The Glengyle distillery is a story of what can happen to a name in the topsy-turvy history of scotch. The storied Springbank distillery of Campbeltown was founded by Archibald Mitchell, and his two sons took it on after him. The brothers had a falling out eventually. Brother John kept Springbank and William founded Glengyle distillery right down the road in 1872. Like many distilleries in Scotland and Campbeltown, it closed in the 1920s before being reopened after several attempts in 2000 by the great-great nephew of William Mitchell, Hedley Wright, operating under J&A Mitchell and Co, the current owner of Springbank, along with Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, William Cadenhead. The choice of the name Kilkerran comes from the Gaelic Ceann Loch Cille Chiarain, the name of an older settlement on which Campbeltown now stands. It is not called Glengyle, because that name is already in use by a brand of blended Highland scotches and the distillery wanted to avoid confusion. The distillery has released several “works in progress” offerings and only recently has introduced core aged statements, like this Kilkerran 12 year and an Kilkerran 8 year.
Distillery: Glengyle
Region: Campbeltown
Age: 12 years
Strength: 46%
Price: $79.99
Nose: Peat, oak, artichoke, smoke
Palate: Black pepper, mushroom
Finish: Vegetal, mushroom
Comments: Water is not needed.
Adam – For me, part of the adventure in drinking whisky is the exploration, the discovery of what the same general ingredients and same general process can result in such a dizzying array of scent and flavor experiences. The Kilkerran 12 is just such an example. It invites you in with a little familiarity on the nose, but the more you peel back the layers, the less you find the scotch you thought you’d first encountered. A collection of scents and tastes that you wouldn’t normally – or maybe even abnormally – associate together, like the peat and smoke mingled effortlessly with an array of vegetable notes with a note of earthy mushroom at the base. To top it all off, this scotch is quite light on the tongue, perhaps due to a sprinkle of black pepper to underscore the earthy notes. There’s less of a finish but more that the flavor elements simply collapse into each other off the palate pretty cleanly without giving the sensation of a drop-off, leaving your tongue ready for the next sip.
Jenny – Peat and a little bit of smoke on the nose. This comes through nicely on the palate. Nice, smooth, not too hot. Has s lightly medicinal aftertaste.
Meghan – There’s a light effervescence to it, like how you sometimes get in a wine like gewürztraminer. A natural fizz, rather than CO2. The tingle makes it feel a little hot on the palate, but not in a terrible way, just in a way to make the mouth wake up and realize you are drinking something of note. There is a roasted/charred vegetable quality on the nose. A definitely different type of smoke than a Highland, Island, or Islay. I get touches of anise and evergreen on the finish. Overall, it’s a very earthy scotch and yet, it has a very light, almost airy, mouthfeel. I think I’d like it more if it was denser with more chewiness. The lightness doesn’t really mesh with the deep earthiness of the taste for me.
It has layers and subtleties that are best appreciated with patient time and attention.
Michael – The Kilkerran 12 is a delightful whiskey. Like a good friend it’s warm and complex. Sweet and savory and a bit smoky. It has an interesting story to tell but it doesn’t dominate the conversation. It has layers and subtleties that are best appreciated with patient time and attention. Kilkerran won’t keep you from your other friends, but life is a little better when you take the time to say hello.
Peter – There’s a dirty sock smell to it, but in a good way. It does open up after you’ve let it sit out. There’s more effervescence to the Kilkerran 12. It’s very light and reflective. A late autumn whisky. Very enjoyable. I like this one.
Mary-Fred – Very much like a walk in the woods in the fall, with some smoke in the distance.
Caitlin – The Kilkerran 12 is very friendly.
Ben – Like hiking in the woods. I really like this one.
