I just opened up the stats on this Kilkerran on Whiskybase and it’s currently going for € 162. It was released in July, and back then it was not even € 80. It has already doubled in price. Maybe at some point that used to be shocking, but since we’re in 2019 now and this is a single cask, cask strength, full sherry Kilkerran, it’s not as mental as you’d guess.

I don’t have much else to say except to just get into the fray. It is, after all, a single cask, cask strength, full sherry Kilkerran!

Sniff:
Big sherry, with spices, dried fruits, earthy notes and some very heavy, slightly sulphury notes. I think the ‘pro tasters’ won’t really like this one. Some burnt pork fat, the stuff that sticks to the barbecue grill. Lots of meaty notes. Dates and figs too, all big notes.

Sip:
It’s slightly sharp, but only because it’s not my first whisky of the night. If it was, and I’ve tried, it’s insanely harsh. The fruits are a bit more prominent on the palate compared to the nose. It’s also not as meaty and as heavy as expected. Even though I like these big whiskies, I think that’s a good thing.

Swallow:
The afterburner is quite something in this dram. Even though the palate can be a bit harsh (depending on the prep) this is just hot at first. The flavors, luckily, are big enough to combat the heat with some really big, heavy and feinty notes. Earthy, barbecue char on pork drippings.

This is quite something. It’s a massive dram. It doesn’t pretend to be anything that it’s not, so you are actually drinking a not-too-old massively sherried Kilkerran. But it is insanely tasty if had late at night. It absolutely is not a starter, and when I did try it without warming up properly, I actively disliked this whisky because of it’s harshness. Keep in mind this comes from a guy who virtually never adds water to even the strongest whiskies.

The whisky itself brings a lot of heavy flavors and especially the barbecue-y notes are a nice change of pace. A decade ago they seemed to be everywhere, but now it’s been a while since I had a really meaty whisky like this. So, highly recommended, but do warm up.

88/100

Kilkerran 11, 2007-2018, Sherry Butt, 58.1%, Cadenhead’s Wood Range