Fahrenheit 173 - Aged Spirits

Kilkerran 5 y.o. (bottled 2009, 46%):
Nose: wood smoke and malt, also very nice notes of custard, apricot and pear. Youthful but fresh. Rather nice palate: light, sweet and fruity (first apple, then orange). De­velops malt, peat, oak and spices. Spicy, slightly dis­ap­point­ing finish though. All in all fresh, en­ter­tain­ing and quite drinkable. The peatiest of the four (which is no surprise, as the peat subsides during maturation). (85 p)

Kilkerran 6 y.o. (bottled 2010, 46%):
The nose has malt, citrus (orange marmalade on toast) and notes of black pepper and smoke. Young-ish yet nice. Sweet, chewy palate with malt, black pepper and honey. The finish is malty and a little peaty, peppery and fairly hot with dis­ap­point­ing cereal notes. All in all sweeter, richer and a little more mature than the 2009 bottling but lacks its freshness. (84 p)

Kilkerran 7 y.o. (bottled 2011, 46%):
Interesting but not quite convincing nose with black pepper, wet cardboard and a note of crème brûlée. Nicer palate: fresh, quite sweet and chewy with notes of custard, orange marmalade, mint and oak. The finish has notes of dessert wine, oak and mint. It's also quite spicy with a little smoke at the end. All in all quite sweet with a slightly unusual character (perhaps from a dessert wine cask, like Sauternes). The most mature of these four bottlings. (85 p)

Kilkerran 8 y.o. (bottled 2012, 46%):
Malty, oaky nose with notes of peat and orange marmalade. Youthful and muscular. The palate is malty and fairly sweet with honey and fresh notes of citrus and mint. Drying, de­velops oak. (The notes of honey and orange marmalade make me suspect refill sherry wood was used.) The finish is fruity at first, then oaky and peppery. Warming. All in all quite enjoyable. Seems younger than the 2011 bottling, but nicer - the nicest of the four. (86 p)

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