Kilkerran Triple Distilled will become core range
You may have picked up on the whisper, but I know for a fact it is true: the triple distilled malt made at Glengyle Distillery will become part of the Kilkerran core range. I asked someone inside the J&A Mitchell company for more details, but found only tightly sealed lips. The only thing I got, was the confirmation that the rumours are true, and that fans can look forward to the release later this year. Maybe after the summer then? To mark the occasion, and because I coincidentally had a sample ready, we taste an early batch of triple distilled Kilkerran today. Remember, Kilkerran is the brand name used for the whisky produced at Glengyle. Because of legal issues the name Glengyle could not be used on the label. But let us be fair too: the name Kilkerran has a strong stance, does it not? I love it.
Kilkerran 14 years old, Triple Distilled – Virtual Open Day 2020, bottled at 57,8 % abv
First things first: This 14 years old Kilkerran matured on refill bourbon casks and was bottled on 15 September 2020. Quite a high age, which indicates Kilkerran started making triple distilled output quite soon after the distillery was inaugurated in 2004.
Upon Sipping: Sniffing this whisky, I get nostalgic over things like a Virtual Day. The world was in a terrible shape, but the way we made do with some things like our whisky passion, was admirable. This Kilkerran Triple Distilled carries a lot of freshness, mostly vanilla, and some sweet soft fruits and hints of green grapes. Chardonnay grapes, most likely. The arrival on the palate is creamy and quite spicy, but the high abv cloaks a lot of nuance. On the finish there is already a distinct tropical note. Some bitter herbs too. With water, a candied experience, like opening a bag of fruit pastilles (Rowntree’s). Minty fresh. The palate is thick and scrumptious, like a sweetened bite of porridge. On the finish there is a weird bitter aftertaste, lots of ginger too, and wood. More water does not improve the product.
Word to the Wise: We probably have the result of early experimental badges of triple distilled production at Glengyle Distillery. It has charm, but also some inconsistent sides, like a bitter aftertaste. It does not compare well to the more frivolous Hazelburn made at the neighbours. Very curious however to see what the core range Kilkerran Triple Distilled will be like.
Score: 84 points