31/05/2023 Kilkerran

Kilkerran 8yo b.2018 (58.4%, OB Open Day 2018, Recharred Sherry Cask, 18/228): nose: 'robust' is the term that immediately comes to mind. In no particular order, we have wood oil, a thin veil of dark smoke from a wood stove, oily nuts (roasted peanuts), iodine and sea breeze. Further on, we have soft, rubbery tree bark (mulch), a scent that is always a hit with tOMoH, then a whisper of matchstick tips, perhaps more saltpetre than sulphur. An earthier note emerges behind all that, part rich soil, part scorched earth, certainly imparted by the Sherry cask. Matchbox strikers  lurk in the shadows, never unpleasant. The second nose adds juicy berries to the mix, almost a paste of blueberries, myrtles, and/or cherries -- and a spoonful of plasticine, just for fun! A drop of water introduces rosehip to the nose, wine-soaked clementine segments, discreet Turkish delights, and chewy fruit sweets. Mouth: matchbox strikers on the attack too, and the least one can say is that this is hot; fiery, even! Amchur, a pinch of chilli powder, ground cloves, ginger powder all form a choir around overtly-woody notes of old bookshelves, sandalwood, and spiked prune juice, augmented with white pepper and ground cardamom. The second sip is fruitier than the first, with currants and candied orange segments, and those fruits almost match the spices. Almost. A few loops around the tongue allow elderberry to show up in all its earthy glory, propelled by the gingery spiciness. Water makes this mellow -- too mellow, in fact. We detect fruit sweets, such as melon Sugus (Opal Fruits, for our British readers, Starburst for the Americans), but, apart from a warm-wood bitterness in the back, it seems to have lost all complexity. Finish: although it is fairly close in character to the nose, the finish comes as a surprise, after this palate. Here are braseros on a ship's deck, (which is to say: embers, dark smoke, and salty sea air), rancio, bitter earth, and dusty shelves. Minutes after swallow, the spices from the mouth operate a comeback, and we have Chinese five-spice and ground cassia bark join the afore-mentioned ground cloves, ginger and amchur. Once again, repeated sipping adds a welcome fruity layer, this time dried currants, dried figs, prunes, and a drop of elderberry cordial. Once again too, all that is gingery alright, and a lick of balsa wood will not let us forget where those spices came from (wood, innit). They turn borderline desiccating, actually. Water works well on this finish. It sheds enough of the spices for one to now be able to focus on the rest, and that is crystallised clementines, chewy fruit sweets that come close to wine-soaked Haribo Bananas. Strangely enough, there is virtually no maritime influence left, at this stage; just confectionary goodness. Nice. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, STL)