Kilkerran 8 Year Cask Strength Batch 8
Whisky: Kilkerran 8 Year Cask Strength Batch 8
Country/Region: Scotland/Campbeltown
ABV: 55.8%
Cask: Bourbon
Age: 8 Years (Bottled 28 Nov. 2022)
Nose: Grassy and vegetal, wispy smoke, very autumn, earth, dry leaves, hay bales, hints of barn.
Palate: Medium-bodied, autumn, earth, peppercorn, wispy smoke, orchard fruits, hay bales, tobacco smoke and hints of barn.
Finish: Medium to long with orchard fruit, earth, and a kiss of smoke.
Score: 7 (83)
Mental Image: Autumn Harvest Festival Hay Bale Ride
Narrative & Notes: The grassy citrus of freshly crushed cane with limes and lemons faded under a wispy cloud of smoke with hessian and fibrous textiles. Autumn gradually took shape with dusty earth, piles of musty leaves, bales of hay, and hints of the barnyard— always more like a decorative hay ride than petting zoo or working barn. Medium-bodied and mildly oily, those autumn flavors hit right away on the palate with lemon peel, peppercorns, earth, and the wispy smoke off a charcoal hut. Hay bales and dried leaves paired with malty apple cider donuts and orchard fruits crushed into cider. A bit stronger barnyard element drifted toward tobacco smoke and shredded rubber tires. The finish was medium to long with orchard fruits, dry earth, and a kiss of smoke.
I fondly remember visiting pumpkin festivals and hay rides as a child, and this whisky brought all that right back. This was a totally different beast than some of the very heavily sherried releases of Kilkerran 8 Year, with far more of the distillery character coming to the fore. I wondered for a while now whether my tastes had changed and something like Kilkerran no longer held as much appeal. I was not keen on any of the ones we tried at the distillery or during our time in Campbeltown in 2024, but maybe it was just the heavy cask influence on those whiskies, because I loved this, and loved it even more when I returned to it a few weeks later.
I initially poured this as a blind sample and it turned out to be something I reviewed before— you can check out that review here. Big picture: the notes are very similar with the fruit, grass, earth, barn, and general autumn vibes. Last time I picked up more herbal notes, probably the same hessian and fibrous qualities I got this time. I previously rated it a touch lower, and I think my tastes have shifted a bit, especially after trying so many whiskies in Campbeltown. It has been a while since I had a point swing greater than +/- 1 upon a re-review of something.
Overall, I love the earthy and autumnal characteristics of Kilkerran, so this was right up my alley.
