Glengyle

Founded: 2004
Status: Operational
Region: Campbeltown, Scotland – Campbeltown, Argyll PA28 6LR +44(0)1586 551710
Online: https://kilkerran.scot/

History Glengyle distillery is a distillery, founded in 1872 by William Mitchell and completed in 1873. Mitchell had previously been involved with Springbank Distillery but following a quarrel with his brother John, with whom he owned Springbank, he first joined his other brothers at Reichlachan distillery before venturing out on his own. In 1919 the distillery was sold as a result of the post-war economic downturn which was badly affecting all the distilleries in the Campbeltown Region. In 1924 the distillery changed hands again and by 1925 had ceased production with all remaining stock being sold off. After being used as a rifle range, an attempt to reopen the distillery by Maurice Bloch, who, with his brother, also owned the Glen Scotia distillery, failed due to Second World War as did a second attempt by Campbell Henderson Ltd. in the 1950s. In late 2000 the company of Mitchell’s Glengyle Ltd. was formed with the express purpose of renovating and rebuilding the Glengyle distillery. Mitchell’s Glengyle is associated with the Springbank Distillery, and both operations come under the guidance of Mr. Hedley Wright, a descendant of the Mitchell Family, the original owners of both businesses. Over the next four years the buildings were repaired to an adequate standard, being restored in line with the local area and the buildings’ listed status (protected by law). Since the original distillery equipment had been disposed of in the 1920s, new stills, malt mills, a mash tun and washbacks were installed along with all the related equipment. In reality much of this was not new, coming instead from other distilleries which had either ceased production or had surplus equipment. Production at the new Glengyle distillery began in 2004.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official Bottling

Kilkerran 8 Years Old Open Day 2016 – Great whisky but towards the end becomes a little spirit and youthfull outliving its sherry cask maturation – thankfully like all great whisky this is tamed with a drop of water which just improves things all-round. 87/100
Kilkerran 9 Years Old Open Day 2015 – This has a rich rummy sweetness but just can’t quite carry this the whole distance, definitely a candied wood and whisky feel to this one. 86/100
Kilkerran 12 Years Old – Smoother and more refined than I last remember, possibly due to slightly older stock being available? Incredibly mealy and cereal led with soft peat smoke pervading later. 87/100
Kilkerran 12 Years Old – A remarkable single malt from Glengyle distillery, this Kilkerran 12 Years Old is marvellously constructed and is one I have been meaning to write a review of since buying the bottle. Unfortunately every dram I pour for the purposes of analysis and review gets slowly and quietly consumed while I revel in its pure pleasure. This dram could sit and watch you read a book, in a comfy leather armchair, by a real wood fire and still be there for a sip now and again should you need one! 86/100
Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 4 – Very peaty as expected, I felt this one was much better when reduced with water as lots of flavours were masked or locked away behind the wall of peat smoke. 87/100
Kilkerran Work In Progress 2 – 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. 80/100
Kilkerran Work in Progress 3 – Alluring and warm… a great summers evening dram that leaves you licking your lips for more. 76/100
Kilkerran Work In Progress 7 Bourbon Wood – A powerful and slightly unusual expression. There is a mass of vanilla here from the cask but water snuffs this out and I feel suddenly transported back to the WIP2 and 3 editions I have tried in terms of vigour and power on the palate. A slightly more rounded impression is given here. This is surely uncompromising stuff but a little over-mineralic and spicy for my palate initially, it requires time and I can only imagine represents some of the classic expressions of Campbeltown’s heyday – whisky as it was meant to be? 89/100