Earlier this year Glengyle distillery released their first batch of Heavily Peated whisky, following the road they took for the standard Kilkerran whisky with slightly semantic difference – Instead of “Work In Progress” it’s called “Peat in Progress”. And in a few years we’ll have the first standard heavily peated Kilkerran whisky (the cousin for Longrow).

You’re probably asks: “Heavily peated? Just how heavily peated is it?” and the answer is: very heavily peated with 84 PPM, which is almost twice (more or less) of the PPM levels for the south Islay distilleries and second only to Bruichladdich’s Octomore whiskies.

While the bottle doesn’t sport age statement and it’s not mentioned in any official publication, the age isn’t a real secret and it’s a 3 year old whisky (which would be the official age anyway for NAS whisky).

9,000 bottles were produced from a mix of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry Casks (55% and 45% respectively).

Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch No. 1 (59.3%)

Nose: Very oily and peated, cured meat, BBQ party, slightly greenery, barley sugar, chimney smoke, vanilla and pears pudding and eventually there’s coal smoke and more greenery. Very rich and not too punchy despite the ABV and young age.

Palate: Sweet peat, oily, honey, pears, drier smoke in the background along with some trademarked Campbeltown dirtiness, petrol fumes and green vines.

Finish: Medium long length, sweet and oily, peat and lingering dirtiness in the background

Thoughts: Tasty but not overly complex. A very good foundation and first step in the road for permanent aged peated Kilkerran.