Campbeltown was once Scotland's whisky capital — thirty-odd distilleries crammed into a small Kintyre peninsula town. By the 1930s, only two survived. When Mitchell's Glengyle distillery was rebuilt in 2004, it was the first new distillery in Campbeltown for over a century. Kilkerran is its single malt, and the 12 Year Old is the expression that proves the revival was worth the wait.
The whisky is lightly peated at 15 parts per million and matured in a combination of 70% ex-bourbon and 30% ex-sherry casks. It is bottled at 46% without chill filtration or added colour — a specification that has become the industry standard for serious single malts, though Kilkerran was among the early adopters.
The nose is bright and citrus-led: tart lemon-lime, buttery biscuits, fresh banana, coconut water, and a trace of cherry meringue, with the peat sitting quietly beneath like a bass note. The palate is where Campbeltown's famous mouthfeel asserts itself — oily, dense, almost chewy — with lemon cheesecake, vanilla, butterscotch, orange peel, and sugar cookies. The smoke softens considerably on the palate, slipping into the background as brighter flavours take the lead.
The finish is medium, with a reprise of the citrus and malt before an earthy, slightly muddy peat note arrives at the very end. It is not Springbank — the comparison is inevitable but unhelpful — and it is all the better for it. Kilkerran has found its own voice: lighter, brighter, more citric, and utterly distinctive. Campbeltown has three distilleries again, and all three deserve your attention.
