Distillery

Glengyle whiskies

Glengyle is a Campbeltown distillery, on the Kintyre peninsula, that bottles its whisky under the name Kilkerran. It reopened at the beginning of this century after almost eighty years of silence, and was the first new distillery in the region for a long time. It is run by the same family that owns Springbank, its neighbour. Its style combines fruit, a faint smoke and the oily, briny character of Campbeltown.

Founded
1872
Owner
Mitchell's Glengyle
Origin
Campbeltown, Scotland
In the catalogue
1 whisky

History, style and where to startSee it on the world map

  • Glengyle distillery, photo 1 of 3
    Photo: sebastian.b. · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • Glengyle distillery, photo 2 of 3
    Photo: Leslie Barrie · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • Glengyle distillery, photo 3 of 3
    Photo: Leo · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)

1 whisky

Guide to Glengyle

History

The original Glengyle was founded at the end of the 19th century and closed in the 1920s, when the crisis finished off almost all the Campbeltown distilleries. At the beginning of this century the owner of Springbank, a descendant of the family that had founded the first Glengyle, decided to revive it so that the region would keep enough distilleries. The distillery was rebuilt with second-hand equipment and began distilling in 2004. As the name Glen Gyle was already used by another brand, its whisky was launched as Kilkerran, recalling the old Gaelic name of the place. The first young editions came in the following years, up to the launch of its 12-year-old.

House style

Kilkerran’s style is that of Campbeltown: orchard fruit, citrus, cereal, salt, wax and a very gentle smoke, with an oily texture. The house works with craft methods, partly shared with Springbank, and matures mainly in bourbon and sherry casks. It is a balanced whisky, lighter than Springbank, with a coastal, slightly spicy finish.

Flavour profile of its whisky in the catalogue

Sweet
2.5
Fresh fruit
2.5
Ripe and dried fruit
1.0
Floral and herbal
1.0
Cereal and malt
2.5
Vanilla and creamy
1.5
Oak
1.5
Spicy
1.5
Toasted
1.5
Smoky
1.0
Maritime
2.0
Body and intensity
2.5

Where to start

Kilkerran 12 Year Old is the main expression and an excellent gateway to Campbeltown: fruity, lightly smoky and with a briny touch. You’ll like it if you’re drawn to coastal malts with character and balance. If the region interests you, try it alongside Springbank and Glen Scotia to compare the three remaining distilleries. Drink it neat or with a few drops of water.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors. Founding year, owner and official website come partly from Wikidata.

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