Whisky: Kilkerran 13 Year (2004), Cadenhead’s Warehouse Tasting

Country/Region: Scotland/Campbeltown

ABV: 54%

Cask: Port Pipe (10Y), Bourbon Hogshead (3Y)

Age: 13 Years (Distilled 4 May 2004, Bottled 19 Sept. 2017)

Nose: Stewed stone fruits, dried raisins, leather, rubber boots and new car, a touch chemical and plastic, caramel apples.

Palate: Medium-bodied with stone fruits, plastic and chemical, artificial fruit syrups, vanilla, and guava.

Finish: Medium to long with syrupy fruits and a touch of plastic.

Score: 7 (84)

Mental Image: Pursuit of the Perfect Shave-Ice

Narrative & Notes: A peppery spice washed in with stewed fruits, raisins, and a touch of leathery funk. That leather note shifted toward rubber boot soles and new car— perhaps a touch chemical and plastic in nature. Fun Fair notions of caramel apples, bruised nectarines, plastic toy prizes, and overripe plums pulled the aroma in a fruitier direction. Medium-bodied with loads of nectarines, plums, and apricots against a slightly chemical and plastic note. The fruits shifted towards an artificial syrup over time with vanilla and guava coming in— shave ice flavors melting on the bottom of the cup.  The finish was medium to long with syrupy fruits and a touch of plasticine.

This was beautiful with its transition from slightly overripe fruit on the palate toward plastic and then the sort of artificial syrups one douses over a big mound of shaved ice. Those flavors reminded me more of the kind of simple, sugary snow cones I got as a child than the more refined shave ice you might find at a proper establishment in Hawai’i today. The aroma was a bit peppery and spicy, with more of the youthful spirit poking out, but the palate was well-balanced, and my glasses easily emptied quicker than intended.

Overall, nostalgia probably drove my score a bit higher as this was just loaded with beautiful summer fruits and memories.

Image Credit: Whisky Auctioneer