Kilkerran 8y CS 2022 Showdown
By victor
Got my hands on both the sherry and the port cask variants of this year's release, so here we go! Second-to-neck-pours with plenty of time in the glasses.
0.9 (Amontillado sherry)
Nose
Zesty, red berries, apples. Something a little sour, as in sour candies. Lots of biscuits, which curiously showed up after quite some time in the glass.
Palate
Quite spicy, and more red berries here.
Finish
Wisps of smoke and coffee. Mineralic. Lands on peaches and fabric softener.
Score
83 / 100
0-50 Subpar
51-60 Drinkable
61-70 Decent
71-80 Good
81-90 Great
91-100 Fantastic
| Country | Scotland |
|---|---|
| Region | Campbeltown |
| Brand | Kilkerran |
| Distillery | Glengyle |
| Title | Cask Strength Sherry Cask |
| Classification | Single Malt |
| Abv (%) | 58.1 |
| Age | 8 |
| Batch/Cask | 2022 |
| Cask Type | Sherry |
| Coloring | Natural color |
| Chill Filtration | Non-chill filtered |
1.0 (Deep copper)
Nose
Raspberries, earthy wine, citrus and biscuits.
Palate
Surprisingly fresh and fruity!
Finish
A little more smoke than in its sherry counterpart, otherwise quite similar with minerals and peachy notes. Nice length.
Score
84 / 100
0-50 Subpar
51-60 Drinkable
61-70 Decent
71-80 Good
81-90 Great
91-100 Fantastic
| Country | Scotland |
|---|---|
| Region | Campbeltown |
| Brand | Kilkerran |
| Distillery | Glengyle |
| Title | Cask Strength Port Cask |
| Classification | Single Malt |
| Abv (%) | 57.9 |
| Age | 8 |
| Batch/Cask | 2022 |
| Cask Type | Port |
| Coloring | Natural color |
| Chill Filtration | Non-chill filtered |
Neither of these was as "loud" as some of the previous releases of Kilkerran's 8-year-olds. Not as much funky farmland and rubber as there can be, for better or worse! Both are great-but-not-fantastic and there's plenty of interesting notes to come back to. I suspect that both of these will develop with time and from tasting to tasting.
Not nearly as hot as one would guess from the high ABV%.
It's hard to pick a favorite even in a direct comparison, but I think I'd rather have the port cask finish if someone made me choose. So it gets one point more!