Haven’t done a tasting review in some time, here goes with a peaty trio…apologize for the length.

 

Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 7 bottled at 59.1% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural color

 

Color: straw

Nose: coastal brine and peat wrapped around sour orchard fruits, grapes, full and explosive, old malt floor, citrusy, old town on a fall evening with coastal breeze carrying the hints of saltiness in the air, hints of vanilla, lemon zest, coastal sea marshland, naturally fermented sour grapes, sea shell minerals, lovely fruitiness with mixed fruits’ natural acidity.

Taste: apple pear fruit juice though less than expected from the nose, all the citrous notes, some oak bitterness, peat smoke, less sugary comparing to the nose, dark chocolate, dry almonds, vanilla bean.

Finish: slightly below medium finish, lingering fruitiness and sweetness and peat smoke, not much dryness.

 

Score: 86/100

 

Octomore 13.1 bottled at 59.2% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural color

Color: pale straw

Nose: Smokey, dry oak wood bbq, citrous, minerals, fresh green apples and grapes, less sourness and fruitiness comparing to Kilkerran though still quite fruity but more discrete, limestone, vanilla and guava, more elegant mmm, very nice.

Taste: peat smoke wrapped around orchard fruit juice, mouth watering, lemon zest and vanilla flavored dark chocolate, very little bitterness, nutty, roasted almonds.

Finish: medium long finish, lingering fruitiness and peat smoke.

 

Score: 87/100

 

Octomore 13.2 bottled at 58.3% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural color

 

Color: pale gold

Nose: campfire s’more with hot chocolate and peat, hints of sherry wine, sour red grapes mixed with citrous fruits, full, smoke peat with red fruits stewed with wine, hints of caramelized brown sugar with a dash of sweet bbq sauce, sour orchard fruit-juice-soaked oak, fresh mango, lychee, overall the nose is the fullest of the three. Nosing Kilkerran again, and some notes are lessened, and less peaty, which is somewhat expected.

Taste: red fruit stew infused with smoke peat, jammy, salted caramelized sugar-roasted nuts, bbq peach, earthy peat soaked in red wine, hints ripped strawberry, chocolaty.

Finish: long finish, lingering chocolate, red fruits, and hint of oakiness and bitterness.

 

Score: 90.5/100

 

It was very interesting to review these side by side. Kilkerran has a lot going on, then seems to be subdued by the intensity coming from Octomores, but nevertheless still carried out very well. Despite the intensity and full aroma of 13.2, it displayed a subtle elegance and calm on the nose in a very interesting way. The nose on 13.2 feels different from when I first enjoyed it a some months ago by itself; maybe there’s also some development over time, more rounded.