Kilkerran Heavily Peated batch 4 was already released a few months ago. So now that the bottle has been open for a while, it’s time to take a closer look at this youngster.
Batch 4 has the same combination casks as in batch 3 because maturation took place in 80% bourbon casks and 20% sherry casks. But of course, this one is a bit older. I really liked that previous batch though, so I’m very curious how this latest edition compares to its predecessor.
This Kilkerran was bottled at 58.6% ABV.
Kilkerran Heavily Peated batch 4 tasting notes:
Nose: earthy peat, vanilla and plenty of barley and oats. Caramel fudge. Unripe pears. Hay or actually it tends more to flattened festival grass on a hot summer day (if you ever been to one you know that smell!). Lemons too.
Taste: peat again and limes. Vanilla too. Caramel fudge. Barley notes. And a bit of milk chocolate. But also a hint of cabbage. Pink grapefruit. Minerals, somewhat salty and black peppercorns.
Finish: mid-long to long with quite some lingering peat. Vanilla and salted caramel. Minerals again and there is a touch of oak.
Still young, of course, but Kilkerran delivers another fine heavily peated single malt with batch 4. However, I don’t think it’s a significant improvement over the previous batch. They have a lot of similarities when it comes to flavours, and like batch 3 this one is also a bit aggressive in the taste. But they are both really nice, and I don’t think I could pick a winner out of the two.
