Kilkerran 12 Year Old

It took many years, but at last the standard Kilkerran has arrived. After all those Work in Progress (which were quite nice indeed), it is nice to finally see this new release at a very fair price. Not even 50 EUR for this big boy. And indeed it is a big boy. Wonderfully old school whisky in my book and hence a bottle I think should be in each and every cabinet. Chalk and lemon juicy, that’s the start of the nose. Very clear and clean. Oat meal, mint and spices from the kitchen rack. Think rosemary and thyme. Hay. Hint of soot. Stable scents in the background. Hint of peat. Some rotting wood. Old school indeed. Wonderful. Idem dito on the palate, but the peat is now much more outspoken and the whisky turns quite salty from the very beginning. A bit waxy (but less than its predecessors). Some exotic fruit seems to want to reach the surface, but fails by an inch. Lovely little peppery touch. Again that chalky element, that I really love in Kilkerran. The finish is medium long with a bit more smoke and another salty uppercut. At last, indeed. Top whisky at a top price. Now, how about a cask strength edition?