
      In my opinion, this is a down-to-earth, beautifully made no-nonsense Campbeltown whisky.
    • Finish
      87 87
      Very dry and not sweet. Reminiscent of those delicious salted Marcona almonds and sherry fino extra dry. Overall harmonious. I totally dig this oily saltiness, with just a wisp of smoke added.

  104. Collegiate scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    Might well be the best entry level on on the market right now.  Barely cereal, lemon, and a muscular mouth feel akin to Springbank.  There are sour notes on the finish that some may find off putting, but I find very satisfying and rewarding.

  105. Dre73 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  106. Dre73 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      Salty, leather, some smoky, citrus. Alcohol fairly prominent in the smell, despite reasonably low Abv
    • Taste
      Soft but full, oil-like structure, sweet, caramel, some spicy, cinnamon, salty, smoke.
    • Finish
      Light pepper now, quite long, slightly smoky yet (wood fire), spicy, wood. Bit bitter undertone, dry.

  107. Dyno scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    solid and distinctive dram. The bottle changes drastically over time. weirdly it became peatier from what i experienced. Happy to try this again in the near future.
    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  108. Hare&Copper scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Great nose. Taste a bit thin. 
    • Nose
      Soot. Newsprint. Limestone. Lemons. Salty. Apples. Pastries. 
    • Taste
      Lemons. Ash. Salt. Pepper. Quite thin body.
    • Finish
      Medium. Lots of salt. Light smoke.

  109. WhiskyLovingPianist scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/bottle-polishing-scottish-islands/

    I’ve never been one for describing colour of whisky before, but this is liquid barley gold personified.

    N: Aside from the smoky sootiness, the pastry and the marine/Coolmint-fresh, which make up an amalgamated note, I focused on three distinct profile camps. The barley, the attentive [vanilla] oak and the sweet fruitiness – apple=pear tarte Tatin<orange=tangerine yes, but mostly its sweet lemon+lime sugar-sherbet and a touch of frangipane]. Also to be commended is the high flavour intensity coupled with an inviting softness to the whole. And i didnt even mention the biscuit-charcoal<toasted-ness that develops from that sooty smokiness.Time reveals a malty heart that breathes & pulsates. After an hour, the putty-malt really starts to grow. A cardboard note is often seen as a dirty word in whisky but I’m having none of it. Recently i’ve had Inchgower, current Dufftown, Teaninich, Blair Athol,.. etc, all of which have shown brilliance whilst a little boxed in. This is honeyed corrugated cardboard & flour=paper mache, also with salt n vinegar seasoning, peaty [fresh, sweet cow pats], feta cheese [appearing more than another hour later. Then there’s the bourbon medicinal side, mainly showing through bourbon-led candy notes – Hubba Bubba the most obvious! All of this complexity comes with subtleness that always refers back to the savoury barley-cereal heart. I’m bored with the word ‘faultless’, but ho hum there it is. Serge says regarding this 12yo, “I can’t seem to find anything bad to say about this nose”. And thats the nose done! Have we time for anymore?

    T: This is oaky distillate but it’s the casks serve the spirit. Dry yet spritzer-like salivation with a dill-sprinkled lemonade/vanilla quality before the velvet=waxy=soot, oak and savoury=sweet spirit gets to work. Follows through with a raisin/malt core. The complexity grows on development. Water management is fairly important but again, time is more crucial to get the best.
    F: It’s certainly not oily, maybe more waxy and there’s no exaggerated, rich mouthfeel. This is a dry, neutral-dry, spirit driven, oak-dry conclusion with a touch of cask-vanilla and more soot=ash oak/spirit/oak/spirit. Ralfy brilliantly spots camomile. There’s a touch of witch hazel with black currant tannins and sour lemons, not to mention the saltiness that has accompanied the malt since developing on the palate.
    C: This purchase came with quite some hype and some pressure to buy before stocks ran dry. Apparently case loads were being pre-bought before shops had even received their assignments. Though I had a few stirrings in the emotional department, this whisky won me over more on an academic level.Scores an A-

  110. PunxsutawneyPhil scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    The best Kilkerran release so far. Better than the WIP 7 and 8-yo CS. Strong Springbank-like profile. Decent amount of peat. Somewhere between a Springbank and Longrow profile. I love it.
    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      91 91

  111. Woodsmoke scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      Blind tasting:

      Beautiful Nose. Great fruit. Light oak but more medicine.
    • Taste
      Round, fresh and fruity. Sweet. Oak and spicy.
    • Finish
      Beautiful finish. He rolls over the tongue vigorously, leaving behind fruity and slightly oaky notes on the palate.

  112. Joe Karacho scored this whisky 90 points Expert Junior

    A slightly maritime and slightly smoky malt with a clear citrus finish and dry oak. Certainly not for everyone, who is looking for a tender palate flatterer will not find what they are looking for, but they are friends of an honest coastal whisky from the ex-bourbon barrel with a great PL ratio
    • Nose
      Light smoke, citrus fruits, vanilla, from time to time the sherry flashes on, but disappears as quickly as it came
    • Taste
      A great buttery oily mouthfeel, of sherry so garnix, but salt, some lemon and lime, as well as clearly orange, with furztrockene oak and some caramelized sugar
    • Finish
      Warm and medium-long, the oak remains, plus the smoke and some citric acid, again very dry

  113. Wiz scored this whisky 80 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      81 81
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      80 80

  114. Wiz scored this whisky 80 points Expert Senior

    Well ... not bad. But pretty unspectacular. Rather thin. He lacks in volume. Although I did not perceive anything metallic, it comes to me quite young. I would not have given him blind for more than 6-8 years. I could not make out oak too. I can not understand the enthusiasm for this whisky here. I know standards for 30-35 euros, which are significantly better .... in my eyes. I would have expected much more from him.
    • Nose
      at the beginning, very restrained. Then slowly a flowery-floral aroma comes on. Caramel very clear. Some honey. Immature bright fruits. Peach and apricot. Although he is said to have 30% sherry casks, I do not perceive it at all. After a few minutes, light citrus fruits come. Direction lime.
    • Taste
      Again very clearly I have the caramel. And a lump on the tongue, like a white wine that has too much acid. Then again the unripe peaches and apricots. Again, nothing to make out of the sherry.
    • Finish
      Short to medium. Some honey remains short on the palate.

  115. fgg scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      86 86

  116. fgg scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    A surprisingly nice dram given the price and the age.
    • Nose
      Fresh spicy nose. Pepper, clove. Citrust beans in the background.
    • Taste
      Strong citrus peas, pepper and some vanilla.
    • Finish
      Nice medium finish.

  117. Abadon05 scored this whisky 80 points Expert Senior

    No comparison to the good WIP bottlings. And unfortunately, the Campbeltownwhiskies are not mine anymore. It's okay and a good standard. No more and no less.
    • Nose
      Candle wax and those typical earthy notes from Campbeltown. Quite pleasant and somehow I also have very slight smoky notes.
    • Taste
      Meadow, hay, straw, mild, pear, ginger
    • Finish
      medium with a seasoning. There are oak notes and milk chocolate.

  118. Torfding scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    pleasant standard for a reasonable price
    • Nose
      some smoke, salt and vanilla with a subdued sweetness and a few hidden nuts, is becoming increasingly dry, old cherry schnapps and warm, stale apple juice, some fruit cake and straw and with a somewhat lemony undertone, a little wood and herbs; minerally at first, the Kilkerran later somehow looks old in the sense of stale (not in the negative sense, but that's just how I feel)
    • Taste
      fruity (lots of lemon) with vanilla and an addition of honey, licorice, slightly distributed smoke, thick, comes later saltier and stronger
    • Finish
      medium, but later stays longer, especially in the following reverberation; soft and round, some salt and an occasional impression of smoke, lemon and apple peel, later also warming

  119. praisethepasta scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  120. praisethepasta scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    A rich, complex and characterful whisky which at the same time tastes fresh and young. Give it a lot of time in the glass (20-30 minutes) to really open up, because when it does you get all the complex  richness and playful youthfulness of this beautiful whisky in a stunning combination dancing on your tongue and in your throat. Scores 86-87, which makes it one of  the best easily affordable whiskies out there.
    • Nose
      Grainy, some lemonzeste, citronella, also something a bit like hay or straw, some sweet honey, fresh. a few drops of water bring out salty notes.
    • Taste
      sweet and sour, apple and pear, cereal, mineral, oily
    • Finish
      salty, a slight sting, (nut)oil. with water the saltiness keeps lingering on

  121. dRambo scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    mhh - a fruitier Springbank 10 for me - the distance is not very big
    • Nose
      sweet, ginger, seaweed, eucalyptus, mint, mineral, citrus, fruity, strong tart oak oily, vanilla, slightly bitter
    • Taste
      spicy, mineral, sourish slightly bitter bourbon barrel lemon, full-bodied, viscous, slightly alcoholic
    • Finish
      astringent, slightly bitter, citrus, medium

  122. vojt466 scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Very well balanced, I'd like more :)
    • Nose
      Oak nuts, chalk, salt, hay, biscuits and vanilla. Fruit cake, spiciness and very delicate nourishment.
    • Taste
      A distinctive vanilla flavor combined with light oakiness, creamy caramel and a bit of gingerbread and cinnamon spice. Later, citric acid appears. A large rounded taste that makes Springbank a signature.
    • Finish
      Again, dub, this time with malt, cinnamon, vanilla, and with a very delicate relish. Vanilla has a long tongue feeling

  123. ErrHaBe scored this whisky 91 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      91 91

  124. rpvdwel scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  125. Zoltavar scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  126. Macheye scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    My expectations have been met. Kilkerran 12 year old shows great balance, excellent depth and complexity for age. Promises a bright future for Glengyle distillery.

    Full tasting notes: https://www.thedramble.com/tastings/glengyle/kilkerran-12-year-old/

  127. Whiskywobbler scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Great spirit, good complexity, excellent value for your money!
    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  128. alectron scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    Single Blind Dram. Springbank vertical tasting, 10.2016
    • Nose
      Mineral, smokey, lemon, sand. (85)
    • Taste
      Sweet, oily, sand, lemon/orange, creamy. (86)
    • Finish
      Slightly bitter, vanilla, mineral, prickly. (84)

  129. Rom scored this whisky 84 points Expert Junior

    Nose composed of a little orange (Cointreau), frangipane, malt and vanilla. The whole gives a raw cake dough effect. The palate has a good texture and aromas of candied orange, honey and hazelnut. The final, medium-length vanilla blend with a hint of citrus bitterness. A good daily dram, well done, quite focused on the orange.

  130. Dyno scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  131. AH Whiskyvitrine scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      86 86

  132. Kalle208 scored this whisky 83 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      Salty-sweet, floral, vanilla, citrus, a slight association with biscuits.
    • Taste
      Strong spicy, spicy, but also sweet, again salt, vanilla.
    • Finish
      Long warming finish, a hint of smoke and vanilla remains.

  133. LiquidThoughts scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    Definitely has its charm for people who like more robust, Talisker-style whiskys, on their own, but not quite my taste.
    • Nose
      Clear salt note, popcorn salty but also sweet, apple, vanilla with honey and malt in between, then seaweed again
    • Taste
      First spicy, ginger and pepper, then salt, much maritimes mixed with malt, pear, lychee, apricot, floral, white grapes, vanilla
    • Finish
      Still sharpness of ginger and oak, dry oak with apple bark and malt, medium to long

  134. jankes scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  135. ctu scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Nice maturation. Water is help it to open nicely. Interestingly acids are produced with more smoke. I definitely like.
    • Nose
      Fresh citruses, salty sea air like Talisker, honey, vanilla, plaster, sweet peat and hay
    • Taste
      Citruses and oak. Salted caramel, honey and herbals. Pepper and butter.
    • Finish
      Medium length, dry.

  136. McKen did not rate this whisky Member Senior

    86/100
    • Nose
      The citrussy freshness is very obvious in this one. It is balanced out by sweet vanilla and savoury saltiness. The freshness makes place for heavier, smokier stuff like BBQ meat and old leather.
    • Taste
      Very much amonge the lines of the nose, no big surprises here. Wood and lemon, followed by salt and a vanillery but also spicy sweetness.
    • Finish
      A dry and long finish. Pepper is prominent.

  137. lachaineduwhisky did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    Very nice mineral peat - evoking pebbles. The bourbon cask is there behind, with beautiful fresh fruits. It really reminds the WIP 7 Bourbon Wood. In the mouth, beautiful attack, beautiful presence, texture, spices and fruits. It's very controlled. Final subtly soft and very long! At only 46%, it is only one step below the WIP 7 Bourbon Wood in terms of aromas, but its finish is paradoxically longer! I will not be very original compared to the majority of the crtiiques that I could read on this whisky: it is a success!

    Enthusiasm 4/5

  138. dRambo scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      82 82

  139. Mephisto scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      84 84

  140. Mephisto scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    A unique and fine single malt. Especially for 12 years nicely balanced and "complete".
    • Nose
      Unique. A whisky you could distinguish from others with ease. Some medical smoke, reminds me of a first aid kit. Thus, somehow "sterile" in an interesting way. Sherry and wheat. Hints of wild honey and vanilla. A bunch of different nuts and wet leaves (autumn).
    • Taste
      Really gentle. Only hints of smoke. Not too much oak, a very soft and pleasant taste. Some crop. Some Cacao. Honey.
    • Finish
      A more "subtle" finish, not much intensity, however, medium long. Some toasted nuts. A bit dry and buttery.

  141. A Dream of Sea did not rate this whisky Member Senior

    Kilkerran - 12 years old

    Category: Single Malt Scotch WhiskyDistillery: Kilkerran (Campbeltown)
    Price: 0-50€ (~45€ in Germany)46% ABV
    Chill filtration: No
    Artificial Colour: No
    About the whisky: This is the first standard expression from the Glengyle distillery. Founded in 2004 this distillery is owned by the Mitchell family who also run the well know Springbank distillery. During the last years Kilkerran released the "work in progress" series, where you could get a taste of the progress the whisky made. Every year there was one release of "WiP". I didn't like them too much to be honest.
    Nose: Citrusfruits, sour and fresh. But this whisky isn't a soft one but pretty strong. There is a walnut note as well and all of that is carried by a mild, peaty and smoky note. In the background there is vanilla es well.
    Taste: Starting off it is remarkably soft. Citrusnotes, that are not too sour start to develope on the tongue. Then vanilla, and after that it gets drier. I like it.
    Finish: No citrus fruits in the finish. Bitterness develops and malty and grainy/cereal notes start to appear. After 5 mintes something like "cold ashtray" remains, that is not my cup of tea.
    Final Thoughts: I didn't like the Work in Progess expressions, as I said before. But this whisky is different. You really get a full package here: Sherrycask notes, bourboncask notes and some distillery character which isn't to far away from Springbank. This is a solid first expression. In addition to the really good taste it is also bottled at 46% ABV, non coloured and ncf. Yay, Springbank! 

    Final Score:  6/7
    For more reviews visit: adreamofsea.blogspot.de

  142. Whiskywobbler scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      90 90

  143. Noface83 scored this whisky 86 points Specialist

    Nose: mineral earthy, hints of smoke, ointment, lemon juice and lemon zest, a touch of salty manzanilla sherry
    Taste: full of strong onset, spicy and creamy sweet at the same time, lemon cake, malty sweetness, a splash of sea water, beautiful pepper sharpness, to the rear and in the finish then a dry sherry fruitiness and delicate oak. The finish is warm but not quite as aromatic as the nose and palate.
    Very successful quasi first-bottling which offers a great PLV and in the range of 12 years old probably belongs to the top class!
    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      82 82

  144. eppelheimer scored this whisky 82 points Member Senior

    Nose: light smoke and citrus aromas Taste: Lemongrass and a little vanilla Finish: medium in length with a dominant lemon flavor Comment: interesting new whisky which one notes the origin of Springbank

  145. Cubey666 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      87 87

  146. maltsabine scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      87 87

  147. hfos scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      88 88

  148. irrerelevant scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    unique style, you have to like licorice and blood oranges, amazing quality at this price
    • Nose
      soft peat smoke, spicy, full, fat, intense bitterness, brazil nuts, yeast dough, champagne, mineral, briny, dry european oak, hay, cornflower, bees wax, blood orange, raisins, light sherry, vanilla, nice spirit
    • Taste
      like the nose, but more sweetness, smoke and fruits, intense licorice, very deep, slightly winy mouthfeel, fermented
    • Finish
      long, dry, prickles, blood oranges, licorice and smoke

  149. Odessit scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Serge Valentin :

    Kilkerran 12 yo (46%, OB, 2016)  That’s right, the first ‘regular’ expression of Glengyle/Kilkerran, after the various ‘WIPs’ that have almost all been very convincing. Although I preferred the bourbon versions, but that’s a matter of taste. Love the no-fuss label by the way. Colour: straw. Nose: pristine lemony/chalky/sooty start, then rather broken branches and a touch of liquorice wood, as well as hints of bandages and tiger balm. Perhaps barbecued herbs, perhaps thyme and rosemary? I can’t seem to find anything bad to say about this nose. Mouth: impeccably old-style, sooty, rather peaty, peppery, lemony, and really very salty. It is totally distillate-forward, which is always something we enjoy at WF Towers. I find there’s something ‘old Springbank’ to this baby that goes straight into my personal pantheon of readily available large-batch malts. Finish: long, with perhaps a few more notes of bonbons, but the salty tang and the lingering peppery peat still play first fiddles. Comments: ah, yes, I’ve got something bad to say, it’s a shame that this was to be expected, and that consequently, no good surprises could occur. I may write a letter… SGP:353 - 90 points. 

  150. Kalle208 scored this whisky 83 points Member Senior

    Delicious!
    • Nose
      Salty-sweet, floral, vanilla, citrus, a slight association with biscuits. No smoke perceptible to me.
    • Taste
      Strong spicy, but also sweet, again salt and beautiful vanilla notes
    • Finish
      Long warming finish, a hint of smoke and vanilla remains

  151. Othorion scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Hm, I like it! Great whisky, great PLV
    • Nose
      Salt, very soft smoke, this typical for Springbank "dirty" note, caramel, lime juice, sea breeze, algae, nuts, after a while also juice oranges, very inviting and much to discover
    • Taste
      Cream toffees, creamy, lemon sorbet, a little chili, salty maritime, sweetened slightly bitter coffee, grapefruit
    • Finish
      warming, some chilli, some coffee, getting dry, salty and here is the soft smoke again

  152. Pollenflug scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    More on: https://tomtrinkt.blog/
    • Nose
      Light peat, lemon peel, green apples, cherries, vanilla, honey, hazelnuts, spicy oak notes and maritime salinity. The longer the whisky can breathe, the more intense the dark fruit notes of Sherryfasseinflusses. The very complex and interesting aroma makes you want more.
    • Taste
      Powerful, dominant notes of lemon and orange, slightly peppery, followed by a vanilla sweetness with a pleasant smoke and a slight saltiness. The dark fruits in the background complete the complex overall picture. The 46% volume percent are very well integrated.
    • Finish
      Long, very oily, fruity, salty, slightly earthy, caramel and some smoke. Furthermore multi-layered and complex. The sherry flavors break down relatively quickly. No bitterness.

  153. lincolnimp scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    Highlandmaniac is right , this reminded me of some of the 1981 46% Signatory Brora and older Brora is similar in some ways to old Longrow.

  154. wisekyofcourse scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    what to say, if, disappointment because of too spicy flavors, a nose that inaugurates full of promise!
    • Nose
      spices, it stings! , then iodine, finally peat very indented, with a rise of yellow fruits (lemon and apple)
    • Taste
      again the spicy pepper, then fine lemon scent, then an oily side of lives of pear-mirabelle plums, it looks younger than the WIP, and peat iodine!
    • Finish
      lemon, woody, brandy again, medium finish, peat at this moment!

  155. Andytka3 scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    N-
    Preserved chinese chili sauce, vinegary, dried lemon, perhaps some
    minced garlic, some musky wood, some green herbs. Burnt caramel and
    bready. Peat is there, subtle salt is there, peculiar, complex and big
    that's like those early 90' Springbank. P- Quite powerful with sharp acidic citrus, tangy with lifted spicy
    chili building on with more grapefruit, young mango and sourish orange.
    Lip smacking chewy that give your taste bud a loud wake up call. F- Medium-long, smooth with dusty spices and a wee of old leathery
    sherry note (but I think there is no sherry here), spicy and chewy
    finish with gentle fruity sweet. Intriguing.
    — at The Whisky Bar, Kuala Lumpur.
    • Nose
      94 94
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      90 90

  156. smoothjazz scored this whisky 87 points Member Junior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      88 88

  157. lincolnimp scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    Just tried this head to head with the Ardbeg 21 OB 46% bottle for bottle this is better stuff.

    I can get 12 bottles of this for one Ardbeg 21, a hard choice.

  158. lincolnimp scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    With water:-

    Peat is sweeter, absolutely lovely now on the nose. The palate is very creamy with Peat still to the forefront and not as much fruit now

    Finish is medium length.

    I think the scores by others of 88-90 are well deserved and taking all things into account I will drop my score to 90 but when you take into account this is £35-£40 a higher score is merited.
    • Nose
      Nice peat and candied fruit, brine, caramel and something meaty like tinned hotdogs which links in with the brine I suppose?

      I get a touch of coconut and some fresh cream/icing sugar.
    • Taste
      Peat is strong and there is some cream with a few toffee notes.

      Faint hints of menthol and orange liqueur
    • Finish
      Good medium length and very satisfying neat.

  159. captain_k scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  160. cfosterk scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    pre release sample from springbank open day
    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  161. lincolnimp scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    I will do a full tasting note on this H2H with the new Ardbeg 21 to compare the quality/price ratio, but I want it to breathe a little first.

    This is excellent for the money and reminds me of some of the 1981 Signatory Brora at 46%. It is actually more peated than I was expecting with a very simple profile buy believe me it works. There is a nod to the Longrow profile here but I have always said Longrow and peated Brora are quite similar to me at times.

    This distillate has some maturing in these casks and I believe in 3 years time it will be even better.

    I have 3 asks of the owners

    1 - Make sure you keep some casks for 15-18 years

    2 - Please do some at 52-56%

    3 - You have a good product but do not raise the price and take the piss like Ardbeg do. Your whisky is good and shows what you should be able to expect from a quality value malt.

    Ralphy is spot on with a little water it gets notably sweeter.

    This is the reason I like  to do a tasting note and a review. The tasting note score is purely that but the review takes into account price and very often when drinking older or rarer stuff the heavy price can massively affect the score but the other way round I do not see it as much. This is a big exception and on price I would give it around 95 points.

    This is not so much a bang for your buck whisky more like a nuclear explosion bang for your buck. :)

    This is right up my street, very dangerous stuff to have lying around the house
    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      91 91

  162. hans1971 scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  163. HammerHead scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  164. tomy63 scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    pale gold color, the nose is young, plum brandy, little fruit, rather austere, mineral, slightly medicinal and peaty, herbaceous, vegetal, some vanilla and cereals behind. Less austere in the mouth, more vanilla, quite punchy for 46%, well integrated alcohol, a little lemon, salt, pepper, still quite mineral and vegetable. Average length, final a little nicer for my taste, a little sweeter, vanilla, lemony, salty, slightly smoky. A little disappointed by this whisky which can be read a lot of good, but I have never been a fan of the modern style Kilkerran / Springbank.

  165. Mingus did not rate this whisky Expert Junior

    complex, balanced, a very enveloping mouth of the most pleasant: amazing! What more can be said ? Ah if: bottle bought for 56 € shipping included. Note: Highly recommendable.
    • Nose
      sweet, on the dominating cereal surrounded by lemon, pepper vanilla and iodine.
    • Taste
      balanced attack, a very oily character almost viscous, all consistent with the nose but with the extra pep. Bread, citrus, spicy vanilla, iodine always and a little vegetal side that the nose does not have.
    • Finish
      average on a fade-out (I really did not find a French word to express that) perfect.

  166. Daan Tje scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      89 89

  167. BXpress scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    shared bottle.

    I couldn't find many flaws here and if that is going to be their entry level bottling then hats off to them. What a character.

    Also, i love how this is not a little brother copy of Springbank. Yes, it is mildly peated but it plays out very differently.
    • Nose
      Vegetal and mineral at first. With a nice touch of white wine. Also slightly phenolic. There is something chocolaty/coffee ish in the background which becomes more pronounced after a few minutes. Slightly buttery and a tiny bit of vanilla. There is a faint yeasty smell but it's not really off putting.
    • Taste
      A little phenolic, earthy and oily in the arrival. A very nice apple juice note. There is an underlying sweetness. Quite citrusy, and a little bit sharp which makes it very vibrant. Again grassy and vegetal. Dusty and dry.
    • Finish
      Medium but very lively, slightly fizzy. Very much on lemons. Nice vegetal/grassy aftertaste.

  168. Achany scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Ok, I do understand the hype now! this is some marvelous Whisky! Spices, vanilla, a very, very gentle hint of smoke. fruits, some buttery, waxy notes. and all of that so well balanced. Incredible good! 
    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      89 89

  169. Imp scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    me review can be found here https://madmaxhwisky.blogspot.com/2016/12/kilkerran-12-yo-46.html#more 

  170. markjedi1 scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    At Last
    It took many years, but at last the standard Kilkerran has arrived. After all those Work in Progress (which were quite nice indeed), it is nice to finally see this new release at a very fair price. Not even 50 EUR for this big boy. And indeed it is a big boy. Wonderfully old school whisky in my book and hence a bottle I think should be in each and every cabinet.
    Chalk and lemon juicy, that’s the start of the nose. Very clear and clean. Oat meal, mint and spices from the kitchen rack. Think rosemary and thyme. Hay. Hint of soot. Stable scents in the background. Hint of peat. Some rotting wood. Old school indeed. Wonderful.
    Idem dito on the palate, but the peat is now much more outspoken and the whisky turns quite salty from the very beginning. A bit waxy (but less than its predecessors). Some exotic fruit seems to want to reach the surface, but fails by an inch. Lovely little peppery touch. Again that chalky element, that I really love in Kilkerran.
    The finish is medium long with a bit more smoke and another salty uppercut.
    At last, indeed. Top whisky at a top price. Now, how about a cask strength edition?

  171. HW74 scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      90 90

  172. yggr scored this whisky 87 points Specialist

    This bottling is not praised for nothing about the clover.
    In the nose, rather inconspicuous, he puts his taste and finish with its fruity-maritime notes right in the stuff. Similar to the Lagavulin 8, the barrels have only a gentle influence and leave much of the brilliant Brennereicharakter left. Very honest, great whisky!
    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      88 88

  173. fradin11 scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  174. Toffie76 scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    good this is business
    • Nose
      what immediately marks is the balance of the whole. It plunges with pleasure for a long time. No aggression on the nose. But the freshness and fruitiness of the distillate is well intact. The sherry / bourbon balance is just gorgeous. Harmonious and delicate. Vanilla, a hint of hay, sap, fruit. No or very little peat / smoked unlike some wip and more particularly compared to the last wip VII bourbon version ...
    • Taste
      everything is there. The length is really nice, I find a little of everything. Wax, spices, vanilla, vegetable mousse, liquorice. It's round, complex and quite dense.
    • Finish
      all in flexibility. fade out super nice. melted and long. with added water, everything is even more flexible.

  175. MadScientist scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      83 83
    • Taste
      83 83
    • Finish
      84 84

  176. JacobaEd scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      86 86

  177. ML89 scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      88 88

  178. hartist scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    He was eagerly awaited, and his tasting did not disappoint. A in 3 years for the 15th?
    • Nose
      Fresh and fragrant without, however, a crazy complexity. Vegetable smoke, also mineral, finally discreet, accompanied by "dirty" odors (oil?), Fresh fruits (pears), citrus (lemons), aromatic plants and eucalyptus candies, and a little vanilla. Remarkably balanced this nose !.
    • Taste
      The mouth seems to me a notch above the nose. Smooth texture with a slightly oily material, in a style both light and powerful: strong spices (pepper, pepper), sweet fruit and vanilla, touch of smoke and soot, candied lemon zest, anise seed. It is austere and mineral, but totally successful.
    • Finish
      Rather persistent, on a mixture of fruit syrup, pepper, ashes, with a nice salinity.

  179. mer1973 scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      86 86

  180. sagara-kun scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    I am not entirely convinced especially after the complimentary notes seen here and there. It is not bad and balanced, especially for the price.
    • Nose
      The nose is quite austere. There is a light veil of peat. Then the herbs come out (thyme mainly) followed by a little pepper, even cardamom. The lemon then dominates, while remaining mineral.
    • Taste
      The mouth is in the line of the nose. It remains on an austere tone and mineral lemon. A touch of salt adds to the whole.
    • Finish
      The finish is a little greedy and sweet, always on the lemon. A slight veil of peat remains present.

  181. wisekyofcourse scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    On the nose, the smoke is encrusted directly, then the vanilla, the fresh lemon, then herbs and a medicine side found in the corridors of hospitals!

  182. moviemaniac scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    Oh yum, what a dram! Not as oily or richly fruity as last year's bourbon release (well, why should it be the same - it has 30% sherry cask matured whisky), but there's a light peat, light fruits, a salty and a mineral note. An almost austere whisky, a style almost lost today, which I really, really like!

    Full review: https://maltklaus.net/dailydram/2016/10/17/tasting-kilkerran-12-yo-inaugural-release/
    91/100

  183. wbarchive_906893 did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    90 points from Ralfy
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3U69EOtqaY

  184. FernetBranco scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      83 83

  185. Jan Francisco scored this whisky 87 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      86 86

  186. Mascht scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      Take 2, salt, sweet popcorn
    • Taste
      easy, pepper
    • Finish
      medium length, rubber

  187. Opeth83 scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    One of the better OB's at the moment.
    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  188. ScottFrench scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Against the current, this is what qualifies the best Kilkerran 12 years. Whether in marketing, design or an aromatic point of view, this Kilkerran surprises. Old School to perfection, he embodies, in my opinion, the typicity of Campbeltown, in ethics and in the bottle.
    • Nose
      powerful and mastered. We start on a good dose of lemon, salinity and minerality (chalk, graphite, sand). It's also peaty, much more than in previous versions, but it's still very reasonable. We then go to a more medicinal register with notes of antiseptic, camphor that becomes vegetal with anise and eucalyptus. There are some spices (pepper), vanilla, leather, but also notes of herbs (oregano, thyme). It's superbly done.
    • Taste
      sweet, and at first on notes of soot, smoke, leather, ashes, sand, chalk and salt but all this austere side is counterbalanced by notes of lemon, eucalyptus, anise , mint, thyme, vanilla, spices and white fruits. Each aroma is in its place, it is perfectly balanced. A Kilkerran 12 years old quite bluffing I must say, in the lineage of the good Campbletown with a surprising old school side.
    • Finish
      intense and persistent despite the reduction. Salt and pepper take up a lot of space. The notes of smoke, ashes and lemon are very persistent. We enjoy it for long minutes, which is not to displease me!

  189. GLEN MAUR scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      82 82
    • Taste
      80 80
    • Finish
      83 83

  190. Laugenbretzel scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      82 82

  191. Ruud6421 scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    A very fine Kilkerran. Well Done! For now I think this expression is better than all the WIPs (even the bourbon wood at cask strength), but I haven't tasted it head to head yet. (Don't think I will, becaus all my WIPs are gone...)

    Very nice to have this new kid on the block. The distillery was mainly founded to keep the official whisky region of Campbeltown alive, but they are delivering stuff most Scottish distilleried could learn from.
    • Nose
      First aromas are earthy, dirt and some hay. Also slightly peaty, perhaps also some smoke. Maltiness is also certainly there, but more biscuits-like than cereal. Some malty sugar as well. In the background some fruitiness, something like green apples combined with oranges. A characterful nose with lots of aromas and wonderfully balanced.
    • Taste
      Malty sugars, more fruitiness. Earthiness and some smoke are also present. Mouthfeel is pleasant, not overly thick but certainly not thin.
    • Finish
      Slightly thin, with green apples and earth.

  192. natter1957 scored this whisky 89 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      90 90

  193. Helgo scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      90 90

  194. chlinatele scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    good every day whisky. The WIP 7 Bourbon I liked better, but I like this style. Stuff smoky and sweet. I'm curious what the Distillery More Options brings to the market.

    Good price performance ratio ......

    Have him bought in Campbeltown in Cadenhead Shop ......

  195. KayMeertens scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      The typical oily fruitiness: Papaya and pineapple. Peat, cherry, stewed pear, grass and vanilla. Later apple.
    • Taste
      Peat, pineapple, mango, chili pepper, caramel and herbs.
    • Finish
      Chili pepper, peat, peach, mango, caramel, gingerbread and a rum-like touch of apple.

  196. vb_bembel scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      86 86

  197. squaadgras scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  198. Drochaid scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Aroma: Oak notes are dominant, followed by marshmallows and English pudding with dried fruits, cherries, marzipan and a hint of peat Taste: directly fruity with citrus notes and orange peel, followed by aromas of vanilla, butterscotch, honeycomb and pastry Notes of the distillery

  199. Peaty_Nino scored this whisky 87 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  200. Goethe scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    So much Spingbank going on here. Quite a pleasing expression for the first 12 year old version of this malt. The sherry fits in quite well but vanishes very fast.

    Concerning price/performance ratio: 9/10 (2016)
    • Nose
      Light smoke, unripe green apple, grass, lemon, some "farming" smell is going on, herbs.
    • Taste
      The farming smell/taste keeps on going, white pepper, some smoke, salt, dry spiciness.
    • Finish
      Medium to long. Some herbals and pepper.

  201. Shane_IL scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Aside from being very affordable it is very complex and full of those old-style notes, massively thick and herbal. Really a fantastic addition to the Campbeltown stable.

    Reviewed in my blog: https://iwriteaboutstuffilike.com/2016/09/17/kilkerran-12/
    • Nose
       Sage. Fennel. Really quite herbal. Then a good deal of lemon oil. Old leather. Wet grass. Brine. Tropical fruits. A little unsmoked tobacco. Stewed fruits.
    • Taste
      Sooty. Briney. More herbs, wintergreen, menthol. Citrus oils. Liquorice rounds. A dry spiciness on the swallow.
    • Finish
      Long. Deep aromatic herbs. Sage oil. Bitter wood. Light pepper. A little woody vanilla.

  202. thijs100 scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Might this just be the best entry level single malt whisky out there? I have trouble thinking of a better one.
    • Nose
      Lots of minerals (wet rocks) and a slight waxiness, with a subtle amount of peat. Very clean and fresh. Vanilla, lime and lemon zest, with a pinch of white pepper and licorice. Perfectly balanced.
    • Taste
      Salty and savory with a fair amount of peat (although we're still far removed from Ardbeggian levels). A nice and rich mouthfeel. Chalk and licorice root chew sticks, with subtle lemon juice and pepper. Wonderful.
    • Finish
      More of the same, but with a touch of aniseed. Long!

  203. Bishlouk scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Although this version is slightly less ample than its predecessor in barrel, I remain seduced by the mastery displayed in this whisky; who is not only good but also greedy, playful, balanced, evolutive, quite complex (for his age), and who does not suffer from the reduction to 46%. Ha, if all the official bottlenecks of all the distilleries could be of the same quality ...
    • Nose
      A calcareous mineral smoke, plum vanilla, lemon peel, and some mastic. Rustic and rough; and yet gourmand at the same time, with notes of white fruit paste.
    • Taste
      Oily and covering texture. Slightly peppery spices at the head of the pack. Then, jumble, pell-mell, apricot, honey, vanilla, candied lemon, yellow plum (among others).
    • Finish
      Average. The mineral smoke resurfaces, sprinkled with pepper spice. Fruit syrup flows down the throat.

  204. spigray scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  205. spigray scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    I have been waiting for this one for long. great expectations cause previous versions of kilkerran were great in my opinion.
    n: old school, as they say! right from the start - this is not as good as last years version, still it´s very good whisky. gently peated, rather sooty and salty/briny with a little bit of unripe pears and peaches under the layer of soot. a little vanilla and perhaps a little aniseed. dust of an old attic.
    t: bittersweet arrival with good punch, very dense, waxy to oily mouthfeel, still quite sooty, very similar to the nose, perhaps a little fruitier but mind you, this is not a fruity whisky. very peppery!!!
    f: long and peppery
    comments: the bourbon-matured versions of the last three years were all true treasures. this is "only" very good whisky, so "only" 89/100

  206. ovanpuyvelde scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      86 86

  207. Hvdree scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      85 85

  208. Whisky Hamster scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Kilkerran lovers take note: Do not expect a mix between, e. g. last years WIP 7 bourbon and sherry versions.

    Although it is a 70/30 mix it does have a different flavor profile!

    Since I was expecting it to the the typical Kilkerran of the last years, it took me a while to fully appreciate it. Initially I could acknowledge the high quality but I had to cope with the sudden coastal, Springbank-y notes I did not expect.

    Looking forward to (water down to 46% and) mix last years WIPs 70/30 to basically have a comparable 11 YO sample to officially validate my impressions. ;-)

    Other than that, the 12 is a very well-produced coastal malt, see all the other detailed tasting notes. Highly recommended stuff!

  209. Erik Elixir scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    Thanks HP
    • Nose
      Oily, citrus, briny - coastal and lightly peaty. Tobacco leafs, aniseed, some fruits and spices - pepper.
    • Taste
      Citrus, paper, vanilla, waxy and some fruits.
    • Finish
      Drying with pepper, oily notes and vanilla.

  210. Archer scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      85 85

  211. Archer scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    The colleagues at Springbank did a good job. Blind tasted you could also classify the direction of Springbank 10. Very well balanced. 12 years matured, 46%, undyed and not cool filtered, price absolutely fair - what more could you want.
    Update 10.1.17 I leave my above first impressions from September 2016 unchanged. But now I have emptied my bottle after about four months and had to find for myself that the Malt could not inspire more from about half of the bottle as he was able to at the beginning. Although only 30% matured in sherry casks, the sherry share became too dominant with time. The sherry layered all the nice other flavors like marzipan on the nose or heather on the tongue.
    Still, I consider the Kilkerran to be a well-made 12yo, especially as it represents the first 12yo of the new Glengyle Distillery.
    But I can not avoid a correction of the points from 88 to 86.
    • Nose
      At the beginning the smell of sourdough and fresh yeast buns. Behind it comes quickly spicy marzipan. The nose is full and provides a good dose of oak. After a while Tannenhonig stops. The nose slides over into a fruitiness in which berry fruits dominate. Vanilla is coming. Next to it a pinch of salt.
    • Taste
      Frame mouth. Slightly peaty, heather. Some smoke. Sherrysweet sounds. Next to it clearly pepper and salt. The peat note is preserved for a long time and mixes nicely with the sherry notes. Oak comes through - and with it moist clay, leather and tobacco.
    • Finish
      Medium. The sherynoten disappear first. Heath herbs stay on the tongue for a long time, but still have an idea of ​​peat. Cold campfire.

  212. pianoman scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      Removed smoke from wet wood. Peanuts. Pickled lemons, mint, sage. Moist earth.
    • Taste
      Slight sweetish smoke, leather. Nuts, salt and some pepper. Red Apple. Earth and a hint of ash.

  213. irrerelevant scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    on the nose Delicate smoke, spicy, full, fat, intense bitterness of nuts, yeast dough, champagne, mineral, salty, slightly dry europ. Oak, hay, cornflowers (honey), beeswax, blood orange, light raisin scent & light dry sherry (becomes clearer the longer it is in the air), "crafty", distillery bounty, later vanilla sweetness The taste is much sweeter, smoky and fruity, licorice, intense licorice, the nose is found in large parts again, very deep, full, slightly wine-like mouthfeel, this something vergorenes The finish is dry and long, prickles, again some blood orange, smoke and liquorice remain
    Just the right amount Sherryfasseinfluss not to mask the great Brennereicharakter, whisky but something interesting to give. The licorice note in the taste is fierce, but not unpleasant, but you have to like it. Everything thoroughly consistent, independent and interesting. Fits very well into the Springbank portfolio, also from the price (40-45 €)

  214. dram-drinker scored this whisky 89 points Photo Moderator

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  215. dram-drinker scored this whisky 89 points Photo Moderator

    Interesting bandwith of tastes - typical Campbeltown but not Springank - rather something between Springbank and Longrow
    • Nose
      Clear peat and smoke, leathery, little vanilla, little honey, little citrus fruits, lemons, sea breeze
    • Taste
      Not that punchy, very salty, peppery, little peaty, liquorice, subtle sweetness, clear bourbon vanilla, some leather boots, fruity?
    • Finish
      Medium long, salty, seaweed

  216. Jimjam did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    From Springbank Society newsletter:

    Like the Work In Progress series - and all releases from Glengyle’s sister distillery Springbank - the whisky has not been chill-filtered and no caramel colouring has been added. The whisky is double distilled in the traditional Scottish style and is produced from lightly-peated malt at around 12-15ppm

  217. Campie scored this whisky 89 points Expert Junior

    Distillery note: 

    Nose: oak notes are dominant, followed by toasted marshmallows and dried fruit pudding, as well as cherries, marzipan and a hint of peatPalate: initially fruity with citrus notes and orange peel, after this: vanilla, butterscotch, honeycomb and digestive biscuits can all be tasted and enjoyedFinish: velvet and smooth with lemon meringue, to conclude, there’s an oiliness and a saltiness that you’d expect from a Campbeltown dram

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