If you’re new here, welcome to Two Drams A Day! Each article is a personal journey where I pair two whiskies, often Scotch single malts among others, to discover the subtle differences that make each one unique and special. My approach is hands-on and intimate: I taste these whiskies side-by-side and share my real-time observations, from unexpected delights to the occasional letdowns. In the end, I choose a favourite, and along the way, I hope to learn something new and share that knowledge with you. If you’re curious about the nuanced and fascinating world of whisky and enjoy a personal touch in your reading, you’re in the right place. Stick around, subscribe, and join me on this flavorful adventure, two drams at a time!

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Just the other day, I had the absolute pleasure of comparing two Kilkerrans. Both were from the same year and of the same age, and both were cask strength, but one was aged in ex-bourbon and the other in ex-sherry casks. It was a fascinating experience. Believe me, it was great – the cask influence on the same spirit and the journey itself. Well, today, I’ve got the 12-year-old Kilkerran waiting in my glass to be compared to the Heavily Peated version of it. I’ve had the latter before on more than one occasion (there’s a cherished bottle on my shelves), so I’ll go on a whim and predict that it will win this round, but you never know. Right? So let’s get to it, but first, you know that we need music! Now playing: The Future Sound of London – Music from Calendars.

I’ve covered some basics about the Glengyle distillery before, so let’s jump straight into the tasting. There are a few notable differences between these distillery bottlings. The 12-year-old, albeit non-coloured and non-chill filtered, is bottled at only 46% ABV, and that suggests to me that it’s the bottle from the “core range” of Kilkerran. If this was any lower in ABV, it would have to be chill-filtered, and by then, the whole thing would just fall apart. So, I applaud the distillery for the bump in the percentage and the explicit age statement of 12 years. It’s very pleasant on the nose, and I sense distant bananas, some mild oak influence, and just a bit of fruit. It reminds me slightly of the nose on the Balvenie. This is a vatting of 70% ex-bourbon and 30% ex-sherry casks, so it makes sense to be produced for mass consumption. As of this writing, this should be a £52 bottle, and you should be able to find this in most places (I even see it on the UK’s Amazon for a 30-quid markup). It seems to be released yearly, so you just have to wait if you missed it. Albeit, I must say that every year doesn’t mean that quality’s consistent. I’m pretty sure mine’s from some time before 2021 because of its “old-style” traditional bottling. Let’s move to the Heavily Peated version (Batch 6), which, besides being bottled at a hefty 57.4% ABV, doesn’t carry an age statement. I guess there are younger whiskies in there to give it that well-deserved “oomph“, but that shouldn’t stop me from ignoring this single malt. It’s also uncoloured and non-chill filtered, and this time bottled at a cask strength. It’s got the same percentage split of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry aged whiskies, but the nose is a lot more complex, darker, sweeter, and now I can sense stewed fruit, and yes, of course, some peat, but not exactly overwhelming. Let’s go in for a taste!

So yes, at 46%, the 12-year-old goes down easy. It’s slightly sweeter than I expected, and it has a medium body to it (I’ve had more meatier whiskies from Kilkerran just last night). It has consistent delivery with a well-integrated blend of varied cask influences, and it works well. Let’s see what the Heavily Peated version has to say about that. Oh, yes, of course, it’s thicker and stronger right away, and now that alcohol delivers all those sherry notes, leaving a beautiful and oily finish. I’ll drop some water into the latter to see if I can bring it down to the same levels as the 12-year-old, hopefully without completely diluting it. Now, let’s go in again. The 12-year-old now is smoother (because the bite of alcohol has numbed my buds), and I can taste the oak more, and it’s a little bitter on the edges. That’s not a bad thing, I may say, but it’s a bit pronounced, more than before. It’s also something I noticed in yesterday’s ex-bourbon cask strength tasting. Oh, but with water, the Heavily Peated version is so good! It now rounded off its little harshness from a higher ABV, and the sweetness blankets the mouth like a warm summer fog. It’s a lot more sherry than bourbon, but I wish it had a lot more smokiness in it as well. When I see “heavily peated”, I think of Octomore from the Bruichladdich or Staoisha from the Bunnahabhain distilleries. This is not that. I think the standard Lagavulin is peatier than that. I’ll take a sip of water to refresh my palate and try these two once more, but this time in reverse. Okay, on the last sip, I tasted a bit of peatiness, but more when I followed up with sparkling water – like that medicinal aftertaste I like… but I want more!

Distillery / Region	Glengyle / Campbeltown	Glengyle / Campbeltown
Bottler / Series	Distillery bottling / core range	Distillery bottling
Stated Age	12 years old	NAS
Cask type	70% ex-bourbon and 30% ex-sherry	70% ex-bourbon and 30% ex-sherry
ABV / Cask Strength	46.0 / No	57.4 / Yes!
Non-chill filtered/ Uncoloured	Yes / Yes🌟	Yes / Yes 🌟
Price	£80	£95
Did it win? / Did I like it?	No / Yes, but on its own…	Yes / Yes
Would I buy it? / Recommend it?	Yes / Yes, it’s still a ‘buy’ from me!	Yes / Yes

Well, there you have it, folks, another fascinating tasting! With the last sip, I concluded that the 12-year-old was still slightly oakey for my personal preference. Of course, if I’d drink it on its own, it would be an absolutely stand-out malt. But next to the cask-strength and the Heavily Peated version, even with a NAS, it seemed a bit subdued and lacked in flavour. Of course, for you, it may be the other way around, but once again, I can confirm that higher ABV delivers slightly more in every sip. So, with that said, I’ll pause here and proclaim the Kilkerran Heavily Peated as the winner of this round. I’m glad I have an entire bottle of this stuff, and if you don’t, I highly recommend you grab it!