Kilkerran Work In Progress Batch 2 (J & A Mitchell)

• Campbeltown single malt scotch whisky
• 46% ABV,
• £45 for 70cl
• Score: 80/100

What they say:

Released in 2010. 18 000 bottles available worldwide.

Nose: Light and fragrant leading you into the dram gently.

Palate: Refreshing lemon citrus, hints of pear and just a dash of sherbet.

Masses of sweet vanilla immediately take over the taste-buds before the classic Campbeltown salt hits the tongue. Creamy toffee and butterscotch become apparent as the natural oils coat the mouth.

Finish: Light and fresh

What I say:

Dram #4 from WOLS tasting 14/3 ‘Age is only a number’ is the Kilkerran WIP Batch2, produced in 2010 from a distillery that really only started producing again in 2004 – meaning that this spirit could only possibly be 6 years old at the most!

Colour:

Full gold

Nose:

Malty, peaty, spicy, oak wood and heather honey

Taste:

Malty, bourbon, estery, peaty, cereal barley malt, latte, hay, honey

Finish:

Medium/long, smoky peat and linseed oil

Overall:

Better than I was expecting, my last experience of Kilkerran was the WIP5 at the 2013 Glasgow Whisky Festival at which it stood out as young and harsh – but possibly due to unfair comparison with some really very old and beautifully constructed whiskies around it. This was actually quite refreshingly bourbon-matured in character after a couple of reasonably older, more sherried drams.