As far as I can tell, Kilkerran 12 has yet to land in Singapore. However, several places have a couple of bottles of the Work-in-Progress releases. Having tried the first WIP at Auld Alliance a couple of weeks ago, I managed to try the WIP 7 at Quaich Bar's new outlet at South Beach. It's a swanky bar - great interior decor, nice ambiance, an updated and comprehensive menu of original bottlings, and waiting staff who know their products. Quaich is also the sole official importer of Springbank in Singapore, which means that most of our access to Springbank, Longrow, Hazelburn, Kilkerran and all of Cadenhead is mediated through Quaich, and the guys at Quaich know the value of a holding a monopoly, unfortunately.
According the the bar manager (I think), Kilkerran 12 is making its way to Singapore. In the meantime, I shall make do with the WIPs. Today, we're having number 7, which is a sherried expression.
Kilkerran WIP 7 Sherry Wood (abv 46%)
Nose - Smells very oily, with mineral notes that remind me of fresh river water and the wet rocks at the bottom of said river. Sherry influence isn't strong here - comes across more as hints of cranberries and leather, so not a full, bright, fruity sherry. A little musty and sharp at the same time. Dusty mustard?!? Some more citrus fruits/berries, though I'm not sure what...maybe cherries? A whiff of oak, some vanilla, and light wisp of smoke.
Palate - What I noticed first was the oily profile, then the consistency of the minerals on the nose, like clean spring water. Then the peat hits, carrying with it a more metallic edge. Not so much like mustard anymore. Cherries - both sweet and sour. With some time on the tongue, oak starts to feel a bit, but that's balanced off by a growing leather/sulphur touch, which is nice to find in a sherried whisky. The peat takes a backseat, serving as the backdrop to the citrus, oak and leather. This is very finely balanced! The alcohol starts to show a bit more if you leave the whisky on your tongue for too long. Taste carefully, but don't take too long to swallow this one.
Finish - Fairly long on smoke/peat and tannin with some bursts of spices (pepper and nutmeg) and mellowed by a lingering leathery touch. Still manages to feel oily.
Overall - Yet another winner from the new weapon in Springbank's armoury. Amazing. How do they churn out such great stuff at Campbeltown? I really can't wait to get my hands on a bottle of the official Kilkerran 12 (and I hope and pray that the prices won't be too high).
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