Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch No. 4 Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

VITALS:

- $100

- 117.2 Proof

- NAS

- Batch No. 4

- Campbeltown

I certainly have an affinity for just about anything coming out of Campbeltown (and based on their prices lately, I'm apparently not alone in this). A couple years ago one of the stores by me got in a bunch of bottles from the Kilkerran line, and I decided at that time to grab the Heavily Peated. 

It was something I had never tried, and it was a bit different from the usual Campbeltown stuff I've enjoyed, which tends to be a bit on the lighter side of peated.  I figured perhaps it might find some great middle ground between a Campbeltown and an Islay, or at worst a decent version of one or the other.

The nose was certainly smoky, but the peat did not dominant. Rather, it was more like a mezcal, providing that smokey flavor but without all the phenols. It even had a bit of an agave sweetness and a bright honeydew note to it.  The only thing that kept it from smelling just like a mezcal was the sweet butter and brown sugar notes that also came through. That said, this combination apparently worked, because I couldn't get my nose out of the glass.

This is a bottle that I sat on for a while, and as a result I almost had two different experiences with it. When I first opened it, it had those bright, citrus notes that I was getting off the nose. It absolutely had some honeydew or cantaloupe notes to it, which actually paired pretty well with the sweet smoky note.  But, it wasn't what I was expecting to get out of a heavily peated Campbeltown.  

It did have some darker cherry notes as well, which, along with the smoke, gave it a sort of barbecue sauce note.  But it was a citrusy or even a mango barbecue sauce. This was a bit odd and a bit out of place with the bright melon notes.

However, months, even years down the road, as I got toward the bottom of this bottle, the flavor really seemed to shift on me. It got away from those fruity notes almost entirely. By the end, I got none of those bright melon notes, but rather rich brown butter notes, with honey and brown sugar. There was a sweet graham cracker note, and all of this was tempered by the ever-present smoky notes, and even a little bit of black pepper spice.

Had I graded this bottle on the last half only, I would have given this an A, maybe even an A+.  It was that good.  I just wasn't sure what to make of it at first. It wasn't bad by any stretch. In fact it was quite good.  But, it was just . . . unexpected, I guess.  Either way, I will certainly be grabbing future releases.

Grade: B+ 

Kilkerran Port Cask Matured 8 Year Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch

VITALS:

- $180

- 115.8 Proof

- 8 Years

- Campbeltown

I can't help myself when it comes to those peated and fruited Scotches. I love that combination of smokey deliciousness paired with the flavor that comes from maturation in wine barrels, especially fortified wines like port or sherry. In fact, I've come to learn that I tend to favor a port cask maturation over all others.

So when I first learned of these Kilkerran releases, including not only this port cask finish, but also a sherry cask finish, I knew I had to try to track one down somehow. I honestly figured it wouldn't happen, but then I wandered into Warehouse Liquors in Chicago and there it was on the shelf, just begging me to buy it and give it a good home. Of course, I couldn't help myself, despite the hefty price tag. 

The one constant with this single malt is that it is jammy!!  the nose was full of notes of stewed plum and bread pudding.  I got notes of spiced or mulled wine, as well as rich dark chocolate. There was a fairly heavy raisin note as well. But, all of that was layered on top of a jammy blackberry note that really took center stage.

The flavor followed suit, as right up front and through the finish my palate was inundated with sweet blackberry and fig notes. It was rich and sweet ad delicious!! Of course I got a light smokiness from the peat, but it was a bit minimized by the heavy dark fruit character.

There were other notes going on, though, beyond the fruit and smoke. There was a layer of dark chocolate that was also constant from the front and through the finish, adding a bit more richness and complexity, and helping pull back from the sweet fruit notes. I got a bit of black pepper spice, particularly on the finish, as well as a bit of salinity that, quite frankly, really worked here, mixing well with the blackberry and campfire notes. 

If there's a criticism here, it's that this is VERY jammy (yes, I'm using that word a lot, but here it fits). There's no question the port dominates here.  But, I nonetheless found myself not only loving every sip, but actually getting cravings for a pour. For what it is, it was absolutely delicious!

Grade: A-