Exciting New Releases from Campbeltown! - Post by Luka Gottschalk

When the Glengyle Distillery was originally founded in 1872 by William Mitchell, it followed a dispute with his brother, John Mitchell. Prior to the disagreement, they had jointly operated what we today know as the Springbank Distillery.

Since Glengyle was revived in 2004, it has been under the ownership of J&A Mitchell, just like its neighboring distillery, Springbank. Glengyle’s revival also laid the foundation for Campbeltown to be officially recognized as a whisky region in Scotland.

Today, there is no rivalry or tension between these two distilleries; rather, they are better seen as strong collaborators. It is no secret that it can be challenging to get hold of new releases from Springbank here in Denmark, but fortunately, it is still somewhat easier to acquire a bottle of Kilkerran.

I’ve been lucky enough to taste the three latest releases from Glengyle: Kilkerran 12YO, Kilkerran 16YO, and Kilkerran 15YO Cask Strength.

Kilkerran Glengyle 12 years old Single Campbeltown Malt Scotch Whisky 46% Kilkerran 12YO, as the name suggests, is aged for 12 years in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and bottled at 46%.
The color is light and golden, not exactly reminiscent of a sherry bomb, which I see as a positive when dealing with a distillery of such high-quality distillate.
The nose offers a spicy and dark malty sweetness, accompanied by notes of freshly ground black pepper and gentle smoke.
The taste continues on the sweet side with notes of vanilla, citrus fruits, and the distinctive Campbeltown funk that is often evident in a Kilkerran. This note reminds me of a time when I worked pruning trees, more specifically freshly cut thuja. It’s very unique and delicious!
The finish rounds off with notes of gentle smoke, oats, cornflakes, and a creamy sweetness.
This is a delightful, fresh, and summery dram that reminds me quite a lot of a Hazelburn 10YO from the neighboring distillery, albeit with an added smoky complexity.

Kilkerran Glengyle 16 Years Old Single Campbeltown Malt Whisky

Kilkerran 16YO, on the other hand, has been aged an additional 4 years compared to its predecessor. Despite 4 more years in the cask, I don’t notice a significant difference in color when compared to the 12YO. This could be due to this version being exclusively aged in ex-bourbon casks. The strength is once again at a reasonable 46% ABV.

The nose is incredibly fresh and powerful at the same time. I detect fruity notes of pineapple, lemon juice, honeydew melon, as well as oats and pipe tobacco.
The taste is deeper and more rounded than its younger counterpart. As the nose promised, it’s fresh and fruity, with citrus fruits leading the way, complemented by notes of freshly baked waffles, honey, and leather in the background.
The pipe tobacco dominates the finish, accompanied by notes of light bread and vanilla. The finish is incredibly long-lasting, leaving no doubt that this is a mature dram!

Personally, I prefer the 16YO over the 12YO. They share many similarities, yet are distinct enough for one to choose a favorite. In this dram, the Campbeltown funk has been slightly dialed down in favor of more depth and intensity.

Kilkerran Glengyle 15 Years Old Single Cask 20 Years Anniversary Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The so-far formidable whisky tasting is nearing its bittersweet conclusion. The final dram for this session is a special anniversary release celebrating Kilkerran’s reopening in 2004. As the only one in this lineup, it is a true cask strength release. It has spent 15 years in an ex-bourbon cask, so its style shouldn’t be far removed from the previous release.

The nose offers notes of freshly baked light bread, ripe oranges, corn, toasted wood, and gentle campfire smoke.
The taste is explosive, powerful, and intense! The now familiar note of pipe smoke returns, accompanied by leather, figs, bananas, and fresh mint.
The finish is medium-long, with the note of fresh mint lingering alongside soft smoke and a hint of bitterness reminiscent of grapefruit.

This is simply a more robust and intense version of a classic Kilkerran aged in ex-bourbon casks. Even though the maturation process is quite similar to the 16YO, it still takes its own direction. It’s incredible how much difference there can be in flavor profiles between two casks of the same type. All in all, a brilliant whisky tasting!

EUR 65,50

Exciting New Releases from Campbeltown! - Post by Luka Gottschalk

When the Glengyle Distillery was originally founded in 1872 by William Mitchell, it followed a dispute with his brother, John Mitchell. Prior to the disagreement, they had jointly operated what we today know as the Springbank Distillery.

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