Kilkerran 16
Don’t judge a whisky by the neck pour. You’ve probably heard this advice before, be it from a whisky reviewer on YouTube, a discussion on the whisky subs on Reddit, a whisky-loving friend, or some other source of whisky knowledge. It’s become a modern cliche in whisky circles fairly recently. And that’s not to say it’s bad advice—quite the opposite. Whisky changes after a bottle has been opened. Some bottles change more than others, but it’s pretty common knowledge that at least some changes occur over time once the seal has been broken.
What is a neck pour? Quite simply, it’s the first pour from a newly opened bottle (which is coming from the neck of the bottle, hence the term). Most times when you someone tells you not to judge the neck pour, it’s in regards to a bottle that initially disappoints. Don’t write off the bottle just because the first pour was lackluster. But it goes both ways. For as many times as I’ve had a neck pour be disappointing only to see the bottle open up and improve, I’ve seen just as many bottles in which the neck pour was a tease, and subsequent pours were nowhere near as good. Sometimes the neck pour is the best pour.
Why does this happen? Frankly, I don’t know. I’m no chemist, and I’m not going to try to explain why interaction with air changes a bottle. Not exactly my area of expertise. Whisky is mysterious, no doubt about that. It’s one of the reasons I love it.
I bring this up, because the bottle I’m reviewing today is one such mysterious whisky, where the neck pour was quite different than subsequent pours—Kilkerran 16 year old.
At 16 years of age, this is the oldest Kilkerran released by the distillery (Glengyle) to date. It was aged primarily in bourbon casks, but apparently there were also Marsala casks used as well (96% bourbon, 4% Marsala). Like many releases from Kilkerran, this bottle is fairly limited in production and sold out in the UK quickly.
I’ve been a little hard on a couple of Kilkerran expressions recently, but I was pretty excited about getting a bottle of this 16 year old. I, like many fans of Campbeltown whisky, have been looking forward to a Kilkerran with a bit more age for a long time. Does this long-anticipated release live up to our hopes and hype? Let’s find out.
Kilkerran 16 Review
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Region: Campbeltown
Age: 16 years
ABV: 46%
Non chill-filtered
Natural color
Nose
A bit of a funky nose at first. Diesel. An almost skunky note. These notes fade away quickly though after a few minutes in the glass, and were only present when the bottle was first cracked.
Damp basement. A bit of peat smoke. A bit floral. A fresh fruit bowl lingering in the background, moving closer the longer the whisky sits in the glass. Cantaloupe. Baked peaches. Malty. Warm oak. Cinnamon sugar. Cereal grains. Rose pedals. Sweet lavender. Creme brûlée. Vanilla. Lemon meringue. Becomes more and more sweet and fruity as time goes on. Really quite wonderful.
Palate
On the neck pour, there was a moderate amount of peat smoke. A nice crispy sort of peat. However, the peat faded quickly after the bottle was opened, and subsequent pours have been much lighter on the peat (still present, but not much). Very fresh. Fresh cantaloupe and honeydew. A bit of key lime. Light honey. Sweet lemon. Vanilla extract. Lavender syrup. Just the right amount of oak. Oily. English toffee. A hint of lavender. Barley sugar. A bit of smoke and BBQ. Warm and comforting.
The mouthfeel is pretty good for the ABV. Creamy and oily.
Finish
The honey lingers nicely, as does the small amount of peat smoke. Tobacco. Melon. Lemongrass. Black tea. Barley sugar.
Overall
This whisky changed considerably after the neck pour. When the bottle was first opened, the nose was a little weird, but the palate was fantastic, with what seemed to be a surprising amount of peat smoke. But then it changed quickly. The second time I visited this bottle, the nose was improved, but the peat on the palate was mostly gone. Funny. I actually preferred the neck pour, in spite of the slightly odd nose. Nonetheless, this whisky is top notch, even as it changes. Complex, interesting, unique. This would be amazing at cask strength.
It’s a bit of a throwback whisky. Reminds me of top notch distillate from yesteryear, such as 1970s Tomatin (which is fantastic stuff, by the way).
Compared to the 12 year old Kilkerran, this 16 year is much more complex and interesting (and I love the 12 year old, especially for the price). It’s a very nice step up. Engaging and fun.
SCORE: 8/10
Final Thoughts
It’s fascinating how the neck pour was substantially different than subsequent pours, particularly in regards to the peat content. I was shocked at how much peat smoke I detected on the neck pour. This is not a heavily peated whisky. But I swear, on the neck pour, there was a substantial peat presence. It didn’t last, and the peat faded, but it remains an excellent dram.
By the way, the changes a whisky experiences after a bottle is opened is one of the reasons why I’ve only ever reviewed whiskies that I’ve tasted multiple times. If I’d have posted a review of this bottle after trying only the neck pour, the tasting notes would have been quite a bit different. I like to think that my reviews are a bit more comprehensive (and perhaps even more honest, in a certain sense) than most other whisky reviews for this very reason.
Buying Advice: If you can find a bottle at close to the original retail price (I paid around $150 or so), it’s well worth it. A very nice Campbeltown malt.
Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page.
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Kilkerran 16 Review
